AI gives LG a 68.1% chance of holding third as Samsung reaches 70 wins and Hanwha falls to ninth

LG took another step toward securing third place, beating local rival Doosan 5-1 at Jamsil Stadium. The victory extended LG’s winning streak to three games and left it with a 66-51-1 record, two games ahead of fourth-placed KIA.

An artificial-intelligence forecast based on 100,000 simulations using the Bradley-Terry model put LG’s chances of finishing third at 68.1%. The defending champions, however, are looking beyond third place. LG closer Son Joo-young said, “Third place was actually the goal, but after Ko Woo-seok came, we are now looking higher.” Ko returned from an attempt to play in the United States and signed with LG for 150 million won for the rest of the season.

LG used a bullpen game against Doosan. Kim Yun-sik allowed one run over 2⅓ innings, and Kim Jin-soo, Lee Woo-chan, Kim Young-woo, Kennedy and Woo Kang-hoon followed with scoreless outings before Son Joo-young closed the ninth. Manager Yeom Kyoung-yup praised all six relievers.

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Third place was actually the goal, but after Ko Woo-seok came, we are now looking higher.

KIA lost 3-2 to NC after closer Lee Eui-ri and reliever Sung Young-tak combined to concede a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning. The game marked the first starting-pitcher matchup between two Japanese players in a Korean professional baseball game, KIA’s Shirakawa and NC’s Toda.

At the top, Samsung beat Lotte 8-5 to become the first club to reach 70 wins. KT defeated Hanwha 9-6 and remained only 0.001 behind Samsung in winning percentage. Hanwha’s eighth straight loss dropped it below SSG, which overturned a 1-6 deficit against Kiwoom to win 9-6. SSG tied Kiwoom for the league’s most comeback losses, with both teams having 34.

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I want to praise all six bullpen pitchers.