Kia Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho will bank on production from his table setters in the opening game of the South Korean baseball championship series that starts Monday.

Park Chan-ho will lead things off for the Tigers to begin the Korean Series, followed by Socrates Brito, as they take on the Samsung Lions and their Game 1 starter, Won Tae-in, at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

Park batted a career-high .307 this year, and his on-base percentage of .363 was also a personal best. Brito brings some punch to the No. 2 spot, with his career highs of 26 homers and 97 RBIs.

“We will most likely see Won Tae-in again in Game 5, and if Park Chan-ho and Socrates can get it going at the top, it will help our middle-of-the-lineup guys drive in some runs,” Lee said in his pregame press conference. “Our hitters are perfectly prepared. The key will be the top of the first inning,”

Against the right-handed Won, the Tigers will have five left-handed batters. And they will go right-left
-right-left for the first four spots.

Lions manager Park Jin-man will have a similar setup against right-hander James Naile, with left-handed and right-handed batters also taking turns in the batting order.

“They have a ton of lefty relievers in their bullpen so we wanted to have some balance,” Park explained.

Catcher Kang Min-ho will bat cleanup for the first time this postseason. He sent the Lions to the Korean Series by hitting a solo homer in a 1-0 win over the LG Twins that clinched the second round in four games.

“Hopefully, he will be able to maintain his form,” Park said. “We will try to chase Naile from the game as quickly as possible.”

Lions captain Koo Ja-wook, nursing a left knee injury he sustained last week in a steal attempt, is available to pinch hit, Park added.

Source: Yonhap News Agency