The Korean Baseball Organization enters its final schedule full week of the regular season with additional rescheduled games to com. Three teams have secured postseason spots, and two more spots are still to be filled. Those spots could be decided later this week.

While KBO teams have battled for position in the playoff race, arguably the two biggest Korean stars in the KBO were with the national team in its quest for Asian Games gold.

South Korea wins fifth straight Asian Games championship

On Sunday, South Korea and Japan met in the gold-medal game at the Asian Games in Toyohashi, Japan. The teams had played at the same venue Friday, when Japan upset the favored Korean team 5-0. Unlike South Korea, Japan did not use professional players. Shin Higuchi pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits against a Korean lineup that included 2024 KBO MVP Do-yeong Kim. Motoki Mukoyama had two hits to lead Japan to the victory.

In the rematch Sunday, the KBO’s top pitcher this season, Been Gwak, was on the mound for Korea. Gwak did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and had allowed just one hit with eight strikeouts through six innings. Hyun-bin Moon’s RBI single in the second gave Korea a 1-0 lead.

That changed in the seventh. Three of the first four Japanese hitters reached base, with Yuki Sato’s RBI single tying the game at 1 against Korea’s ace. The hit knocked Gwak out of the game.

With the game tied, Korea’s most talented hitter came through in the clutch. With two outs and a runner at third, Japan elected to pitch to Do-yeong Kim, and he made them pay with a go-ahead RBI single that deflected off third baseman Yuki Sato’s glove. Bo-gyeong Moon followed with an RBI single of his own to score Kim and give Korea a 3-1 lead.

It remained a 3-1 game entering the bottom of the ninth, when Japan brought the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. Korean reliever Yeong-hyun Park struck out Masato Shibasaki looking to secure South Korea’s fifth straight gold medal at the tournament. The victory also secured military exemptions for the players on the roster.

KIA Tigers make push for third seed

The KIA Tigers hosted the LG Twins on Saturday, with the Twins leading the Tigers by three games for the third seed. The team that finishes third will avoid playing in the opening playoff series.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the second inning when Sung-bum Na hit his 29th home run of the season to make it 1-0.

Jun-su Han’s RBI single made it 2-0 in the third.

The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth. A wild pitch made it 3-0, and with runners on second and third and two outs, Ho-ryung Kim delivered a two-run single to make it 5-0 and blow the game open for the Tigers.

Tigers starter James Naile pitched six shutout innings with six strikeouts to shut down the Twins’ offense. The score remained 5-0 until the top of the ninth. After the Twins scored a run on a bases-loaded walk, reliever Do-gyu Gwak entered with the tying run at the plate and one out. He struck out Min-jae Shin and got Hae-min Park to fly out to seal the 5-1 victory.

The win brought the Tigers within two games of the LG Twins. The teams are set for a pivotal three-game series next week in Seoul. It will be the final three-game regular-season series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium and could decide which team earns the third seed for the playoffs.

The battle for the top spot continues

The race for the top spot and an automatic berth in the Korean Series has come down to the final week, with the KT Wiz leading the Samsung Lions.

The Wiz played the Doosan Bears on Sunday, with both teams closing in on the postseason. After a scoreless first inning, the Wiz bats got going in the second. Back-to-back singles by Hyun-in Ryu and Seung-taek Han made it 2-0. Jun-won Jang delivered an RBI double to make it 3-0, and Won-jun Choi’s RBI single made it 4-0. A wild pitch allowed another run to score, giving the Wiz a five-run second inning.

The Wiz added two more runs in the third on a two-run home run by Sung-woo Jang.

The Wiz eventually took a 12-0 lead after scoring three runs in the seventh on an RBI double from Hyun-in Ryu and a two-run homer from Seung-taek Han.

The Doosan Bears scored six runs in the final three innings but never seriously threatened the Wiz, who cruised to a 12-6 win.

The victory pushed the Wiz to a three-game lead over the Samsung Lions. The Wiz have 10 games remaining, while the Lions have 11. The teams also play a makeup game next Wednesday that could help decide who earns the automatic berth in the Korean Series.

The week ahead

The LG Twins and KIA Tigers are set to play this weekend in one of the biggest remaining series of the regular season. The teams will meet for a three-game set.

Tigers superstar Do-yeong Kim is set to rejoin the team this week with a chance to help KIA steal the No. 3 spot from the Twins.

Doosan Bears host NC Dinos in potential postseason-clinching series

The Bears lead the Dinos by six games. Doosan has nine games remaining, while NC has 10.

A series sweep would put the Bears into the postseason, while winning two of three would put them on the brink of clinching. The Dinos face a virtual must-sweep series to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, beginning Tuesday night in Seoul.

KBO standings

  1. KT Wiz — 81-49-4

  2. Samsung Lions — 78-52-3

  3. LG Twins — 75-57-1

  4. KIA Tigers — 72-58-2

  5. Doosan Bears — 67-63-5

  6. NC Dinos — 62-70-2

  7. Lotte Giants — 59-72-2

  8. SSG Landers — 58-71-5

  9. Hanwha Eagles — 55-76-4

  10. Kiwoom Heroes — 47-86-4