This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
NC Dinos (39-17-1) at LG Twins (30-27-1)
Sunday, July 12th, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Chang Mo Koo (8-0, 1.48 ERA) vs LHP Yun Sik Kim (0-1, 7.24 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos sit comfortably at the top of the KBO standings this season with a 39-17-1 record, and it seems no team in the league can go toe-to-toe with them at the moment. They are hitting .292 as a team so it's safe to stack them in most matchups, and they enter as favorites here against a LG Twins team that, despite sitting fourth in the standings with a 30-27-1 record, they're still not very convincing. The Dinos will get a huge advantage in the pitching matchup in the series finale, as star lefty Chang Mo Koo will take the mound here – he owns a 1.48 ERA in 11 outings, while posting quality starts in all but one of those contests. The Twins will counter with Yun Sik Kim, who owns a less-than-impressive 7.24 ERA. This will be his first start since June 23, when he gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings against the Kiwoom Heroes.
Injuries
Twins
Woo Chan Cha - 10-Day IL - Not Injury Related
7/8 11:18 PM IST - Cha was assigned to the Twins' Futures League team Wednesday, according to chosun.com. Cha has posted a 6.04 ERA this season and has really struggled of late, allowing 20 earned runs over his last 10.2 innings (16.87 ERA), so the
NC Dinos (39-17-1) at LG Twins (30-27-1)
Sunday, July 12th, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Chang Mo Koo (8-0, 1.48 ERA) vs LHP Yun Sik Kim (0-1, 7.24 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos sit comfortably at the top of the KBO standings this season with a 39-17-1 record, and it seems no team in the league can go toe-to-toe with them at the moment. They are hitting .292 as a team so it's safe to stack them in most matchups, and they enter as favorites here against a LG Twins team that, despite sitting fourth in the standings with a 30-27-1 record, they're still not very convincing. The Dinos will get a huge advantage in the pitching matchup in the series finale, as star lefty Chang Mo Koo will take the mound here – he owns a 1.48 ERA in 11 outings, while posting quality starts in all but one of those contests. The Twins will counter with Yun Sik Kim, who owns a less-than-impressive 7.24 ERA. This will be his first start since June 23, when he gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings against the Kiwoom Heroes.
Injuries
Twins
Woo Chan Cha - 10-Day IL - Not Injury Related
7/8 11:18 PM IST - Cha was assigned to the Twins' Futures League team Wednesday, according to chosun.com. Cha has posted a 6.04 ERA this season and has really struggled of late, allowing 20 earned runs over his last 10.2 innings (16.87 ERA), so the Twins decided he could use some time in the minors to try and iron things out.
Keun Woo Jeong - 10-Day IL - Quadriceps
7/11 10:39 PM IST - Jeong was placed on the injured list Saturday with a right quad injury, according to hankooki.com. It's not clear how long Jeong will be sidelined, but he will be out at least several games. Jeong has played a part-time role of late and has not seen the ball well in July, going 2-for-17 (.118) at the plate since the start of the month.
Chan Heon Jung - Out - Not Injury Related
7/6 10:39 PM IST - Jung was removed from the Twins' roster Monday, according to koreadaily.com. Jung continues to throw the ball well for LG, but the team is also sticking to its plan of using him only every other time through the rotation, so he was taken off the roster until he makes his next start sometime next week.
Min Sung Kim - 10-Day IL - Thigh
6/15 10:18 PM IST - The Twins placed Kim (thigh) on the 10-day injured list Monday, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The transaction comes as little surprise after a recent MRI revealed that Kim sustained a left adductor injury Sunday that will keep him sidelined for at least 2-to-3 weeks. The Twins also removed reliever Sang Gyu Lee from the active roster Monday and replaced him and Kim with reliever Sun Tae Han and outfielder Min-Su Jeon.
Sang Gyu Lee - Out - Not Injury Related
7/11 10:45 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Twins' roster Saturday, according to hankooki.com. Lee was brilliant to open the season, posting a 1.35 ERA and recording four saves over his first 13 appearances, but he has struggled mightily of late, allowing 13 earned runs in 7.2 innings over his last eight outings. As a result, the Twins decided to send him down to iron some things out.
Yong Taik Park - Out - Hamstring
6/24 2:15 PM IST - Park will miss four weeks with a right hamstring injury, Se Ho Yoon of Sports Seoul reports. The news comes as no surprise, considering the 19-year LG vet struggled to exit Tuesday's game with Kiwoom under his own power. Park now joins Eun Sung Chae (ankle) and Min Sung Kim (thigh) on the list of starting position players out for the injury-riddled Twins. As a result of Park's injury, 20-year-old prospect Jae Won Lee was summoned to the first team and will start Wednesday.
Eun Beom Song - Out - Not Injury Related
7/6 10:47 PM IST - Song was removed from the Twins' roster Monday, according to koreadaily.com. Song returned to action last week after missing some time with a bruised thigh, but he was not particularly sharp over his last couple outings, so the Twins decided he could use more time to work on his mechanics in the minors.
Dinos
Jae Hwan Bae - 10-Day IL - Toe
7/11 2:03 AM IST - Bae was placed on the injured list Friday with a sore left toe, according to chosun.com. Manager Dong Wook Lee indicated Bae may only miss a few days, but regardless, the Dinos will be without their setup man until Bae is activated from the injured list.
Tae Jin Kim - 10-Day IL - Ankle
7/11 1:59 AM IST - Kim will miss four weeks with the ankle injury he suffered Wednesday, according to chosun.com. Kim is not a starter when the Dinos' infield is healthy, but he is the team's top reserve infielder, and his injury will force manager Dong Wook Lee to turn elsewhere when he wants to give one of his regulars a day off in the coming weeks.
Joon Wan Kim - 10-Day IL - Side
6/1 10:41 PM IST - Kim felt soreness in his right side last week, according to OSEN, and was placed on the injured list. It's not clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but the Dinos' reserve outfielder has not played since May 28 and will apparently miss more time. Sung Wook Kim was added to the roster in Joon Wan Kim's place.
NC Dinos Expected Lineup:
SP - Chang Mo Koo
1. Min Woo Park
3. Sung Bum Na
4. Eui Ji Yang
6. Suk Min Park
7. Jin Hyuk No
9. Myung Gi Lee
LG Twins Expected Lineup:
SP - Yun Sik Kim
2. Hyun Soo Kim
6. Ji Hwan Oh
7. Kang Nam Yoo
Top picks:
Chang Mo Koo, Dinos: Koo keeps showing on a weekly basis he doesn't have much time left in the KBO, as a bright future in the MLB waits for him. He has been a stud this season thanks to a 1.48 ERA and is yet to lose a game in 2020. He should represent a strong captaincy alternative given his track record this season.
Sung Bum Na, Dinos: Na got a day off Saturday, so he should be more than ready to make an impact in this game. Plus, he's had success against the Twins this season, hitting for .538 with three RBI in 13 at-bats against them in 2020.
Roberto Ramos, Twins: Ramos went through a minor slump in June, but he bounced back admirably and now has gone yard three times in his last eight games. He enters this matchup with 16 homers and 38 RBI while hitting .308 with a .538 slugging percentage in 39 July at-bats.
Aaron Altherr, Dinos: Altherr has hit two home runs while racking up five RBI in his last two games, and he continues to be one of the biggest offensive threats in the league. He is hitting an impressive .341 with three homers and 11 RBI in 10 July games (41 at-bats).
Captaincy Options:
Dream11 Team
P – Chang Mo Koo (C)
C – Eui Ji Yang
IF – Roberto Ramos
IF – Seung Hyun Baek
OF – Sung Bum Na (VC)
OF – Aaron Altherr
OF – Jin Sung Kang
OF – Hee Dong Kwon
OF – Chang Gi Hong
