Pitchers Duel Looming between NC and Lotte

NC's Drew Rucinski opposes Lotte's Dan Straily in a fantastic pitching matchup on Wednesday. Photo by @ChrisontheMarks (Twitter).

• Lotte’s Dan Straily and NC’s Drew Rucinski rank second and fourth respectively in ERA
• KIA’s Aaron Brooks has allowed just a single run in back-to-back starts
• Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on August 12th in the article below

The KBO season rolls on Wednesday at 5:30 am EST, with a fantastic pitching matchup in the NC versus Lotte contest. Two of the league’s top starters will toe the rubber, as the Dinos Drew Rucinski opposes the Giants Dan Straily.

 KBO Odds: Wednesday, August 12th

Odds as of Aug. 11th.

This game opened as a pick’em with a total of 8.5. That over/under may seem extremely low, but given how Rucinski and Straily have pitched this season, it’s hard to imagine either one of them giving up a lot of runs.

Smoking Aces

Let’s start with Straily, aka the KBO strikeout King. The 31-year-old has been brilliant in his first season in the KBO and you have to imagine MLB teams will be knocking on his door in the offseason.

Dan Straily, Fastball (called strike) & Slider (swinging K), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/N253TziyQ3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2020

He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts, and ranks second in the league in ERA and WHIP. Straily’s been particularly dominant at home, shutting out the opposition in four of six home starts. He’s also been burned by a lack of run support many times this season, which is a big reason why the under in 5-1 in his last six outings.

Rucinski vs Straily Statistics

Rucinski meanwhile, is the league’s only 11-game winner, and has surrendered one run or less in six of his last seven starts. Last time out, he gave up only five hits to Hanwha over 6 innings, and surprisingly has fared better on the road than at home this season.

Drew Rucinski, Filthy Slider. ????

Legend has it that my man is still spinning. pic.twitter.com/gCz6mxsGrZ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 16, 2020

He’s 8-0 in 10 road starts, posting a 1.80 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, while holding opposing batters to a .209 average.

Pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

Back to the Brooks Well

Speaking of elite starters, no KBO list is complete without Aaron Brooks. The KIA ace has been virtually unhittable in his last two outings, allowing just two total runs. One of those starts was against Wednesday’s opponent LG and it was a masterpiece.

Which pitchers in the KBO are allowing the least hard contact?

1. Aaron Brooks
2. Dan Straily
3. Drew Gagnon
4. Ki-young Im
5. Shi-hwan Jang
6. Jong-hoo Park
7. Chae-heung Choi
8. Odrisamer Despaigne
9. Chang-mo Koo
10. Raul Alcantara

— Sports Info Solutions (@SportsInfo_SIS) August 10, 2020

Brooks went 8 innings for the second consecutive start, allowing just four hits in a 13-1 blowout victory. He’s now faced the Twins twice, and has surrendered only three runs in 14 innings.

LG will counter with Chan Gyu Lim, who can’t seem to figure out the Tigers’ offense. In two starts versus KIA, Lim’s allowed 11 runs in 8.2 innings.

Lim’s ERA is a respectable 3.94 this season, but he’s struggled mightily against teams with an above .500 record. He’s allowed 25 runs in six outings against KIA (twice), Doosan, NC, Kiwoom and KT Wiz, compared to just 14 runs in eight starts versus SK (four times), Samsung (twice) and Hanwha (twice).

Pick: KIA Tigers moneyline (-140)

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