The Kia game, which is at the center of the fight for fifth place, has been rained out again. The 21st rain cancellation became a reality when localized heavy rain suddenly fell, despite the clear autumn skies 30 minutes before the start of the match.

The 11th matchup of the season between the Doosan Bears and the KIA Tigers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, was canceled due to rain at 6:55 p.m..

Jamsil Stadium, which boasted clear skies, was suddenly hit with heavy rain from 6pm. While the outfield boasted a beautifully cloudy autumn sky, the grounds of Jamsil Stadium were covered in dark clouds and the rain poured down hard. Curiously, weather radar showed that the rain clouds were concentrated near Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, where Jamsil Stadium is located. As the sun was setting in the sky over the outfield, the rain was falling in a steady stream.

The home team, Doosan, quickly set up tarps on the infield and monitored the weather conditions, but the continuous rain caused puddles to form in the bullpen, outfield walking track, and foul territory at first and third base, and even if the rain stopped, it would take quite a while for the field to be repaired.스포츠토토

The game was eventually rained out at 6:55pm. Fans in the stadium let out a sigh of disappointment, and Doosan players took the field to greet the fans waiting for the game to start. Doosan veterans Heo Kyung-min, Jeong Soo-bin, and Yang Seok-hwan performed a rainy weather ritual by circling the infield.

Coincidentally, water bombs rained down on the KIA game. KIA is the most rain-canceled team in the KBO this season. They have played 108 games, the fewest among the 10 teams, with 36 games left to play. The gap between them and Kiwoom (124 games) was 16 games. The game was expected to go off without a hitch, but unforeseen weather conditions forced a 21st rainout.

The gap between fourth-place KIA and third-place SSG is 1.5 games, with the latter narrowly ahead of fifth-place NC. Furthermore, only three games separate them from sixth-place Doosan. With KIA’s game at the center of the mid-table battle being rained out again, the battle for fifth place in the 2023 KBO League will not be known until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, it’s a welcome cancellation for Doosan, which is in the midst of a deadly nine-game series. With Choi Won-jun on the mound for the second-most losses this season (9), the team was set to play nine games, including one doubleheader, from the 3rd through the 10th, but the localized downpour gave them a respite.

The canceled games will be made up at a later date. Both teams have announced Kwak Bin (Doosan) and Thomas Pannoni (KIA) as their starting pitchers for the sixth game.