Why is a water bomb at a KIA game…21st rain cancellation true story? Localized downpour at the wrong time, 5th place fight ‘goes to the end’ [Oh!쎈 잠실].

토토사이트The Kia game at the center of the fight for fifth place has been rained out again. Just 30 minutes before kickoff, the game boasted clear autumn skies, but suddenly, localized downpours made the 21st rainout a reality.

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 May 5, was canceled due to rain as of 6:55 p.m.

Jamsil Stadium, which boasted clear skies, was suddenly hit by 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, but the rain continued to form puddles in the bullpen, outfield walking track, and first- and third-base foul territory, and even if the rain stopped, it would take quite a while for the field to be repaired.

Jamsil Stadium in Seoul / Courtesy of the Doosan Bears

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.

Jamsil Stadium in Seoul / Courtesy of Doosan Bears

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.