Two rivals meet again when the third-place Doosan Bears and second-place Samsung Lions play their first game of the best-of-five playoff series on Thursday night.

The two met six times in the postseason since the league began in 1982. They faced each other in the playoffs in 2008 as well as 2004 and 1986, with Samsung holding a 2-1 record.

But, in the Korea Series 1982, 2001 and 2005 Doosan has a slight edge with a 2-1 record.

In their last encounter in the 2008 season, the Seoul-based Bears crushed the Daegu side four games to two to advance to the Korea Series only to lose to the SK Wyverns. The two met 19 times this season, with Samsung holding a slight edge with a 10-9 record.

For the third time since 2000, the two teams will go head-to-head in the playoffs to secure a Korea Series berth.

The big difference this time around is that the Lions’ players have a great advantage since the Bears’ players are already exhausted from going five games against the Lotte Giants in the first round of the playoffs.

Following two early losses to the Giants, many gave the Bears little chance to advance. But they rebounded and swept two games at the Giants’ home, Busan Sajick Stadium.

On Tuesday, the Bears beat the Giants 11-4 to win the series.

Doosan manager Kim Kyung-moon said he believes the team can build on its momentum against the Lions.

But the odds are in favor of Sun Dong-yeol’s Lions, as they have been resting for nearly two weeks.

The first two games are at the Lions’ home stadium in Daegu. The series returns to Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium on Sunday.

The first game is on Thursday at 6 p.m.

(596story@heraldcorp.com)