*This content was translated by AI.
After a long break, KIA Tigers returned to defeat second-place Samsung Lions for a satisfying victory. Catcher Kim Tae-gun's powerful hitting and starter Adam Oller's strong performance stood out. On top of that, they acquired a left-handed fireballer closer described as someone worth bringing back even from hell—Lee Ui-ri.
On the 11th, KIA defeated Samsung 3-1 in a home game at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.
Amidst a series of four consecutive cancellations and league suspensions due to extreme heat, KIA played its first game since July 31 against NC Dinos after an 11-day gap. With concerns about their game sharpness dispelled, they improved their record to 53 wins, 2 ties, and 46 losses, closing the gap to fourth-place Doosan Bears by just 0.5 games. Meanwhile, Samsung, now on a three-game losing streak (59 wins, 2 ties, 40 losses), failed to narrow the gap with first-place KT Wiz and remained in second place.
KIA seized early control of the game. In the bottom of the second inning, back-to-back hits by Na Seong-beom and Kim Sun-bin, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Ha Joo-seok, set up a one-out situation with runners on second and third bases. Kim Tae-gun then hit a two-run double to left field.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, after a walk by Kim Sun-bin, a hit and bunt by Ha Joo-seok again created a one-out situation with runners on second and third. Kim Tae-gun delivered another sacrifice fly deep to center field, extending the lead to 3-0. Ultimately, all three runs KIA scored that day came from Kim Tae-gun's bat.
Starter Adam Oller delivered an outstanding performance on the mound. Over six innings, he threw 100 pitches, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out six batters, giving up only one earned run in a quality start (six innings with three or fewer earned runs). This strong outing silenced Samsung's lineup. After struggling in the second half with three losses over three games and an ERA of 13.06 without a win, Oller finally reached double-digit wins (8 losses) for the season with this perfect pitching display.
Samsung starter Chris Fedek also pitched well, throwing seven innings with four hits allowed, three walks, nine strikeouts, and three earned runs, but he couldn't secure a win due to lack of offensive support, taking his second loss of the season (2 wins).
Samsung managed to score one run in the top of the fifth inning with a two-out RBI hit by Ryu Ji-hyuk, narrowing the gap to 3-1, but that was as far as they could go. KIA shut down Samsung's comeback attempts by bringing in Jeong Sang-hyun in the seventh and Jo Sang-woo in the eighth.
The highlight of the game came in the bottom of the ninth inning. With a two-run lead, KIA made a strategic move by calling upon Lee Ui-ri. Having recently returned from a short-term training stint in Japan and showing strong form, Lee Ui-ri took the mound in a save situation.
Samsung's cleanup trio consisted of Koo Ja-wook, Choi Hyung-woo, and Diaz—any one of them could hit a big home run at any moment.
However, Lee Ui-ri delivered an absolutely dominant performance. Against leadoff batter Koo Ja-wook, he threw a high outside strike on the first pitch (153 km/h fastball), followed by a slider inside on the second pitch. Koo swung and missed, resulting in a fly ball to center field for the first out.
The next batter was Choi Hyung-woo. The first pitch was a low outside ball (153 km/h fastball). On the second pitch, another 153 km/h fastball drifted slightly toward the middle of the plate. Choi swung immediately but hit a fly ball that was caught by the center fielder's glove. Two outs were recorded in an instant.
The final batter was Diaz. Lee Ui-ri's first pitch was a low strike. Diaz fouled it off. Then, an astonishing 156 km/h fastball was thrown—raising goosebumps. On the second pitch, a curveball caused Diaz to swing and miss. With a 0-2 count, Diaz selected a low ball on the third pitch, which also clocked in at 156 km/h. On the fourth pitch, Lee threw a 139 km/h slider low, inducing a swing-and-miss from Diaz. Three outs were recorded, and the game concluded. Lee Ui-ri celebrated his first career save after six seasons in professional baseball.
KIA has Jung Hae-young, who reached 150 saves in KBO League history, completing his military service with the Armed Forces Baseball Team at the end of this season. This meaningful game demonstrated that Lee Ui-ri could adequately fill the void left by Jung's temporary absence as the team's closer.
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*This content was translated by AI.
