'Bullpen Day Announced': Samsung Receives Gift of Rain-Cancelled Mid-Autumn Festival Game... 'Four Days of Rest → AG Reinforcements Join' as Team Races Toward Comeback Championship

*This content was translated by AI.

'Bullpen Day' was scheduled for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the game was unexpectedly cancelled due to rain. This has opened up breathing room for the starting rotation. It is a precious gift for Samsung.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 25th that two games scheduled at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium and Incheon SSG Landers Field — Lotte Giants vs. Doosan Bears and Samsung vs. SSG Landers — were cancelled due to rain. The two games will be rescheduled for a later date.

Samsung has played 133 games this season. With only 11 games remaining, their next scheduled matchup is against the Daegu Hanwha Eagles on the 29th. After that game, they were set to receive three days of rest, but they will now enjoy four days off.

Samsung sits in second place, trailing first-place KT Wiz by three games. If KT maintains a .500 winning percentage over their remaining 12 games, Samsung must record nine wins and two losses in their remaining 11 games to catch up.

While a comeback is not highly realistic, Samsung has not given up. They face three head-to-head matchups against KT, who could erase the three-game gap in an instant. Given that Samsung holds a 9-4 advantage over KT in this season's regular-season meetings, their stance is simply to ensure the gap does not widen further before those decisive games.

Samsung manager Park Jin-man stated, "It is still entirely possible to reach first place. It will be a battle of momentum, and what matters most is how much focus we can maintain in the final stretch to secure consecutive wins. We have three games left against KT at the end, so if we can somehow maintain the gap until then, we will be in a position to decide the outcome at the finish line. I believe it is entirely possible."

Additionally, Samsung still has three games remaining against Hanwha, who they previously held an advantage over with a 9-3-1 record. KT also faces three games against Lotte (8-5) and two against Kiwoom (10-3-1), but the three games against Samsung will likely serve as a significant burden for them as well.

Furthermore, if today's game had proceeded normally, Samsung planned to utilize temporary starter Kim Baek-san. With three days of rest scheduled after this game, they had intended to operate a 'Bullpen Day,' but that necessity has now disappeared.

Starting from the 29th, they can deploy Won Tae-in, Chris Paddack, and Ariel Jurado in sequence for their three-game series against Hanwha.

Moreover, with the departure of Kim Ji-chan, Lee Jae-hyun, and Bae Chan-seung due to their participation in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, this schedule marks the effective conclusion of their remaining games without them. Their upcoming return will provide a boost, allowing the team to aim for consecutive wins with even greater strength.

KT is set to play against Kiwoom on the 26th and Doosan on the 27th. With starting pitchers So Hyoung-jun and Oh Won-seok, as well as closer Park Young-hyun, all participating in the Asian Games, KT must play at least two more games without them — a factor that brings a smile to Samsung's face.

The fierce standings battle this season recalls 2021. At that time, Samsung and KT engaged in an intense race until the very end, eventually entering a tiebreaker for the first time in history, with Samsung bowing their heads. This time, can Samsung avenge that past pain? Players, and even the manager, are rallying with determination to "go all the way."

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*This content was translated by AI.