"Unbelievable" — The entire KIA roster has caught a cold... But the story behind it reveals a spirit of fighting hard [On-site from Game 1 of the Semi-Playoffs]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

KIA Tigers' foreign ace James Neil (33) shared his thoughts on becoming the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the Semi-Playoffs (best-of-five series). Above all, he noted that while the team has been struggling with colds, they are demonstrating a fighting spirit to overcome it, and credited his teammates.

Neil started in Game 1 of the Semi-Playoffs against the LG Twins at the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason held on the 17th at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. He pitched brilliantly over seven innings, allowing four hits (one home run), two walks, and striking out six while giving up one run (one earned run), leading his team to a 5-1 victory.

Neil had taken a full eight days of rest after finishing the regular season with the Changwon NC game on the 9th. He then took the mound that day, delivering an excellent performance and securing his third career postseason win.

It started off cleanly. After retiring the LG lineup in order in the first inning, Neil gave up a solo home run to Song Chan-ui with two outs in the second inning. However, that was the only run allowed. In the third inning, facing a bases-loaded threat with two outs and runners on first and second base, Neil recorded Austin with a shortstop groundout. In the fifth inning, although Park Jae-hyun's fielding error occurred with one out, he retired the next two batters on groundouts. In the sixth inning, he created a bases-loaded threat with no outs, but after striking down Moon Jeong-bin with a swinging strike, he induced a double play from Moon Bo-kyung, getting through the biggest crisis of the day. Neil then retired the side in order in the seventh inning before handing the mound to the bullpen in the eighth. His total pitch count was 92.

After the game, Neil opened his interview with reporters by saying, "I am happy to have played a great game and won. I am truly proud of our team's players. The pitching staff pitched well, the lineup hit well, and the defense was solid, which allowed us to win."

What is it like seeing Kim Do-young's home run from a pitcher's perspective? Neil said, "The energy Kim Do-young brings to the team is truly amazing. Today's home run was also a single shot that completely changed everything all at once. I was personally very grateful. In fact, I had been trailing after giving up a home run and allowing a run. He reversed that momentum and became the driving force for the team to move forward," expressing his gratitude.

KIA advanced directly to the 2024 Korea Series and won the championship. Regarding the comparison with that time, Neil said, "Actually, the first thing I want to say is that I am truly grateful to our Tigers fans." He continued, "Even during the regular season, they always fill the stands, creating an atmosphere like the postseason. That is why this postseason heat does not feel unfamiliar. In particular, home advantage is really big. Back in 2024, including my time in Major League Baseball in the United States, I had never played such a big game in my baseball career. So at that time, it was unfamiliar and I was nervous. This year, as I have become more mature, I think I am able to enjoy those aspects."

Neil appeared in 31 games this regular season, recording a 13-7 record with an ERA of 3.49. Over a total of 183 innings, he allowed 175 hits (13 home runs), issued 38 walks, struck out 156 batters, and gave up 73 runs (71 earned). He posted a Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP) of 1.16 and an opponent batting average of 0.252, while achieving 20 quality starts (six innings or more with three or fewer earned runs allowed by the starting pitcher).

However, he showed some waver against LG this season. He appeared in three games, recording a 1-1 record with an ERA of 4.58. Over a total of 17⅔ innings, he allowed 19 hits, issued three walks, hit one batter, struck out 16 batters, and gave up nine runs (nine earned), posting an opponent batting average of 0.288. Nevertheless, Neil, who pitched well that day, said, "Fortunately, I think regular season statistics have no meaning at this point as we enter the postseason. The focus on throwing one pitch right now is more important. In fact, there were many games where my pitching content against LG was decent. It was just that luck did not favor me a little bit. So I tried to focus even more on Game 1 today."

Finally, Neil shared the behind-the-scenes story and encouraged his teammates by saying, "Unfortunately, our entire team has caught a slight cold and is in a somewhat difficult situation. Fortunately, my physical condition was fine today. Also, all players are combining their efforts to demonstrate a fighting spirit. Rather, I hope that after everyone gets sick during this period, we can continue to win with good condition for the remaining postseason."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original