"I didn't think we could win three in a row" — Even KIA Manager Lee Beom-ho was stunned by the perfect semi-playoff performance! Samsung also leads on momentum: "We are the challengers, and there is nothing to fear" [Semi-PO Game 3 On-Site Report]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho (45) could not hide his surprise at the team's first-ever Semi-Playoffs series victory in franchise history. The tiger army, powered by the clutch performance of Kim Do-young (23) and the outstanding pitching of Shiraoka Keisuke (25), now faces another challenge against the Samsung Lions, who finished second in the regular season.

KIA thoroughly defeated the LG Twins 13-1 in the third game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Semi-PO (best-of-five series) held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 20th.

Following a 5-1 victory in Game 1 in Gwangju on the 17th and a 6-3 win in Game 2 on the 18th, KIA took Game 3 to secure a 3-0 series lead and clinch a berth in the Playoffs (PO).

Including the era of its predecessor, the Haitai Tigers, this is the first time KIA has advanced past the Semi-PO. The team had been eliminated in all four previous attempts in 1994, 2004, 2006, and 2011, but finally avenged those losses on its fifth try.

After the game, Manager Lee stated, "I didn't think we would win three straight. I thought that if we won, we might be able to take it in Game 4 or 5. Our players were better prepared than expected, both physically and in terms of concentration."

KIA hit 14 hits (a mix of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs) on the day, recording a team batting performance with every starter getting a hit and scoring. Starting with Na Seung-bum's go-ahead solo home run in the top of the second inning, KIA forced LG starting pitcher Carlos Karasik off the mound after just 1⅓ innings.

The momentum continued with consecutive RBI hits by Park Jeong-woo and Park Jae-hyun, and Kim Do-young hit a bases-loaded home run with a carry distance of 145.8 meters against John Kennedy. KIA scored seven runs in the second inning alone to take control of the game.

Kim Do-young was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, posting a .375 batting average, three home runs, and eight RBIs in three games. Manager Lee smiled and said, "(Kim) Do-young is a player who gives off an aura that he will hit something when runners are on base. So I thought it would be great if we could get him to one with the bases loaded."

However, he did not attribute the success solely to Kim Do-young. Manager Lee praised the players' contributions evenly, stating, "(Kim) Do-young hit home runs and had many good games, but the players in front of him created enough opportunities as well, which is why another great home run came from Do-young."

Starting pitcher Shiraoka's excellent performance was also a harvest beyond expectations. Shiraoka, who struggled against LG with a 7.71 ERA in the regular season, secured his first postseason win on the day with five innings pitched, four hits allowed, no walks or hit batters, nine strikeouts, and one run allowed. Before the game, Manager Lee had left open the possibility of replacing Shiraoka quickly if he wavered early, but instead, Shiraoka dominated the LG lineup.

Manager Lee praised him, saying, "He definitely said from the first inning that he would pitch in his best condition today. His pitches were very good today, and there was no tension or anything like that." He added, "It was as if he had prepared only for this postseason; he pitched so perfectly that I am truly grateful."

Satisfaction was high with the three-game winning streak where pitching and hitting worked in harmony. Manager Lee explained, "There are no regrets. When we started, I thought it would be best for us to minimize the use of middle relievers and build a winning game depending on how well our starting pitchers performed."

He added, "We need to make hits and get on base somehow, and this seems to be flowing like a culture within the team. It seems that the players' conditions are gradually improving."

KIA's next opponent is now Samsung. KIA finished third in the regular season with 79 wins, two draws, and 63 losses, while Samsung took second place. However, in head-to-head matchups, KIA led 9-7. Samsung finished the first half in first place and possessed strong enough firepower to compete for the lead with KT Wiz until the end of the regular season.

Manager Lee has no intention of underestimating Samsung. He firmly stated, "First of all, the four-day break will be a great strength for us. Samsung is a stronger team than us, and since we are now the challengers, we have nothing to fear. We want to play more boldly and aggressively."

He continued, "The players will prepare accordingly, and we must win on atmosphere by playing baseball that is more enjoyable and exciting than in the Semi-Playoffs. Only then can we find strength we didn't know we had. Facing a strong team like the Samsung Lions, we will prepare well to put up an equal fight."

He cited Samsung's starting rotation, offensive power, and the enthusiastic support of Daegu home fans as their strengths. He particularly emphasized that the players must not be intimidated by the away atmosphere and should actively counter it. Manager Lee stated, "More than anything else, because we consider them a stronger team, we need to fight harder with a challenger's mindset for us to have a chance at winning."

KIA will face Samsung in the best-of-five PO starting on the 25th. Thanks to finishing the Semi-PO in just three games, they secured a four-day rest. KIA, which successfully advanced past the Semi-PO for the first time in franchise history, now meets Samsung again, the team it faced in the 2024 Korea Series.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original