KIA in 'Panic' as Neil Throws 57 Pitches and Is Ejected for Headshot... Battle in the Bullpen Will Decide the Game [Daegu On-Site]

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It was a completely unexpected scenario. It seemed victory was within reach as the lineup exploded and James Neil delivered a dominant performance, but suddenly a headshot occurred. Neil, who had been pitching well, was abruptly removed from the game.

Neil started the first game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (PO, best-of-five series) against the Samsung Lions, scheduled to be held on the 26th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, and committed a headshot against Park Seung-gyu in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out.

A 146 km/h sinker fastball struck Park Seung-gyu's helmet. He was immediately ordered to be ejected for a headshot on a fastball.

Although they were underdogs who advanced from the semi-playoffs in third place, KIA, which had rested for five days, scored two runs in the top of the first inning and quickly widened the lead with a two-run home run by Harold Castro in the third inning and a solo homer by Han Jun-soo in the fourth.

On the mound, Neil delivered a perfect performance. Even after allowing a hit in the bottom of the first, he recorded a double play to get out the runner and ended the inning in just three batters. In the second inning, he struck out all three batters, including two strikeouts, and finished the third and fourth innings with strikeout-only frames as well.

In the fifth inning, he recorded a looking strikeout against first batter Lewin Diaz with a sweeper that left him unable to move. He had thrown 57 pitches. Considering the pitch count, it was a pace where he could have potentially pitched seven to eight innings.

However, a fastball that slipped from his hand headed toward Park Seung-gyu's head. Neil walked out to the dugout without hiding his disappointment. This is the first headshot ejection in playoff history. It is the third time overall in postseason history.

The KIA bullpen, which had been resting comfortably, became busy. Jung Hae-young was called up and retired Kang Min-ho with a center field flyout, but Park Seung-gyu stole second base, followed by Kim Young-woong's left-field single to create a run in pursuit.

Although KIA still leads by four runs, because Neil had been pitching so dominantly, the Samsung lineup appears to be finding its rhythm after the headshot ejection. Maintaining the lead for the remaining innings has become the key issue.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original