Lee Yi-ri's pitches are so precise that opponents ask, "How are you going to stop this?"... "I was expecting him to be the MVP, but it's a shame" — Samsung's left-handed lineup eliminated, KIA's No. 1 left-hander promoted [PO1]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

He had previously appeared in situations where his impact on the win-loss record was minimal, even through the Junior Playoffs (Junior PO). However, his role changed completely in the POs. Lee Yi-ri (24, KIA Tigers), now the team's No. 1 left-handed pitcher, secured his first victory of the fall baseball season.

In Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason PO (best-of-five series) against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 26th, Lee Yi-ri entered in the bottom of the sixth inning with his team leading 5-1. He pitched a perfect 1⅓ innings, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out three batters without giving up any runs, earning the win.

Lee Yi-ri took the mound as the third pitcher after Jung Hae-young (⅔ inning), following starting pitcher James Neal's early exit in the fourth-third inning due to a headshot despite his otherwise perfect pitching. Lee eliminated Samsung's left-handed lineup and played a key role as one of the game's standout performers.

Although they advanced through the Junior POs from third place, they were able to secure a 77.1% probability of reaching the Korea Series and gain a favorable position, with Lee playing a significant part in that achievement.

As soon as he entered in the sixth inning, he threw a terrifying 154 km/h fastball. Lee Yi-ri struck out Ryu Ji-hyuk looking with a full fastball on the outer upper corner of the zone. He recorded Kim Ji-chan with a fly ball to left field and ended the inning by striking out Kim Seong-yoon swinging after throwing his fastest pitch of the day, a 157 km/h fastball, followed by a slider that dipped low and outside.

Lee Yi-ri also appeared in the seventh inning, recording a looking strikeout against Go Jae-wook with a perfectly controlled fastball on the outer border line from a favorable count. He induced a ground ball toward shortstop from Lewin Diaz, but it was regrettable that an error allowed the runner to advance. Subsequently, he handed the ball over to Jo Sang-woo for right-handed batter Park Seung-gyu's at-bat. The seventh inning ended without any runs scored, meeting the conditions for a winning pitcher. With the team winning 5-1, Lee Yi-ri claimed his first victory of the fall baseball season.

Although he experienced ups and downs this season, he took on a crucial role in the POs. After the game, Manager Lee Beom-ho stated, "How to utilize (Lee) Yi-ri was important. Since (Gwak) Do-gyu is not in such good condition, we tried to use him for short stints rather than long ones." He added, "I thought that if he could pitch well for one or two innings when four or five left-handed batters were lined up, we could have a good game. Neal came down earlier than expected, so Yi-ri had to pitch more innings. When the ball is in the strike zone, he definitely has powerful pitches. He pitched well today."

Lee Yi-ri, who met with reporters after Game 1 was called off due to rain on the 25th, explained regarding the critical public opinion toward him, "I always think of myself as a good target. It's because of my fast ball and somewhat lacking control." While he throws powerful pitches in the mid-150 km/h range, his weakness has often been that he is held back by his own control issues, which has also been called an unresolved task and limitation for Lee Yi-ri.

However, it was different on this day. His control was precise to the perfect spots pitchers dream of. With control added to his top speed of 157 km/h, even Samsung's representative left-handed batters had no choice but to be at their mercy.

Lee Yi-ri, who met with reporters again as a standout player after the game, shared his thoughts: "There are always things that leave me wanting more, but my attempt to play aggressively in today's pitching worked out well. Coach (Lee) Dong-gyeol told me that it is better to let them hit the ball than to load the bases, so I relaxed and enjoyed pitching well."

Lee Yi-ri, who did not even know he had become the winning pitcher, joked, "I wasn't really worrying about it much. I just gave my best in the role given to me, and it seems good results followed." He added, "I was aiming for the MVP, but it's a shame."

Given that there were many difficult left-handed batters, Lee Yi-ri's role was important. Lee Yi-ri also said, "We divided the table setters and the middle of the lineup for power analysis. Many players have good contact ability and can hit big home runs, so overcoming them with raw power is the first priority. I think the battle on the first pitch is most important, so I pay a lot of attention to that part."

He threw 27 pitches over 1⅓ innings. However, he has regained his confidence, and given the nature of fall baseball, the possibility of consecutive pitching cannot be ruled out. When asked if he could play again tomorrow, Lee Yi-ri said, "I also mentioned that I would be on standby, and Coach Dong-gyeol told me to see you tomorrow." He added, "Since I use a lot of pitches in one inning, I don't think this amount has a big impact, so I am thinking about preparing well."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original