Only with Choi Hyeong-woo does Samsung feel like Samsung! 'Diaz and Choi Hyeong-woo home runs boom → Won Tae-in closes it out' Samsung defeats KIA, tying the PO series 1-1 [Daegu On-Site Review]

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The Samsung Lions avenged their defeat from the previous day (the 26th) against the KIA Tigers, tying the Playoffs series record at one win and one loss.

Samsung secured a decisive 8-3 victory in the second game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Postseason Playoffs (PO, best-of-five series) against KIA, held on the 27th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Although they allowed the first run, they quickly took the lead and leveraged their powerful offense to secure a win in front of their home crowd.

With this victory, tying the series record at one win and one loss, Samsung will approach the third game on the road in Gwangju with lightened steps.

On this day, Samsung set its starting lineup as Kim Ji-chan (center fielder) - Park Seung-gyu (right fielder) - Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter) - Lewin Diaz (first baseman) - Choi Hyeong-woo (left fielder) - Kim Young-woong (third baseman) - Kang Min-ho (catcher) - Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman) - Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop). Ariel Hurdado took the mound as the starting pitcher.

In response, KIA arranged their batting order in the following sequence: Park Jae-hyeon (left fielder) - Lee Ho-yeon (designated hitter) - Kim Do-young (third baseman) - Harold Castro (first baseman) - Na Seong-beom (right fielder) - Kim Sun-bin (second baseman) - Han Jun-su (catcher) - Ha Ju-seok (shortstop) - Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder). Adam Oller took the mound as the starting pitcher.

KIA was the team to score first. In the top of the third inning, following a leadoff single by Ha Ju-seok to center field and a sacrifice bunt by Kim Ho-ryeong, they created a one-out, runners on first and third opportunity with Park Jae-hyeon's infield hit. They then took the early lead with Lee Ho-yeon's sacrifice fly to center field. In the subsequent two-out, runners on first and second opportunity, Castro was retired on a ground ball to shortstop, leaving them satisfied with one run.

Samsung's counterattack was fierce. In the bottom of the third inning, after Ryu Ji-hyuk led off with a walk and Lee Jae-hyun sacrificed a bunt to create a two-out, runner on second situation, Park Seung-gyu hit a tying double to left field. Following Koo Ja-wook's RBI single to right-center, taking a 2-1 lead, number four hitter Diaz crushed Oller's sixth pitch, a 151 km/h fastball after a full count, launching a two-run home run of 121 meters to right-center. With four consecutive baserunners following the second out, they instantly turned the tide to 4-1.

Samsung also demonstrated concentration with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Park Seung-gyu's infield hit, Koo Ja-wook drew a walk and Diaz was hit by a pitch against reliever Lee Yi-ri, creating a bases-loaded opportunity. Subsequently, Choi Hyeong-woo, who started at left fielder on this day after missing the first game, drew a bases-loaded walk after a full count battle, extending the lead to 5-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the lower part of the lineup played a connecting role. With one out, Ryu Ji-hyuk's infield hit and Lee Jae-hyun's single to right field created a runners on first and second opportunity. Kim Ji-chan's two-run double over the right field fence and Park Seung-gyu's sacrifice fly to center field followed in succession, widening the score to 7-1. In the top of the seventh inning, KIA took advantage of Hurdado's wild pitch to recover one run from a one-out, runners on first and third situation created by Na Seong-beom's leadoff walk, Kim Sun-bin's RBI single, and Han Jun-su's hit.

However, Samsung immediately drove in the nail in the bottom of the seventh inning. Choi Hyeong-woo, who stepped into the batter's box with one out and no runners on base, attacked the second pitch, drawing a solo home run arc of 125 meters that soared over the right field fence, solidifying the lead at 8-2. It was a powerful hit from a veteran that perfectly washed away the regret of not even being used as a pinch hitter in the first game.

In the top of the eighth inning, KIA added one more run to close the gap when Kim Tae-goon scored on Castro's ground ball to the pitcher from a one-out, runner on third situation created by pinch hitter Kim Tae-goon's double to right-center and Kim Do-young's fly out to right field, but it was not enough to turn the game around. Samsung brought in Won Tae-in in the top of the ninth inning with a five-run lead to end the game. Although it was not a save situation, Won Tae-in retired the inning scoreless.

Samsung starting pitcher Hurdado pitched well for 6⅔ innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs while striking out 3, earning the win. The lineup also hit 9 total hits, lightening Hurdado's burden. Park Seung-gyu opened up the offense with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Center of the lineup Choi Hyeong-woo (2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 home run, 2 RBIs) and Diaz (2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 home run, 2 RBIs), who both drew arcs, swung their bats fiercely to lead the victory. KIA starting pitcher Oller took the loss with 4⅔ innings pitched, allowing 5 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, and 2 runs while striking out 3.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original