Early starting pitcher exit → 'Game 1 hero' Lee Yi-ri enters; was he over-relied upon? Result: walk, walk, walk... From stellar performance to slump, "I will pitch even better in Game 3" [PO2]

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Although they secured a perfect victory in Game 1, the situation changed by 180 degrees in Game 2. The KIA Tigers' foreign starting pitcher again failed to complete five innings and was pulled from the game, while their "top left-handed bullpen option," deployed out of desperation, left only disappointment.

KIA lost 3-8 to the Samsung Lions in the second game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason PO (best-of-five series) held on the 27th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

Having started from the semi-playoffs, rested for five days after a three-game winning streak, and secured a victory in Game 1 to boost their probability of advancing to the Korea Series to 77.1% (27/35), KIA took the field with Adam Oler on this day, aiming for a two-game sweep.

Oler, who is spending his second season with KIA, pitched 178 innings in 30 games this year, recording an 11-10 record and a 3.13 ERA (ERA).

He struggled against Samsung, posting a 2-1 record and a 5.79 ERA in three games. It was difficult to judge him by statistics alone. In June, he secured a win with a perfect scoreless outing of seven innings and nine strikeouts, but in July, he collapsed completely, allowing seven hits allowed (one home run), three walks, and eight runs in just one inning. However, in August, he again delivered a strong performance, pitching six innings while allowing only one run to secure a win.

Leading after scoring one run in the top of the third, Oler wavered in the bottom of the third. He walked leadoff batter Ryu Ji-hyuk after an eight-pitch at-bat, and a bunt by Lee Jae-hyun advanced the runner to second base. He seemed to catch his breath by overpowering Kim Ji-chan for a pop fly to shortstop, but he gave up a tying double to Park Seung-gyu and allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Koo Ja-wook.

What followed was even more decisive. In a full-count at-bat against Lewin Diaz, Oler threw six pitches that were all fastballs down the middle. Diaz did not let them go by. The result was a two-run home run to center field with a carry of 121 meters. The score gap widened to 1-4.

KIA finished the top of the fourth inning with three consecutive outs from the bottom of the lineup, but bowed its head again in the fifth with two outs. He allowed another infield hit to Park Seung-gyu, and his pitch count had reached 96, while Samsung's powerful left-handed LINEup was waiting in line.

Ultimately, the KIA bench inserted Lee Yi-ri, the hero of Game 1. Although Lee Yi-ri had suppressed the Samsung lineup with perfect control while throwing mid-150 km/h pitches the previous day, this day was completely different. He had thrown 27 pitches the previous day and took over in difficult conditions on multiple fronts, as a cold wave warning was issued for Daegu that day.

Unlike the previous day, his control did not respond. Lee Yi-ri allowed a walk to Koo Ja-wook and committed a hit-by-pitch on the first pitch to Diaz. Two outs, bases loaded. Here, he failed to record an out against Choi Hyeong-woo and gave up a run via a bases-loaded walk. Eventually, KIA only then brought in Sung Young-tak to end the inning.

However, they allowed runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings as well, suffering a painful defeat without any reversal.

The atmosphere changed by 180 degrees compared to the previous day. KIA activated their bullpen early for two consecutive days, increasing fatigue, and Lee Yi-ri, who had gained confidence from Game 1, suffered severe control issues on this day.

After the game, Manager Lee Beom-ho stated, "It seems we failed to strategize against Huera today, and Oler gave up a large number of runs early on, making it a difficult game."

The most disappointing aspect was Oler's slump. "First of all, if the middle relievers are not in good condition, we can substitute them with other players and work through it. The starting pitching battle is the most important. Today, the game became difficult in that regard," he said.

However, the slump of Lee Yi-ri, who had found confidence with difficulty, was also painful. In terms of results, he only gave up one run, but the content was very poor. Unlike the previous day, his control rarely worked, and he handed over the ball without recording a single out. Although KIA is returning home, it has become difficult to expect Lee Yi-ri to carry on the good memories from Game 1.

He had served as the closer at one point during the season but finished the season with disappointing performances, and in the semi-playoffs, he only got a chance in Game 3 when the score gap was already large. However, since Kwak Do-gyu's condition was also not good, he was given priority in Game 1 to shut down Samsung's left-handed LINE and delivered a reversal performance. His powerful mid-150 km/h fastballs remained as effective as ever, and his control, often cited as a weakness, was perfect. He emerged as KIA's "top left-handed option" to suppress Samsung's left-handed LINE.

Therefore, it was even more painful that he suffered severe control issues on this day without recording a single out. In Game 1, James Neal, who had been pitching well, was ejected for a headshot and exited with one out in the fifth inning, and in Game 2, Oler struggled and was pulled early. As a result, the bullpen worked eight innings over two days. Because it is fall baseball, it was also difficult to easily entrust the ball to setup relievers. It was a fully understandable choice, but the result was more painful than expected. In particular, it raises concerns that this could become an opportunity for Lee Yi-ri, who had boosted his confidence, to waver again.

Manager Lee said, "He pitched well yesterday but not so well today, so he can deliver even better pitching in Game 3," adding, "It is a bit disappointing, but we recorded two outs early and then gave up four runs, making it a somewhat more disappointing game."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original