“Donas” alone is not enough! Lee Beom-ho’s concerns become reality... The lineup outside the core is cold

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The sharp eye of KIA Tigers Manager Lee Beom-ho (45), which had been overshadowed by the victory in the first playoff game, ultimately boomeranged into a realistic concern within just one day. While the so-called “Donas Trio” consisting of Kim Do-young, Harold Castro, and Na Seong-beom remains solidly entrenched, firepower outside the core lineup has rapidly frozen, fully exposing the limitations of their scoring routes.

KIA suffered a 3-8 defeat in the second game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (PO, best-of-five series) against Samsung on the 27th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Although they scored first, they immediately allowed the lead to be taken and bowed their heads, unable to handle Samsung’s formidable firepower. The series record stands at one win and one loss.

In fact, Manager Lee Beom-ho’s warning bells had been ringing since right after the first playoff game on the 26th, where they secured a comfortable victory. At that time, KIA’s cleanup trio of Kim Do-young, Castro, and Na Seong-beom combined for six hits and two walks, ruthlessly bombing Samsung’s pitching staff.

However, Manager Lee Beom-ho calmly pointed out the weakness. After the first game, he stated, “Depending on how the table setters perform, we can score in bulk. Today, the core lineup exploded, allowing us to take control of the game early,” while adding, “I think we need to consider how to elevate the condition of our table setters.” He continued, “Right now, the core lineup is performing well, but we must consider how to proceed when the core lineup struggles. I feel we need to pay a bit more attention to the lower part of the lineup or the 1st and 2nd batting orders. We will work on creating scoring opportunities from areas other than the core lineup,” citing diversification of scoring routes as a prerequisite task.

That concern surfaced immediately in the second game, just one day later. On that day, KIA’s lineup managed only six hits and three runs, struggling to crack opposing starter Horada. Kim Do-young went 1-for-4, Castro contributed with one hit and one RBI in four at-bats, and Na Seong-beom drew two walks, trying to find a way through from the middle of the order, but the connection between the surrounding lineups had cooled off.

The table setters also failed to shake up the opposing battery, with 6th batter Kim Sun-bin returning with no hits in four at-bats and two strikeouts, as the lower part of the lineup continued its silence. Pinch hitter Kim Tae-gun and 8th batter Ha Ju-seok did score runs, but without the explosive power of the core lineup, it was insufficient to turn the game around.

Ultimately, right after the defeat in the second game, the manager’s diagnosis was almost identical to that of the first game. In his post-game interview as the losing manager, he admitted, “The players serving as table setters lack experience in big games and are in a process of learning,” while stating, “How we prepare for the 1st and 2nd batters is currently the most important thing. Honestly, excluding the core hitters, there are no players who appear to be in good batting form, which causes great concern.”

The manager also acknowledged the veteran skill of opposing starter Horada while expressing regret, saying, “Horada used the strike zone widely and pitched exceptionally well. When a pitcher’s control is perfect, batters must attack more aggressively and boldly to break their weaknesses, but because less experienced players responded passively, it was difficult to produce good contact.”

The presence of the “Donas Trio” boasts top-tier firepower in the league, but a structure that relies solely on the three cleanup trio members for scoring in short series has clear limitations. When the opposing bench chooses to focus their defense on the core lineup or take pitches around them, the flow of the offense is bound to be cut off helplessly.

Manager Lee Beom-ho, who moved the stage from Daegu to Gwangju after a 1-1 record, declared, “Even so, a 1-1 record on the road means we have done what we can do as a baseline. We will shake off the past games and pour all our focus into the home third game.” Attention is focused on whether Manager Lee Beom-ho, who has gone through the preview of the first game and the confirmation in the second, will pull out any lineup change card to break the “cold silence” outside the core lineup.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original