Why did KIA's manager praise the veteran batter who left for Samsung, saying he is "the best in Korea," ahead of Playoffs Game 3? [Gwangju On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Beom-ho, the manager of the KIA Tigers, stated his resolve ahead of the decisive fifth game in the best-of-five playoff series.

KIA will face Samsung in Game 3 of the 2026 Shinhan KBO Postseason Playoffs at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field at 6:30 p.m. on the 29th.

The two teams split the first two games, which were held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, with one win each. KIA won Game 1 by a score of 5-1, while Samsung took Game 2 with an 8-3 victory.

Ahead of the game, Manager Lee explained his batting order decisions: "In a situation where it seemed we would have to start (Kim) Sun-bin as the designated hitter, I deliberated between placing him in the No. 2 or No. 6 spot. (Kim) Ho-ryeong hit well against Choi Won-tae this season. Also, his swing was not bad in Game 2. I felt that if we put him up front, we would need a faster style of play, so I made that choice. When Sun-bin is in the No. 2 spot, the game tends to slow down a bit. For the top three spots, I placed players who are somewhat quicker."

KIA's starting lineup consists of Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Harold Castro (first baseman), Na Seung-beom (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (designated hitter), Kim Gyu-seong (second baseman), Kim Tae-goon (catcher), and Ha Ju-seok (shortstop).

While it is not raining at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, the weather is overcast. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, temperatures are expected to remain around 12°C throughout the evening.

Manager Lee said, "The wind is definitely calmer than in Daegu, so the weather seems better. Playing baseball in such cold conditions recently has been somewhat discouraging. Since there is no wind, I think we can play without feeling it is that cold."

KIA's starting pitcher for this game, Shirakawa, has appeared in 18 games this season, recording a 4-5 record with an ERA of 4.75. Over 83⅓ innings, he allowed 70 hits (including 9 home runs), issued 45 walks, struck out 69 batters, and gave up 45 runs (44 earned). His WHIP is 1.38, and the batting average against him is 0.226. He has achieved two quality starts (six innings with three or fewer earned runs) this season. Against Samsung this season, he posted a 1-1 record in three games with an ERA of 3.68, allowing 10 hits (including 1 home run), issuing 11 walks, striking out 10 batters, and giving up 6 runs (6 earned) over 14⅔ innings, with a batting average against of 0.196.

Regarding Shirakawa, Manager Lee expressed confidence: "I don't see any pitcher in the bullpen right now who shows command comparable to Shirakawa's and is in good condition. I hope he can somehow hold on for about five innings while allowing three runs or fewer. Of course, if situations arise where Shirakawa struggles early on, it is a big game, so we do not know which players will pitch well. We plan to send four or five pitchers to the bullpen quickly and have them ready. It is a short series, and we must prepare as if today's game is the last one, so we cannot afford to wait long. However, given his current command and the fact that he has had eight days of rest before pitching, I think his velocity and other aspects will not be bad."

Currently, Choi Hyeong-woo, who played for KIA until last season, is performing well for Samsung. In Game 2 of the Playoffs on the 27th, Choi recorded two hits in three at-bats, including one home run, with two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk.

Regarding Choi Hyeong-woo, Manager Lee noted: "First, it seems very important to effectively stop the batters ahead of Choi Hyeong-woo. He is a batter who performs exceptionally well in scoring opportunities. He is also the player in Korea who knows best how to handle things when those opportunities arise. The key point is not to leave many runners on base ahead of Choi Hyeong-woo. I believe that if we give up a home run with no runners on base, we have the ability to catch up at any time. However, if we give up runs with runners already on base, it becomes very difficult to catch up in a big game. In that regard, the most important core point is to minimize the chances of batters ahead of Choi Hyeong-woo reaching base."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original