Shock: KIA's "No. 2 Pre-FA" Bold Gamble Ends in Total Failure, Even Tying an 'Infamous' Postseason Record [PO3 On-Site]

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The KIA Tigers deployed a bold gamble by moving Kim Ho-ryeong (34), an outfielder who is a "pre-free agent (FA)," up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order. However, the card they hoped would turn the tide failed as he fell silent with four consecutive strikeouts.

On the 29th, KIA lost 4-6 to the Samsung Lions in Game 3 of the 2026 Shinhan KBO Postseason Playoffs (best-of-five series) held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field.

KIA had successfully seized the initiative with a 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the Playoffs, but after losing 3-8 in Game 2, they traveled from Daegu to Gwangju. By dropping this game, they fell into a two-game losing streak. Now, just one more loss will eliminate KIA from the series. They are burdened with the pressure of needing to win both remaining games.

Above all, it was painful for KIA that leadoff hitter Park Jae-hyeon and Kim Ho-ryeong, placed in the No. 2 spot, both went hitless.

Kim Ho-ryeong had been excluded from the starting lineup in Game 1 of the Playoffs, entering the game as a defensive substitute in the bottom of the eighth inning. In Game 2, he started as the No. 9 hitter and center fielder but went 0-for-2.

Yet on this day, Kim Ho-ryeong was suddenly moved up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order for Game 3 of the Playoffs. This effectively meant KIA had made a bold gamble.

Before the game, KIA Manager Lee Beom-ho explained the decision to move Kim Ho-ryeong up: "(Kim) Ho-ryeong hit well against Samsung starter Choi Won-tae." He added, "In fact, while using Kim Sun-bin as the designated hitter, I only agonized over placing him in either the No. 2 or No. 6 spot. I placed fast players in the No. 1, 2, and 3 spots."

Indeed, during this year's regular season, Kim Ho-ryeong went 2-for-4 (.500) with one run batted in against Choi Won-tae.

However, on this day, Kim Ho-ryeong struggled to find his hitting touch.

In the bottom of the first inning, with no outs and no runners on base, Kim Ho-ryeong struck out swinging on the eighth pitch. Then in the bottom of the third inning, he came up as the leadoff hitter but struck out after a ball on the first pitch, followed by three consecutive whiffs. All of Baek Chan-seung's pitches that Kim Ho-ryeong swung and missed were sliders.

Next, in the bottom of the fifth inning, he again came up as the leadoff hitter but bowed his head after a three-pitch strikeout. Against Lee Jae-hee, he watched two fastballs come into the strike zone before swinging and missing at a third fastball on the outside corner. Continuing into the bottom of the seventh inning with one out and no runners on base, KIA left Kim Ho-ryeong in without sending in a pinch hitter. However, Kim Ho-ryeong struck out looking on the fifth pitch against Won Tae-in, swallowing his disappointment. It was the moment he recorded his fourth strikeout. Ultimately, Kim Ho-ryeong was replaced by pinch hitter Han Jun-soo with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the ninth inning, ending his game for the day.

With his seventh-inning strikeout, Kim Ho-ryeong tied the individual single-game record for most strikeouts in postseason and playoff history (four). Previously in the postseason, this had occurred a total of 19 times (excluding Samsung's Kang Ki-woong against Lotte on September 25, 1991, in Game 3 of the Preliminary Playoffs at Daegu Civic Stadium), and in the Playoffs specifically, it had happened a total of four times (LG's Sim Jae-hak against Samsung on October 15, 1997, in Game 4 at Daegu Civic Stadium).

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original