"The pitcher who gave up a home run to Kim Do-young..." Why bring him on in a two-out, ninth-inning jam? Manager Park Jin-man of the Samsung Lions shows his resolve: "We got Kim Do-young. Our momentum will only grow stronger" [PO3 On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Samsung Lions defeated the KIA Tigers, leaving them just one win away from advancing to the Korea Series for the first time in two years since 2024.

On the 29th at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, Samsung secured a 6-4 victory over KIA in Game 3 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (PO, best-of-five series).

With this win, Samsung has snapped a losing streak with two consecutive victories after an initial loss. If Samsung wins just one of the remaining two games, they will step onto the Korea Series stage where the KT Wiz await them.

On this day, although starting pitcher Choi Won-tae left the mound early, Samsung secured the win thanks to strong pitching from their bullpen and concentrated hitting from their lineup.

After the game, Manager Park Jin-man, the winning manager, summarized, "Although starter Choi Won-tae came off early, the fact that the remaining relief pitchers held them to a minimum number of runs was the key to our victory." He then credited his players, saying, "Lewin Diaz hit a home run, and Ryu Ji-hyuk, who doesn't hit many home runs in a year, delivered a decisive home run, allowing us to win. Additionally, we were able to win thanks to the game-winning hit by Park Seung-gyu, whom I had said I would praise a lot before the game."

When Samsung's lead was cut from 2-0 to a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the second inning due to a string of hits allowed by starter Choi Won-tae, they immediately made the bold move of changing pitchers. Regarding this decision, Manager Park stated, "When we were leading 2-0 and gave up a tying hit, I felt we could not let the momentum shift to the other side. Since Game 3 was such an important match, I made a quick decision." He added, "Bae Chan-seong handled the crisis well, preventing a lead change. Thanks to that, we were able to play a good game until the very end."

The manager also did not hold back praise for reliever Lee Jae-hee, who pitched two scoreless innings in a crucial situation. Manager Park said, "It must have been a heavy burden as his first postseason appearance, but he did an excellent job by shutting them out for two scoreless innings." He expressed satisfaction, adding, "I now feel confident that he can play a major role in our bullpen going forward."

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Samsung threw another curveball by sending starting pitcher Won Tae-in to the mound as a reliever. As soon as Won Tae-in took the mound, he allowed a solo home run to KIA's Na Seung-beom, but he prevented further damage and was credited with the win. Manager Park reflected on the situation, saying, "I wanted to end the game with Won Tae-in and Lee Seung-min, but their pitch counts had increased, and the weather was bad. Although we gave up a home run, I thought we still had a good chance as long as we didn't allow a lead change. KIA had also used up a lot of their bullpen from early in the game."

Sato took responsibility for the final stretch of Samsung's pitching staff on this day. Samsung faced a crisis in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on first and second. The batter who stepped up to the plate was none other than Kim Do-young, the best hitter in the KBO League. Coincidentally, Kim Do-young had faced Sato exactly once this season, recording a solo home run against him.

Manager Park recalled, "The moment Sato threw a good first pitch (a forkball) and got Kim Do-young out, I thought our momentum could rise even higher." He continued, "With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, we needed a pitcher who could compete with power against Kim Do-young. Among the remaining bullpen options, I judged that Sato had the best stuff. I was secretly nervous when Kim Do-young came to bat last, but ultimately he handled it well." He did not hold back his praise. Kim Do-young attacked Sato's first pitch and grounded out to third base, ending the game as it stood.

Manager Park continued, "In the final inning, there was no way to avoid facing Kim Do-young. I thought that if we matched power with power and he made contact, there would be nothing we could do. Because we got him out in that situation, I believe our team's overall atmosphere will rise even further," reaffirming their determination to perform well.

What were the Samsung players thinking when Kim Do-young came to bat after two outs in the ninth inning? Ryu Ji-hyuk recalled, "When Han Jun-soo was at bat (with one out and a runner on first in the ninth), I looked at the next batter and saw it was Kim Do-young. I thought that even if we gave up a hit, it would be better to give it up to Han Jun-soo and end it there, but he drew a walk. And since it happened to be Kim Do-young, I figured whether we got him out or gave up a hit, the game would end with him." When asked, "Did you feel the momentum definitely shifted?" he answered, "Yes," looking forward to what comes next.

Meanwhile, Samsung announced that Chris Fiddick will start Game 4 of the Playoffs on the 30th. Fiddick threw 94 pitches in Game 1 of the Playoffs on the 26th. He is demonstrating a fighting spirit by returning to the mound after only three days of rest.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original