“Baffled by the early pull”: Won Tae-in, “I wanted to face superstar Kim Do-young with no runners on base, but a substitution? I thought it was a joke” [PO3 On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The domestic ace, who had taken the mound with the resolve to guard it from the sixth inning through the ninth, burst into laughter upon seeing the pitching coach walking toward the mound in the seventh inning with two outs. He had assumed it was a joke intended to ease his tension, but it was actually a genuine substitution signal. Samsung Lions’ Won Tae-in (26), who had secretly been looking forward to a head-to-head showdown with “superstar” Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers), revealed the behind-the-scenes story of his “baffled early pull.”

On the 29th, in an away game against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field for Game 3 of the “2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Playoffs,” Samsung won 6-4. Having added a precious victory on the road, Samsung improved their series record to two wins and one loss, leaving them just one win away from advancing to the Korea Series.

At the center of this day’s victory was Won Tae-in, who made a surprise relief appearance. Won Tae-in had started all 26 games this season, recording seven wins, nine losses, and an ERA of 4.52, serving as a pillar of Samsung’s starting rotation. However, with closer Kim Jae-yoon (36) dropping out due to injury ahead of the playoffs, the bench secretly prepared Won Tae-in as a bullpen card.

In Game 3 of the playoffs, Won Tae-in took the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning while Samsung held a razor-thin 4-3 lead. He appeared shaken after allowing a tying solo home run to leadoff hitter Na Seung-beom, but he calmly handled Kim Sun-bin, Kim Tae-goon, and Ha Ju-seok, preventing further runs. He also pitched in the bottom of the seventh inning when Samsung retook the lead 6-4, retiring Park Jae-hyun (infield grounder) and Kim Ho-ryeong (strikeout) with consecutive groundouts to fulfill his role. Won Tae-in, who recorded 1⅔ innings, two hits allowed (one home run), two strikeouts, and one earned run, was named the winning pitcher of Game 3. It was his fourth career postseason win. A relief victory in the fall classic is a first for his career.

After the game, Won Tae-in smiled as he looked back on the moment of his substitution with two outs in the seventh inning during his interview with reporters. At that time, with two outs and Kim Do-young’s at-bat approaching, pitching coach Choi Il-eon climbed onto the mound. Won Tae-in wore a puzzled expression before handing the ball to left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-min and coming down from the mound.

Regarding this, Won Tae-in revealed, “Before the game, the coach told me to prepare so I could pitch from the sixth inning all the way through. So, with the intention of pitching until the ninth, I threw while managing my pace.” He added, “As we entered the seventh inning, my balance settled down, and I went in thinking, ‘I want to try a matchup against Do-young with no runners on base.’”

He continued, laughing, “But then suddenly the coach came up making a substitution gesture, and I thought, ‘This is different from what we talked about before the game?’ I thought he was joking to loosen me up, but when he actually asked for the ball, I was slightly baffled.”

Ultimately, the bench’s quick substitution was a calculated move to thoroughly preserve Won Tae-in. Won Tae-in added, “As soon as I went into the dugout, Manager Park Jin-man called me over and said, ‘You did your role perfectly today. Today is not the only day, so let’s stop here.’ I realized he made a quick decision with tomorrow’s game in mind.”

He also calmly reflected on the tying home run hit by Na Seung-beom immediately after his sixth-inning appearance. Won Tae-in said, “It seems that (Kang) Min-ho hyung felt my changeup was excellent during his last closing appearance and requested three consecutive changeups against senior Na Seung-beom. I wish the ball had dropped more sharply; there is some regret.” However, he added with a smile, “Min-ho hyung comforted me by saying, ‘Think of it as giving points in advance for later, let’s try again.’ In the end, since the team won, it can all be brushed off as a happy incident.”

It is an autumn where the familiar routine of a starting pitcher has been completely shattered. Won Tae-in said, “Honestly, my head is confused and my body is a bit tired. As a starter, you just need to build your condition for a set day, but now I don’t know when I will go out every single day.” Nevertheless, he emphasized, “Still, it’s fun. I think the manager considers me his most trusted pitcher and uses me as the last line of defense, so I try to focus on the game as much as possible. To not be pushed around in the battle of momentum, I try to smile more on the mound.”

Having won Game 3, Samsung is determined to tie up the series in Game 4 on the 30th. If Won Tae-in pitches in Game 4 as well, it will effectively be his first back-to-back start since his high school days.

Finally, Won Tae-in said, “If I go out tomorrow, today I conserved my strength by carrying multiple innings, but tomorrow I will pitch with the mindset of absolutely shutting down one inning with powerful pitches.” He added with a broad smile, “But honestly, I hope the batters score more points tomorrow so that I don’t have to go out and we win. I have no lingering feelings even if I can’t pitch. I hope FedEx’s pitcher throws well and the lineup explodes so we cleanly advance to the Korea Series while conserving our strength.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original