Why the 'Samsung Disaster': Kim Yong-woong's Fatal Error in the 7th Inning Sends Shockwaves; KIA's Comeback Drama, 'Dramatically Escaping Elimination' [PO4 On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The KIA Tigers, who had been pushed to the brink, secured a thrilling comeback victory over the Samsung Lions, finally dragging the Playoffs (best-of-five series) to a decisive final game.

KIA won 4-2 in a comeback against Samsung in Game 4 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs, held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 30th.

After winning Game 1 of the Playoffs 5-1 on the 26th, KIA lost Game 2 3-8 and Game 3 4-6. Facing elimination after two losses following one win, they won Game 4 today to reset the series record to 2 wins and 2 losses.

Now, after a day of rest, the two teams will play the highly anticipated final Playoffs Game 5 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park at 2 p.m. on November 1.

Today, Samsung fielded their starting lineup as Kim Ji-chan (center fielder)-Park Seung-gyu (right fielder)-Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter)-Lewin Diaz (first baseman)-Choi Hyeong-woo (left fielder)-Kim Yong-woong (third baseman)-Kang Min-ho (catcher)-Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman)-Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop). Kim Yong-woong returned to the third base position as the sixth hitter. Additionally, Kang Min-ho moved up to the seventh spot in the batting order.

Regarding this, Samsung Manager Park Jin-man stated, "Kim Yong-woong was the only player who recorded an RBI in Game 1. Since he showed good offensive performance against opposing starter James Neal as well, we expect him to deliver RBIs at crucial moments." Samsung's starting pitcher was Chris Fiddick.

Against Samsung, KIA arranged their batting order as Park Jae-hyun (left fielder)-Kim Do-young (third baseman)-Herald Castro (first baseman)-Na Seong-beom (right fielder)-Kim Sun-bin (second baseman)-Han Jun-su (designated hitter)-Ha Ju-seok (shortstop)-Kim Tae-goon (catcher)-Park Jeong-woo (center fielder). James Neal took the mound as the starting pitcher.

The most noticeable change was in the top of the lineup. Kim Ho-ryeong, who had started as the second hitter and center fielder in Game 3, was completely excluded from the starting roster. Kim Ho-ryeong bowed his head after striking out in four consecutive at-bats in Game 3. In his place, Kim Do-young, who had been positioned in the third spot in the batting order, was moved up to second.

KIA's starter today was Neal. Manager Lee Beom-ho of KIA said, "Since Neal is pitching after three days of rest, if he shows signs of decreased command or other issues, I plan to bring in Yang Hyeon-jong immediately, even before the 3rd inning." He added, "If he struggles early on, we will have Hyeon-jong and (Kim) Tae-hyung ready. If we lose today, there is no tomorrow. We will pour everything out to win," vowing a must-win effort.

Samsung took the lead in the top of the 2nd inning, suppressing KIA's momentum. After one out, Kim Yong-woong reached base on a hit to right-center field and advanced to second base on Kang Min-ho's hit to center field. Then, Ryu Ji-hyuk, who came up next, hit an RBI single to right field, bringing home runner Kim Yong-woong from second base.

KIA broke the perfect streak in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Kim Tae-goon reached base on a hit to left-center field with one out. However, Park Jeong-woo was out on a ground ball to second base, and Park Jae-hyun struck out, so no runs were scored.

Eventually, KIA tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th inning. Leadoff hitter Kim Do-young reached base on a double to right-center field, followed by Na Seong-beom being hit by a pitch with one out. The following batter, Kim Sun-bin, flew out to right field. Two outs. Han Jun-su, who came up next, hit an RBI single down the left-field line, bringing home runner Kim Do-young from second base. The score became tied 1-1.

Then, Samsung regained the lead in the top of the 6th inning. With starter Neal taken out and second pitcher Gwak Do-gyu taking the mound, Choi Hyeong-woo attacked a curveball thrown low inside by Gwak Do-gyu with one out, hitting a solo home run over the right-field fence. The score became 2-1.

However, KIA did not back down easily. In the bottom of the 7th inning, Samsung brought in Bae Chan-seung instead of Lee Seung-min. Park Jae-hyun attempted a sacrifice bunt against Bae Chan-seung but was caught out. The next batter was Kim Do-young, who had hit a home run against Bae Chan-seung in Game 3 of the Playoffs the previous day. At this point, Samsung removed Bae Chan-seung and brought in Sato. Against such Sato, Kim Do-young hit a hard grounder toward third base. Samsung third baseman Kim Yong-woong failed to field it, letting it drop behind him. The official record was an error on the catch. In the meantime, Kim Do-young advanced to second base. Eventually, Castro, who came up in the next at-bat, hit an RBI single to left-center field, tying the game 2-2.

This was not the end. While the next batter, Na Seong-beom, struck out, Kim Sun-bin hit a single to right-center field, extending the opportunity with runners on first and third bases. Here, Samsung removed Sato and brought in Lee Jae-hee. Against such Lee Jae-hee, Han Jun-su also hit an RBI single down the left-field line, turning the game around 3-2. KIA's offensive power continued. The following batter, Ha Ju-seok, also hit an RBI single to left field, extending the lead to 4-2. The next batter, Kim Tae-goon, flew out to second base. End of inning. Eventually, KIA brought Jeon Sang-hyun to the mound starting from the top of the 8th inning and successfully held onto the lead to secure the victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original