"Erase Gwangju from your mind": After the interview, KIA Manager Lee Beom-ho confidently says, "See you in Suwon," leaving a special resolve [PO5 On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

KIA Tigers Manager Lee Beom-ho expressed a special resolve ahead of the decisive final game of the fateful Playoffs (best-of-five series).

At 2 p.m. on the 1st, KIA will face the Samsung Lions in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

After winning Game 1, KIA lost Games 2 and 3 consecutively but secured a comeback victory in Game 4 to drag the series into the final Game 5.

Ahead of the game, KIA manager Lee opened by responding to the question, "Did you have a good dream?" He said, "I didn't really have a specific dream, but because it is the final game, I feel psychologically and emotionally very positive. Today will decide everything no matter what happens. Rather than relying on dreams, we will prepare well so that we can play our best game."

KIA set their starting batting order as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Harold Castro (first baseman), Na Seung-beom (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Han Jun-su (designated hitter), Ha Ju-seok (shortstop), Kim Tae-goon (catcher), and Park Jeong-woo (center fielder). This is the same lineup as in Game 4 of the Playoffs.

Manager Lee explained the reasoning behind the batting order, stating, "We won with this batting order in Game 4, and right now, there are no players ahead of (Kim) Do-young who are in good form. Also, Lions Park is not a small ballpark. Therefore, placing batters capable of hitting home runs one spot earlier seems to be the optimal batting order for our team given the current situation."

On this day, Nail and Hwang Dong-ha were listed on the non-traveling player roster. Manager Lee conveyed, "All players are on standby. Shirakawa is also scheduled to do bullpen pitching today, so if a situation arises, we will have him pitch even just one inning. As for (Hwang) Dong-ha, in a situation where all pitchers are on standby, it does not seem likely that there will be a need for someone to pitch long at the end, so I placed him on the non-traveling roster."

'The heart of the KIA Tigers,' Yang Hyeon-jong, did not make a single appearance in any of the seven games KIA played during the Junior Playoffs and Playoffs combined.

Regarding Yang Hyeon-jong, Manager Lee firmly stated, "If the game goes beyond five innings, I think it is probably right that (Yang) Hyeon-jong does not pitch. He has not pitched much from the middle of the game in the past. It is true he has rested for a long time, but there are other aspects we need to consider as well, so I am unsure. If [the starter] goes beyond the fifth inning, I feel it would be better for experienced relievers to come out of the bullpen, but I do not know for sure. I cannot guarantee anything because I do not know what situation will unfold, but today we will utilize our players to the fullest and proceed in a direction that allows us to win the game."

Manager Lee also revealed a special resolve, saying, "We packed five days' worth of luggage, so we cannot go back to Gwangju right now. If we win, we go to Suwon. If we lose, we go to Gwangju, but I have erased Gwangju from my mind."

Having played three more Junior Playoff games than Samsung, it is a fact that their fatigue level is high. Manager Lee reaffirmed his determination, saying, "I think it is tough. Also, I feel like this has been the case since the KT Wiz series; to finish the season in third place, our players have really run hard and worked diligently for a month leading up to now. In the current situation, I view it as fighting spirit rather than accumulated fatigue. Because we have prepared and pushed forward with our best efforts, thinking of today as the final game, we will think of the best way to win. We will do our utmost to play a winning game so that we can provide baseball for the KIA fans in Suwon."

Regarding the possibility of early deployment of 'closer' Jeon Sang-hyun, he emphasized, "We are also considering that aspect. Since we are batting first, we must also consider Samsung's second batting order. It will be a bit difficult to bring him up in the seventh inning. If a crisis situation arises in the eighth inning, we can deploy him quickly. After getting through the seventh and eighth innings, if it looks like the heart of our lineup will face them in the ninth inning, it might be possible to use him early. Today, everyone is prepared with the mindset that giving up a run in a crisis means the end."

After finishing the interview, Manager Lee confidently said, "See you in Suwon," and left his seat.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original