“Losing Game 3 means finishing as runner-up”: There is no choice but to win, and the rebuilding of the Samsung dynasty hinges on the shoulders of “Playoff Hero” Hurado [KS3 Preview]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A championship challenge for the first time in 12 years. To achieve this goal, a win in Game 3 is mandatory. To that end, Ariel Hurrado, the Playoffs Most Valuable Player (MVP), will take the mound.

The Samsung Lions will face the KT Wiz in Game 3 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Korea Series (best-of-seven) at Daegu Samsung Lions Park starting at 6:30 p.m. on the 6th.

Although the Samsung advanced from the Playoffs after a grueling five-game series, they secured their goal by recording one win and one loss before returning to their home ground for Game 3.

In the 43rd Korea Series held since the inception of professional baseball, the first two games have been split with one win each on 21 occasions (excluding ties), which is close to half.

Among those instances, the team that won Game 1 went on to win the championship 11 times, a rate of 52.4%. While the winning probability for the Game 1 winner reached 73.8% (31/42), it can be interpreted that this advantage almost disappears the moment they lose Game 2.

On the other hand, the championship probability for the higher-seeded team in a 1-1 situation was somewhat different. Calculating from 1986 when the playoff system was introduced and excluding 40 Korea Series where the two-league system was implemented and the No. 1 team did not have a significant advantage (1999 and 2000), the first two games ended in a 1-1 split on 19 occasions. Of those, the higher-seeded team won the championship 14 times, with a high probability of 73.7%.

The conclusion is that even when the wins are split, the higher-seeded team, which has a physical advantage and improving game feel, holds a clear edge.

However, more important than that is the championship probability for the winner of Game 3. In the 21st instances where the series stood at 1-1, the winner of Game 3 lifted the Korea Series championship trophy with a staggering 85.7% (18/21) probability.

Even the three instances of an upset championship by the loser of Game 3 were all achieved by No. 1 teams. In other words, if the lower-seeded team hopes for an upset, it means they must win Game 3 without fail.

Therefore, Game 3 is a match where Samsung must pour everything into securing a victory. For Samsung, achieving the goal of 1-1 on the road places them in a positive situation.

Although they consumed many pitchers in the Playoffs and barely advanced to the Korea Series, they were at a disadvantage from the very start of the starting pitcher matchups. KT fielded their most powerful pitcher, Davis Daniel, in Game 1, but Samsung had no choice but to send out Choi Won-tae, who had been shut down early in the Playoffs.

Choi Won-tae collapsed again this time, allowing five runs in just two innings. Although the lineup attacked KT’s bullpen in the latter half of the game, they ultimately suffered a painful 7-8 defeat.

Chris Fiddick did a big job in Game 2. After becoming the losing pitcher without completing five innings in Playoffs Game 1, he took only three days off and pitched 5⅓ innings on 99 pitches in Game 4 to allow just one run. After resting for another four days, he threw 102 pitches over seven innings this time to hold the opponent to one run before handing the ball to the bullpen. The team secured a thrilling 3-2 victory after 12 innings of extra time.

The one to take over the ball is Playoff Hero Hurrado. He was disappointing in three games against KT this season with a 1-1 record and a 5.17 ERA, but fall baseball is a completely different story.

His strength lies in handling long innings with aggressive pitching, but last year in fall baseball, this pattern was read well. He left much to be desired with a 4.29 ERA in four games. Although he handled 21 innings in four games (three starts), he shouldered three losses (0 wins) alone due to many runs allowed.

Ahead of these Playoffs, Manager Park Jin-man mentioned Hurrado’s tendencies and emphasized, “Five scoreless innings are better than seven innings with three runs allowed.” He hoped that Hurrado would pitch more cautiously.

There were no repeat failures. In Game 2 after his loss, Hurrado delivered a strong performance of 6⅔ innings and two runs allowed, bringing the team its first victory. After resting for four days, he pitched perfectly in Game 5 with seven innings and one unearned run allowed, taking sole responsibility for two wins and completely shaking off last year’s pain.

He will take the mound again as a starter in Game 3, which could be the most important game of this series, carrying a heavy sense of responsibility. Since the championship probability for the winner of Game 3 exceeded 80%, a win is mandatory, and to achieve this, Hurrado must shut down the KT lineup tightly. As the game moves to Samsung Lions Park, where many home runs are hit, the weight on Hurrado’s shoulders becomes even heavier.

KT will field So Hyoung-jun. So Hyoung-jun, who handled 131⅓ innings in 23 games this season with a 10-3 record and a 3.15 ERA, also secured two wins in three games against Samsung.

Above all, he had a strong heart for fall baseball. He recorded a 3-0 record with one hold while handling 30⅓ innings in eight games, with an ERA of just 1.48. In the 2021 Korea Series, he secured a win with a six-inning scoreless performance and contributed to the team’s first championship since its founding.

Game 3, featuring the aces of both teams. More than expected is at stake in this unyielding battle.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original