"We thought it couldn't happen," yet Samsung leads 2-1: "No one saw this coming" — Another surprise move, the starting pitcher matchup: Who holds the advantage? [Korean Series]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Ahead of this postseason, there was a saying: "Eouke" (short for "Anyway, KT Wiz will win the championship"). The prevailing expectation was that KT, with its solid pitching and hitting lineup, would dominate the fall baseball season. Moreover, their opponent was the Samsung Lions, who had just fought through a grueling final playoff game. Yet, defying these predictions, Samsung has taken a 2-1 lead in the series. KT desperately needs to turn things around in this fourth game.

KT and Samsung will face off in Game 4 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu at 2 p.m. on the 7th.

Samsung suffered a narrow 7-8 loss in Game 1, but won Game 2 with a score of 3-2 after a hard-fought battle that went into the 12th inning, successfully shifting the momentum. By taking Game 3 as well, Samsung has climbed to a favorable position with a series record of two wins and one loss.

This is the decisive fourth game. If KT loses, they will fall behind 1-3, effectively facing a cliffhanger situation, as they would need to win all three remaining games to claim the championship. On the other hand, Samsung enters Game 4 in a comfortable position. If Samsung wins Game 4, they only need one more victory in the remaining three games to conquer the Korean Series.

For Game 4, KT has announced foreign pitcher Logan Allen as their starter. Samsung will send rookie Jang Chan-hee to the mound as the starting pitcher.

Logan, who joined KT in June as a replacement for injured Caleb Boschee, delivered strong performances and ultimately signed a formal contract in July. He maintained his spot in the team's starting rotation through the end of the season. In this year's regular season, he appeared in 17 games, pitching 92⅔ innings to record a 7-5 win-loss record and an ERA of 3.59.

However, against Samsung this season, Logan appeared in two regular-season games, recording one loss without a win and an ERA of 4.63, showing some instability. Notably, both of these games were played at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Samsung's home ground.

Logan made a surprise relief appearance in Game 1 of the Korean Series held on the 3rd. He took the mound as the second pitcher following starter Daniel Davis but struggled, allowing two hits and two runs over one-third of an inning. Subsequently, KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol stated that Logan would return to his role as a starting pitcher.

Facing this, Samsung pulled out another unexpected "surprise move." After starter Choi Won-tae showed poor form in Game 1, Samsung abruptly replaced him with rookie Jang Chan-hee for the Game 4 start.

Right-handed pitcher Jang Chan-hee, who was selected by Samsung in the third round, 29th overall pick, of the 2026 Rookie Draft, left a strong impression from his debut season this year. He appeared in 41 regular-season games, recording four wins, five losses, three holds, and an ERA of 4.50. Against KT in the regular season, he pitched in two games, allowing four runs over five innings.

Like Logan, Jang Chan-hee also made a relief appearance in Game 1 of the Korean Series on the 3rd. Taking the mound as the third pitcher after Choi Won-tae and Yang Chang-seop, he recorded two hits allowed (including one home run), one walk, one strikeout, and two runs allowed over two innings. Although his final stats were not perfect, he also entered in a bases-loaded crisis to prevent further runs from being scored.

Manager Park Jin-man commented on the decision to name Jang Chan-hee as the starter: "Looking at how Jang Chan-hee pitched in Game 1 of the Korean Series, despite his young age, he pitched with the most confidence and composure on the mound. He also has experience pitching as a starter in the regular season. I hope he can pitch for a long duration, but if the game doesn't go well, we will deploy our entire bullpen," previewing an all-out effort. Samsung can opt to run an early "bullpen day" strategy if Jang Chan-hee struggles with early scoring threats or control issues.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original