KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho expressed gratitude to his bullpen for securing a victory in the first game of the playoffs, stating, "I appreciate the bullpen for holding the win despite Nail's ejection."
On October 26, KIA defeated the Samsung Lions 5-1 in the first game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason playoffs at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
James Nail, who threw only 57 pitches, was ejected after hitting Samsung's Park Seung-kyu with a headshot.
According to Yonhap News, after the game, Manager Lee said, "I had already planned how to use the bullpen after Nail completed five innings. I intended to bring in Jeong Hae-young first if he pitched briefly. Although the ejection was sudden, the plan for the fifth inning was already in place. The bullpen, which held steady, was the key to our victory."
He added, "Given the tense situation, I thought that if I made a mistake, we could lose a game we had in hand. I checked the scorebook before bringing in Hae-young and carefully assessed the data on the next batter before using the bullpen."
Lee noted that he intended to use Kwak Do-kyu briefly due to his less-than-perfect condition. He hoped Lee Eui-ri would handle the left-handed batters in Samsung's lineup, and praised Eui-ri for effectively filling the gap left by Nail's early exit.
Regarding Kim Do-young's base running, Lee said, "Today, Do-young had many opportunities to run. I instructed him to stop at second base on a triple route to avoid injury from sudden stops and quick sprints. It's only the first game; it's better to stay calm than risk injury by trying to advance an extra base out of excitement."
However, he clarified that Kim Do-young stopped at second base after hitting a large ball in the eighth inning because he thought it was a home run and did not run.
Meanwhile, KIA and Samsung are set to face off again on October 27 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, with Ariel Hurado and Adam Oller announced as the starting pitchers for the second game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason playoffs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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