KIA Tigers ace James Nail expressed his disappointment over being ejected for a headshot during the first game of the playoffs (best-of-five series).
On October 26, Nail was performing well, allowing just one hit and one run over 4⅓ innings until he hit Samsung's Park Seung-kyu with a pitch, resulting in an immediate ejection under headshot regulations.
Nail stated, "It was an unfortunate situation where the ball slipped from my hand. I certainly didn't want to hit him, and I wouldn't want to hit anyone's head." He added, "I'm really glad that Park Seung-kyu is okay."
He expressed regret, saying, "I thought I could go at least seven innings, so I didn't want my outing to end that way. It could have been a pretty special game." Nail also praised the bullpen, saying, "I want to give a big shout-out to our bullpen for pitching so well in such a difficult situation that surprised everyone."
If Nail pitches in the fourth game on October 30, he will take the mound after three days of rest.
KIA manager Lee Beom-ho also mentioned the possibility of Nail being brought in early for the second game, noting, "He threw less than 60 pitches, but since he was on the mound in the fifth inning, we should consider it as if he pitched five innings. We'll decide whether to change the rotation after observing the game results."
Nail remains cautious about the Samsung lineup, stating, "Samsung is a team that should never be underestimated. They can hit the ball out of the park at any time, so it's important not to leave runners on base. The key is to minimize walks and stay ahead in the count. If we can make the hitters put the ball in play, we can prevent big innings and give our team a chance to win."
Meanwhile, KIA and the Samsung Lions split the first two playoff games at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, each team winning one game.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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