Samsung, Kia locked in pitching chess match ahead of playoff Game 3

Won Tae-in's Game 3 appearance could shape Game 4 rotation

Nail's early exit leaves door open for accelerated return

Samsung Lions closer Won Tae-in pitches in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League postseason playoff against the Kia Tigers at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

The Samsung Lions and Kia Tigers are engaged in a pitching strategy battle ahead of Game 3 of their playoff series (best-of-five). Samsung is weighing whether to deploy closer Won Tae-in immediately or hold him in reserve, while Kia is exploring whether to move up ace James Nail's next start.

The two teams meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju for Game 3. Kia won Game 1 on Monday 5-1, but Samsung struck back Tuesday with an 8-3 victory to level the series at one game apiece.

The scheduled starters for Game 3 are Samsung's Choi Won-tae and Kia's Shirakawa Keisho. How that game unfolds, however, could reshape both teams' pitching plans for Game 4 the following day.

Samsung's dilemma centers on how to use Won Tae-in. Manager Park Jin-man shifted the ace starter into a temporary closer role after regular-season saves leader Kim Jae-yun was sidelined with an injury — a calculated gamble to shore up a shaky bullpen.

Won entered Tuesday's game in the ninth inning with Samsung leading 8-3 and retired the side in order on just 22 pitches. The decision to use Won even with a five-run cushion reflected a desire to keep Won sharp while securing the win.

Park, who had originally planned to use Won out of the bullpen, has also left open the possibility of starting Won in Game 4. The thinking is that if Won does not appear in Game 3, Won could take the ball as a starter the next day.

The complication arises if Game 3 is close. Bringing Won in as a reliever would help Samsung navigate a critical moment, but would effectively rule Won out as a Game 4 starter. Holding Won back preserves the rotation option for Game 4 but means forgoing the team's most trusted relief arm in Game 3. If Won does pitch in Game 3, Yang Chang-seop and Jang Chan-hui have been mentioned as potential Game 4 starting candidates.

Kia Tigers starter James Nail delivers a pitch in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the 2026 KBO postseason playoff against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Monday. [Yonhap]

Kia is approaching the ace question from a different angle. Manager Lee Bum-ho is preparing Yang Hyeon-jong to start Game 4 but is also considering moving Nail up depending on how Game 3 goes.

Nail threw 57 pitches across 4⅓ innings in Game 1 on Monday, allowing one hit, one walk and one run while striking out three. Nail was ejected automatically in the fifth inning after hitting Samsung's Park Seung-gyu in the head with a pitch, cutting the outing shorter than planned.

That unplanned early exit, which kept the pitch count to 57, has increased the likelihood of an earlier-than-scheduled return. A Game 4 appearance on Friday would mean pitching on three days' rest, so the coaching staff will need to monitor Nail's recovery. Both a starting and a relief role remain on the table.

Nail has signaled willingness to take the mound again if the team needs it. After Game 1, Nail said the schedule would be discussed with the coaching staff and expressed readiness to contribute whenever called upon. After the Game 2 loss, Lee told reporters, "We go into Game 3 and Game 4 as planned. But if we win Game 3, I'll think about whether to use Nail in Game 4."

If Kia wins Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, the team could consider deploying Nail in Game 4 to close out the series at home. A Game 3 loss, on the other hand, would force a recalculation of the entire pitching plan to stave off elimination.

While Samsung is weighing whether to sacrifice a potential Game 4 starter for a Game 3 win, Kia is looking to use a Game 3 victory as a springboard to bring its ace forward and end the series early. Ultimately, the flow and outcome of Game 3 will be the decisive factor shaping both teams' pitching decisions for Game 4.

yjc@heraldcorp.com