Samsung look to close out series, Kia fight to survive as Fedde, Nails rematch in Game 4

Fedde threw 94 pitches in Game 1, Nails just 57 — both return after three days' rest

Bullpens heavily taxed; Won Tae-in, Yang Hyeon-jong on standby for relief

Samsung Lions starter Chris Fedde pitches in the first inning of Game 1 of the 2026 KBO postseason playoff series against the Kia Tigers at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Monday. [Yonhap]

The Samsung Lions and Kia Tigers meet in a pivotal Game 4 Friday, with a Korean Series berth on the line. Samsung need just one more win to advance, while Kia — backs against the wall — must win to force a deciding Game 5.

The two teams face off at 6:30 p.m. at Gwangju's Kia Champions Field in Game 4 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Postseason Playoff, a best-of-five series. Samsung defeated Kia 6-4 Thursday to take a 2-1 series lead, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss with two straight wins and moving within one victory of the Korean Series.

Samsung will send Chris Fedde to the mound, with Kia countering with James Nails — the same foreign-pitcher matchup from Game 1 on Monday, with both returning after just three days of rest.

The two starters both exited before completing five innings in that game, but under very different circumstances. Nails was dominant, allowing just one hit and one run over 4⅓ innings, before being automatically ejected in the bottom of the fifth after hitting Park Seung-gyu in the head — a violation of the headshot rule. Nails had thrown only 57 pitches. Fedde, by contrast, surrendered five hits including two home runs and gave up five runs over 4⅔ innings, taking the loss. Fedde's pitch count reached 94.

With such a short turnaround, physical recovery is a key variable. Fedde, who threw 37 more pitches than Nails in Game 1, may carry a heavier burden heading into the rematch.

Regular-season head-to-head numbers also favor Nails. Nails went 2-0 against Samsung with a 3.24 ERA, while Fedde was 0-2 against Kia with a 5.25 ERA.

Samsung Manager Park Jin-man addressed Fedde's quick return to the mound. "In the regular season, we manage pitchers carefully because it's a long race, but the postseason is a short series — you have to throw everything you have at it," Park said. "Fedde said he was happy to go. He told me he felt bad about Game 1 and wanted to get revenge."

Kia Tigers starter James Nails pitches in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the 2026 KBO postseason playoff series against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Monday. [Yonhap]

The pressure on both starters is amplified by the state of each team's bullpen. Samsung burned through relievers in Game 3 after starter Choi Won-tae exited after just 1⅔ innings having allowed two runs, forcing the club to deploy Bae Chan-seung, Lee Jae-hee and others in succession. Ace Won Tae-in was eventually called in from the bullpen and earned the win, pitching 1⅔ innings and allowing one run.

Samsung used six relievers in that game. Won and Lee Seung-min would each be pitching on three consecutive days if they appear again Friday — a significant concern. Moving Won to the bullpen proved an effective gamble, but the physical toll of back-to-back appearances cannot be ignored.

Kia also emptied their pitching staff in Game 3, deploying nine pitchers including starter Shirakawa Keisho — tying the all-time playoff record for most pitchers used by one team in a single game — yet still could not prevent the loss.

In response, Kia Manager Lee Beom-ho said veteran Yang Hyeon-jong and every available pitcher would be on standby in the bullpen. "If we had won Game 3, Yang Hyeon-jong could have started Game 4," Lee said. "But to maximize our chances of winning, it makes more sense to go with Nails first. In Game 4, Yang Hyeon-jong and every other pitcher will be waiting in the bullpen."

Samsung also plan to keep Won Tae-in available in relief. However, with both teams having heavily depleted their pitching staffs in earlier games, how deep each starter can go figures to be one of the most critical factors in deciding the series.

yjc@heraldcorp.com