Pitching management the key as kt, Samsung look to Game 2 of Korean Series

8-run lead nearly squandered; both bullpens falter

Ko Young-pyo holds edge vs. Samsung; Fedde blanked kt in August

Lee Kang-cheol, Park Jin-man both admit pitching mistakes

Ko Young-pyo of kt (left) and Chris Fedde of Samsung, the scheduled Game 2 starters in the Korean Series. [Yonhap]

The Korean Series opened with a slugfest on Tuesday, and both teams left the ballpark with questions about their pitching. The kt Wiz held on to win despite nearly blowing an eight-run lead, while the Samsung Lions showed a fierce late-game surge. With both offenses proving their firepower, pitching management has emerged as the decisive variable heading into Game 2.

kt and Samsung meet Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Suwon KT Wiz Park for Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Korean Series, a best-of-seven series. kt is looking to seize control with a 2-0 lead, while Samsung aims to even the series before heading home to Daegu.

Game 1 on Tuesday exposed pitching vulnerabilities on both sides. kt built an 8-0 lead through six innings, powered by home runs from Ahn Hyun-min, Han Seung-taek and Kim Hyun-su. Samsung then erupted for five runs in the seventh — sparked by Koo Ja-wook's two-run homer — and added two more in the eighth to close within 8-7.

kt preserved the win by bringing in closer Park Young-hyun with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth. Park worked 1⅔ innings to earn the save, capping the night by striking out the side in the ninth.

kt manager Lee Kang-cheol expressed regret over his pitching decisions after the game. When starter Davis Daniel faltered in the seventh, Lee turned to Logan Allen, but the bullpen continued to allow runs and turned what should have been a comfortable win into a nail-biter. Lee acknowledged his own misjudgment, saying he had intended to bring in Oh Won-seok before Allen. He also mentioned the possibility of shifting Allen back to a starting role and using Jeon Yong-ju as the left-handed bullpen option.

Samsung also ran into trouble early, as starter Choi Won-tae allowed five runs in just two innings, forcing the bullpen into action from the third inning on. Samsung manager Park Jin-man said he should have pulled his pitcher before Ahn Hyun-min hit a two-run homer in the third.

That makes starter depth the central question for Game 2. kt will send Ko Young-pyo, who shared the regular-season wins title. Ko went 15-7 with a 3.28 ERA in 29 starts this season and was particularly strong against Samsung, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four head-to-head matchups.

Ko also benefits from more than 20 days of rest since his last outing against Samsung on Oct. 11. A potential weakness, however, is his record against certain Samsung hitters — Koo Ja-wook went 4-for-9 against him, and Kim Ji-chan went 4-for-10.

Samsung counters with foreign starter Chris Fedde. Fedde went 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 regular-season starts and has a strong recent memory against kt — he threw six shutout innings to beat them in August.

kt's Ahn Hyun-min (left) and Samsung's Koo Ja-wook are expected to anchor their respective lineups in Game 2. [Newsis]

The key variable for Fedde is stamina. He made two starts for Samsung during the playoff series against the KIA Tigers, including a strong outing on Friday in which he allowed just one run in 5⅓ innings after only three days of rest. With four days of rest heading into Game 2, attention will focus on his pitch count and when Samsung decides to pull him.

On the offensive side, Ahn Hyun-min — who hit the two-run homer in Game 1 — is the player to watch for kt. Ahn reached base all three times he faced Fedde in the regular season, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Samsung, meanwhile, will be counting on Koo Ja-wook and Kim Ji-chan, who have both had success against Ko Young-pyo.

History favors kt: in 42 Korean Series, the team that won Game 1 went on to claim the title 31 times, a rate of 73.8 percent. Teams that swept the first two games have won the championship 20 out of 22 times.

For kt, winning Game 2 would dramatically improve their odds of a title. For Samsung, stopping the slide before the series shifts to Daegu is a must. After both offenses announced themselves in Game 1, the outcome this time figures to be decided on the mound.

yjc@heraldcorp.com