4 hits, 2 RBIs and winning run in Game 2 — involved in all 3 Samsung scores

Bats .500 with a homer against So Hyung-jun; teams meet in Daegu

Samsung Lions foreign batter Lewin Diaz celebrates after hitting an RBI single with two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the 10th inning during Game 2 of the 2026 Korean Series against kt wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
Samsung Lions foreign batter Lewin Diaz celebrates after hitting an RBI single with two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the 10th inning during Game 2 of the 2026 Korean Series against kt wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

He nearly cost his team the game with a defensive error — but ultimately, he was also the one who saved it. All eyes are on Samsung Lions foreign batter Lewin Diaz (29, Dominican Republic) to see whether he can reprise his hero role in Game 3 of the Korean Series (best-of-seven) after delivering in Game 2.

Samsung faces kt wiz in Game 3 of the Korean Series at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The two teams split the first two games in Suwon and now return to Daegu to battle for control of the series.

Samsung's hopes rest squarely on Diaz's bat. In Game 2 on Wednesday, Diaz went 4-for-6 with two RBIs and a run scored, leading the Lions to a 3-2 victory in 12 innings.

He opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI triple following Choi Hyung-woo's double. He added a double in the fourth and a single in the sixth, leaving him one home run short of the cycle. The second-inning triple was his first in both the regular season and postseason since his KBO League debut in 2024.

With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 10th, Diaz delivered again — an RBI single to right field with two outs and runners on first and second to put Samsung back in front. But in the bottom of the 10th, he nearly undid it all. With one out and runners on first and second, Diaz fielded Sam Hilliard's grounder in front of first base and bobbled the ball while attempting a double play. The error loaded the bases, and Samsung surrendered a bases-loaded walk to Kim Hyun-soo, allowing the tying run to score and knotting the game at 2-2.

Diaz found redemption in the top of the 12th. He hit a grounder to second base but beat the double play to stay alive at first. He advanced to second on Kim Sang-jun's single to right, then scored the winning run when kt second baseman Oh Yun-seok threw wildly to first on Lee Jae-hyeon's grounder to the pitcher.

Samsung collected 14 hits but was limited to three runs, leaving many scoring opportunities on the table. Amid that offensive inefficiency, Diaz accounted for all three Samsung runs — two RBIs and the winning score.

It was a meaningful turnaround for Diaz, who had batted just .167 (3-for-18) across five playoff games against the KIA Tigers. His four-hit performance in Game 2 — his first four-hit game of this postseason — signaled that his bat is coming back to life.

Samsung's Ariel Jurado (left) and kt's So Hyung-jun, the announced starters for Game 3 of the Korean Series. [Yonhap]
Samsung's Ariel Jurado (left) and kt's So Hyung-jun, the announced starters for Game 3 of the Korean Series. [Yonhap]

In Game 3, the matchup drawing particular attention is Diaz against kt starter So Hyung-jun. In the regular season this year, Diaz went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs against So. Choi Hyung-woo and Kim Heon-gon have also homered off him.

However, So was dominant against Samsung in the regular season, going 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA across three starts. His career postseason numbers are equally strong: three wins against no losses and a 1.48 ERA in eight games. How well Diaz and the heart of Samsung's lineup can solve So will be the key to the outcome.

Samsung will counter with playoff MVP Ariel Jurado on the mound. Jurado went 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA against KIA in the playoff series but struggled against kt in the regular season, going 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA in three starts.

Particularly concerning is Hilliard, who went 4-for-9 with three home runs and five RBIs against Jurado. With Samsung Lions Park in Daegu known for favoring hitters, Jurado will need to be on alert against the power in kt's lineup.

Samsung's bullpen was taxed by the 12-inning marathon in Game 2, even though starter Chris Paddack held kt to one run over seven innings. Jurado will need to go deep into the game while Diaz and the rest of the lineup provide run support.

Having shaken off his playoff slump and reasserted himself in the Korean Series, Diaz will look to keep the momentum going on his home turf.


yjc@heraldcorp.com