▲ Samsung Lions' Lee Seung-min pitches during the 8th inning of Game 3 of the 2026 postseason playoff series between the Samsung Lions and the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on October 29.
The playoff series (best-of-five) between the Samsung Lions and the KIA Tigers in professional baseball is turning into a war of attrition, with both teams pouring all available pitching resources into every single game.
From Game 1 in Daegu on October 26 to Game 3 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on October 29, the two teams have used a combined total of 36 pitchers.
Samsung has deployed 15 pitchers across the three games (5 in Game 1, 3 in Game 2, and 7 in Game 3), while KIA has burned through a staggering 21 pitchers (6 in Game 1, 6 in Game 2, and 9 in Game 3).
Game 3 on October 29, in particular, was a grueling battle that laid bare the current status and fatigue levels of both bullpens.
Samsung secured a 6-4 victory to take a 2-1 series lead, needing just one more win to advance to the Korean Series, but the toll on their pitching staff was significant.
Samsung's biggest concerns are the fatigue of homegrown ace Won Tae-in, who has taken on the heavy responsibility of acting as temporary closer, and the consecutive appearances of left-handed setup man Lee Seung-min.
Having shifted to the bullpen due to closer Kim Jae-yoon's injury absence, Won's pitch counts are rising amid the unfamiliar relief role.
After throwing 22 pitches over one scoreless inning to close out Game 2 on October 27, Won was called upon early starting from the 6th inning in Game 3 following the early exit of starting pitcher Choi Won-tae (1 and 2/3 innings, 2 runs allowed).
Won earned the relief win by pitching 1 and 2/3 innings, throwing 33 pitches, allowing 2 hits (including 1 home run), striking out 2, and giving up 1 run, but handed over the baton after two outs in the 7th inning due to high pitch counts and harsh weather conditions.
In addition, left-handed setup man Lee Seung-min has gone through a grueling march by appearing in all three playoff games so far.
Following Game 1 (1 inning, 17 pitches) and Game 2 (1 and 1/3 innings, 20 pitches, 1 run allowed), he also took the mound after two outs in the 7th inning of Game 3, earning a hold by pitching 1 and 1/3 innings with 27 pitches and no runs allowed, but his fatigue has accumulated after throwing a total of 64 pitches over three days.
The pitching situation for KIA, pushed to the brink, is even more critical.
KIA's starting pitchers have failed to complete 5 innings in three consecutive games: James Nail in Game 1 (4 and 1/3 innings), Adam Oller in Game 2 (4 and 2/3 innings), and Keisho Shirakawa in Game 3 (4 and 1/3 innings).
Because of this, Jung Hae-young was deployed early in the 5th inning in both Game 1 (2/3 of an inning, 18 pitches) and Game 3 (1/3 of an inning, 5 pitches), appearing in all three games.
Above all, the Achilles' heel of the KIA bullpen is the collective slump of its left-handed relievers, who need to keep Samsung's formidable lineup of left-handed hitters in check.
Samsung's cleanup trio consisting of Koo Ja-wook, Lewin Diaz, and Choi Hyung-woo are all left-handed batters.
To block them, the KIA bench has intensively deployed three left-handed relievers—Lee Ee-lee, Kwak Do-gyu, and Kim Bum-soo—but their calculations keep going awry.
Lee Ee-lee, who earned a relief win with 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 1, was pulled after issuing three consecutive walks without recording an out in Game 2, and in Game 3 he came on with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the 7th only to surrender a decisive RBI hit to left-handed hitter Koo Ja-wook, exposing the burden of appearing in three straight games.
Kim Bum-soo also gave up a solo homer to left-handed hitter Choi Hyung-woo in Game 2, followed by walking batters and getting pulled without recording an out in Game 3.
Kwak Do-gyu also failed to inspire firm trust, pitching briefly and exiting in both Game 1 (1/3 of an inning) and Game 3 (2/3 of an inning, 1 hit allowed).
With no luxury to look back in a short series, both teams will continue their all-out efforts by utilizing starting resources with only three days of rest in Game 4 on October 30.
Amid the unrelenting matchups that have exhausted both teams' bullpens to the extreme, only kt wiz, who advanced directly to the Korean Series and is waiting for their opponent, is smiling.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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