After splitting the pair of games at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, the Kia Tigers return home needing just one win in the last three games to clinch the KBO title. The title would be their 12th Korean Series championship and their first since 2017.
The story of the series thus far has been the big inning, as the Tigers have put the Lions away via huge rallies in each of their three victories. In Game One, it was a four-run seventh inning that helped the Tigers overcome a 1-0 deficit and grab an early series advantage. They followed that up in Game Two with a five-run first inning that knocked out Lions starter Hwang Don-jae from the game and powered them to an 8-3 victory. And after a Game Three setback, Kim Tae-gun punctuated a six-run third inning with a grand slam in Game 4 that put the contest out of reach.
스윙 한 방에 4점 ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
만루홈런 작렬하는 김태군 pic.twitter.com/PVII5tNqVF— 디디 (@3di3di_) October 26, 2024
With the opportunity to celebrate a championship in front of their home fans for the first time since 1987, it is fitting that the Tigers will hand the ball to veteran Yang Hyeon-jong. The KBO’s all-time strikeout leader has been a franchise staple since debuting in 2007, including pitching a complete-game shutout during the Tigers’ victory in the 2017 Korean Series. Though Yang was not as sharp as that in his start in Game Two of this year’s Korean Series, he still showed his big-game experience by allowing just one run over 5 1/3 innings despite giving up eight hits.
The Lions, meanwhile, will try to overcome the odds without two of their best players. Superstar outfielder Koo Ja-wook has yet to play in the series after suffering an ankle injury on a stolen base in the previous round. Ace Won Tae-in, who led the KBO with 15 wins during the regular season, was diagnosed with a labrum injury following his Game 4 start that will knock him out for the rest of the season. The one glimmer of hope that the Lions have being down 3-1 is that they are the only franchise in 17 attempts to overcome a 3-1 Korean Series deficit. The 2013 Lions came back down three games to one and shocked the Doosan Bears to claim their third of four straight KBO titles.
With Won Tae-in injured and second-round MVP Denyi Reyes unavailable, the Lions will turn to Lee Seung-hyun to save their season. The 22-year-old left-hander was moved to the bullpen after 17 solid regular-season starts in which he posted a 4.23 ERA and has allowed two runs in his four relief appearances this postseason.
First pitch of Game 5 will be on Monday at 5:30 a.m. EST.
WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
