Daegu:Even with his team advancing to the South Korean baseball championship series, Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man is demanding more from his squad's defensive performance.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Lions secured their place in the Korean Series by defeating the Kia Tigers 6-1 in Game 5 of the second round of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. The victory came despite the Lions committing two errors, bringing their total to nine errors over five games.
During the regular season, the Lions had tied for the fewest errors in the KBO, with 85 errors in 144 games. Park, who is recognized as one of the best defensive shortstops in KBO history, stressed the importance of confidence in fielding, likening it to hitting. He noted that mistakes in the Korean Series could be decisive and emphasized the need to address defensive issues.
The Lions' game against the Tigers was notably the fastest of the series, lasting two hours and 35 minutes. Starter Ariel Jurado delivered a strong performance, pitching seven innings and allowing only one unearned run. On the offensive side, Kim Ji-chan led the charge with three hits, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Jurado was named the series MVP with a record of 2-0 and a 1.32 ERA in his two starts.
Park highlighted reliever Lee Seung-min as an unsung hero of the series. Lee appeared in all five games, facing the toughest assignments against the Tigers' lineup and conceding just one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Looking ahead to the Korean Series against the regular-season champions KT Wiz, Park mentioned the possibility of lineup changes. Veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo, who played in left field for most of the series due to Koo Ja-wook's hamstring injury, could see adjustments. While Choi contributed significantly with two home runs, Park expressed concerns about the impact of his fielding duties on his hitting and plans to discuss potential changes with his staff and trainers.