KIA Gambles on Shirakawa for Game 3
The KIA Tigers have named Asia-quota pitcher Keisho Shirakawa, rather than veteran Yang Hyeon-jong, as their starter for Game 3 of the semi-playoff, set for 6:30 p.m. on the 20th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Shirakawa went 4-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 18 regular-season games and struggled against LG, going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA and four home runs allowed in two outings. Yang, by contrast, went 12-6 with a 4.19 ERA in 26 games. Money Today read the move as a calculated one: even if KIA drops Game 3, Yang is still available for Game 4. Up 2-0 after winning 5-1 and 6-3, KIA would get four days of rest with a Game 3 win before facing the Samsung Lions in the playoff, which starts on the 25th.
Source: Money Today
LG on the Brink: Stopping Kim Do-yeong
Down 0-2 in the semi-playoff after 1-5 and 3-6 losses, the LG Twins have named Carlos Carrasco as their Game 3 starter for the 20th at Jamsil. According to Money Today, LG’s biggest headache is KIA’s Kim Do-yeong and Castro. Kim hit a go-ahead solo home run in the fourth inning and an insurance two-run shot in the eighth in Game 1, and although he went hitless in Game 2, he still reached base twice on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Behind him, Castro is 4-for-7 (.571) with two RBIs in the series. In the first inning of Game 2, KIA scored five runs as Castro, Na Sung-bum, Kim Sun-bin, Han Jun-su and Ha Ju-seok strung together five straight hits after Kim’s walk. LG’s hope: Carrasco held Kim hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts during the regular season.
Source: Money Today
KT’s Lee Kang-chul Signs Record Deal
Regular-season champion KT Wiz announced on the 19th that they have re-signed manager Lee Kang-chul to a three-year deal worth 3.4 billion won in total (a 1 billion won signing bonus and an 800 million won annual salary), running through 2029. The deal tops the KBO record for a manager set just a year ago by LG’s Yeom Kyung-yup (three years, 3 billion won). Lee first took over in October 2018 on a three-year, 1.2 billion won contract. In 2019, his first season, he led the club to its first-ever winning record, then guided KT to five straight postseasons from 2020 to 2024 and to its first combined title in 2021. This year KT won its first 90 games in a season and the regular-season title, and Lee reached 600 career wins with a single club. “The season isn’t over yet, so I’ll work to finish it on an even higher note,” Lee said.
Source: Money Today
Samsung’s Koo Ja-wook Returns With a Hit
Waiting for the semi-playoff winner, the Samsung Lions held an intrasquad game on the 19th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Koo Ja-wook, who had been rehabbing a hamstring injury, batted third as the designated hitter for the White team, singled off Jurado in his first at-bat in the first inning and drew a walk in his third trip to the plate in the sixth. It was his first game action in 19 days, since September 30 against Hanwha in Daegu. Samsung’s foreign one-two punch also checked in. White team starter Pedeck threw four scoreless innings on 62 pitches, topping out at 150.1 km/h, while Blue team starter Jurado allowed one run over five innings on 90 pitches, reaching 147.6 km/h. Each side collected 12 hits, with Kang Min-ho, Lee Jae-hyeon and Kim Sung-yoon homering. Samsung will play one more intrasquad game on the 23rd before finalizing its playoff roster ahead of Game 1 on the 25th.
Source: Money Today
Lotte Weighs Kim Tae-hyung’s Future
With managerial changes sweeping the KBO, attention has turned to the Lotte Giants. According to Star News, the KT Wiz have re-signed Lee Kang-chul, while the Hanwha Eagles parted ways with Kim Kyung-moon and, on the 13th, hired former national team manager Ryu Ji-hyun on a three-year deal worth 2 billion won. Lotte is in the final stages of deciding its next manager, keeping open both the option of retaining Kim Tae-hyung and that of bringing in someone new; no decision has been made yet. Kim, hired in October 2023 on a three-year, 2.4 billion won contract, has finished seventh in all three seasons, going 64-77 with three ties (.454) this year. On the 12th, ahead of the regular-season finale, he said, “If you don’t produce results in three years, that’s the manager’s responsibility.”
Source: Star News