KIA’s 5-Run 1st Seals 2-0 Lead
The KIA Tigers beat the LG Twins 6-3 in Game 2 of the best-of-five semi-playoff at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 18th, taking a 2-0 series lead. KIA scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning alone, chasing LG starter Im Chan-gyu after just one-third of an inning. LG chipped away with RBI hits from Koo Bon-hyuk in the third and Park Hae-min in the fifth, but KIA added another run on Na Sung-bum’s sacrifice fly in the seventh. Starter Adam Oller earned his first KBO postseason win, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over six innings. Harold Castro went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin drove in two runs each. Kim Do-yeong, who homered twice in Game 1, had no hits but reached base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Teams that won the first two games of a semi-playoff have advanced seven times out of nine (77.8%). Game 3 is on the 20th at Jamsil.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
Oller: “Best Birthday Gift”
KIA Tigers starter Adam Oller, who picked up the win in Game 2 of the semi-playoff, was all smiles afterward: “I got a lot of the run support I usually don’t get. It’s the best birthday present.” His birthday was the day before, on the 17th. According to Sports Kyunghyang, Oller pitched consistently in the regular season with a 3.13 ERA and 19 quality starts (third in the league), but he finished with only 11 wins because his run support of 3.6 runs per nine innings was the lowest among the league’s 18 qualified starters. This time his lineup gave him five runs in the first inning. “In a postseason game, my teammates got me five runs from the first inning. That let me take the mound with a much more relaxed mind,” he said. Having faced LG five times in the regular season, he explained his approach: “When you face a team often, a strategy or plan comes naturally. I came in with a good one.”
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
LG’s Bat-First Lineup Falls Flat
LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yup rolled out an offense-first lineup in Game 2 of the semi-playoff, starting Song Chan-eui in left field and Lee Jae-won in right at the same time. It was a break from Yeom’s usual defense-first philosophy, and it put more defensive pressure on center fielder Park Hae-min. Before the game, Yeom said of using Lee, “Defense is what I worried about most. He has to experience it at some point.” According to My Daily, however, Song (0-for-4), Moon Jeong-bin (1-for-4, one RBI, three strikeouts), who batted cleanup for a second straight day, and Lee (0-for-4, four strikeouts) went a combined 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts, and Lee was seen in tears late in the game. Yeom said Song and Moon, playing in the postseason for the first time, seemed to shrink in scoring situations. Down 0-2 and facing elimination, LG will try to strike back in Game 3 at Jamsil on the 20th.
Source: My Daily
Ulsan Whales Top Samsung, Lead Fall League
The Ulsan Whales beat the Samsung Lions 3-0 in the 2026 Ulsan-KBO Fall League at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium on the 18th, staying alone in first place with a 3-0-1 record. Ulsan starter Okada, whose fastball topped out at 151 km/h, threw four scoreless innings on 64 pitches, allowing three hits with four strikeouts. Star News reported that several clubs, including the LG Twins, are keeping an eye on his condition and stuff. Seol Jae-wook, Cho Jun-hyuk and Seo Young-jun followed with scoreless relief, and Yuto, who retired the side in order in two straight innings, got the win. With the game tied 0-0 in the ninth, Ulsan took the lead on a throwing error, then made it 3-0 on RBI hits by Ye Jin-won and Park Je-beom. After a rest day on the 19th, Ulsan plays its fifth game of the tournament against the Goyang Heroes on the 20th.
Source: Star News