(LEAD) Tigers defeat Lions in KBO postseason series opener

(ATTN: ADDS details from para 5, photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho

DAEGU, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- Cleanup Harold Castro homered and knocked in three runs, and the bullpen steadied the ship after starter James Naile took an abrupt exit, as the Kia Tigers defeated the Samsung Lions 5-1 on Monday to begin their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason series.

Harold Castro of the Kia Tigers celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

Designated hitter Han Jun-su also hit a home run, while the Tigers turned in some defensive gems to steal a win on the road in front of a sellout crowd of 23,550 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city.

Game 2 of this best-of-five second round is back in Daegu at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The winner of this battle will reach the Korean Series next week. On the 35 previous occasions when this round was played in a best-of-five format, Game 1 winners have gone on to take the series 27 times, or about 77 percent of the time.

Kia Tigers reliever Lee Eui-lee pitches against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

The Tigers drew the first blood in the top of the first inning, scoring twice with two outs against starter Chris Paddack.

Paddack struck out the game's first two batters but then walked Kim Do-yeong on seven pitches after getting ahead with a 0-2 count.

Kim then stole second base, and Harold Castro brought him home with a single to right field. Castro easily advanced to third base when right fielder Kim Seong-yoon's throw sailed over catcher Kang Min-ho and reached the backstop.

Na Sung-bum then won a six-pitch battle against Paddack with a double down the left field line that scored Castro for a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers made Paddack throw 32 pitches in the first inning.

Castro then doubled the Tigers' lead to 4-0 with one emphatic swing of the bat in the third inning.

With two outs, Kim Do-yeong kept the inning going with a single. Castro, with the count at 3-1, fouled off four straight pitches before launching a towering two-run homer over the short porch in right field.

Han Jun-su joined the home run party by leading off the fourth inning with a solo shot to right field that extended the Tigers' lead to 5-0.

Han Jun-su of the Kia Tigers hits a solo home run against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

Staked to a five-run lead, Tigers starter James Naile faced the minimum through four innings while getting some help from his defense along the way.

Naile gave up a leadoff single to Kim Ji-chan but erased the speedy runner with a double play ball off the bat of another speedster, Kim Seong-yoon. Castro fielded the high chopper cleanly and fired a strike to shortstop Ha Ju-suk for the force, and Ha completed the twin killing with an accurate throw back to Castro at first.

In the bottom of the third, center fielder Park Jung-woo made a nifty sliding catch on a sinking liner off Kim Young-woong's bat.

The game took an abrupt turn with one out in the bottom of the fifth, when Naile hit Park Seung-kyu in the head with a fastball for an automatic ejection.

With Naile cruising up to that point, no one was warming up in the bullpen for the Tigers. Right-hander Jung Hai-young was rushed to the mound and received extra time to get ready.

Jung retired his first batter, but with Kim Young-woong at the plate, Park stole second to get himself into scoring position. Kim then singled him home for the Lions' first run of the game, making it a 5-1 contest.

Jung limited further damage, though, striking out Lee Jae-hyeon after an 11-pitch battle with Lee fouling off six pitches.

Kia Tigers starter James Naile pitches against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

The next reliever, Lee Eui-lee, worked a perfect sixth to keep the Tigers up by four.

The left-hander came back out for the seventh inning to face the meat of the order. Lee struck out Koo Ja-wook and got Lewin Diaz to hit a harmless grounder at shortstop Park Min, who let the ball go through his wickets.

With four straight right-handed bats coming up, the Tigers turned to right-handed reliever Cho Sang-woo.

Park Seung-kyu put a scare into the Tigers with a big fly to deep left, but left fielder Park Jae-hyun caught the ball at the track, just in front of the wall.

Park Jae-hyun then flashed the leather to save a run, as he laid out for a clutch catch to rob Kang Min-ho of a double.

The Tigers bullpen then retired the side in order in the eighth and the ninth.

Paddack took the loss in his KBO postseason debut after allowing five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He needed 94 pitches to retire 14 batters, with patient and pesky Tigers hitters making him work.

Kim Do-yeong, in particular, saw 13 pitches in the top of the fifth, tying the record for the most pitches in an at-bat in the second round.

Naile came within two outs for qualifying for a win. After his exit, five relievers limited the Lions to one hit and recorded five strikeouts, with Lee Eui-lee being credited with the victory after 1 1/3 shutout innings.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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