The Kia Tigers moved to the brink of advancing to the playoff round after defeating the LG Twins 6-3 on Oct. 18 at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Korea Baseball Organization postseason series. The Kia Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho’s squad capitalized on an early five-run first inning and steady relief pitching to back starting pitcher Adam Oller, securing a commanding position in the second game of the semifinal round.
Kia Tigers Build Early Lead Behind First-Inning Outburst
Kia set the tone immediately in the opening frame, plating five runs against LG starting pitcher Im Chan-kyu to seize control of the contest. The early surge proved decisive as the Tigers collected eight hits total on the night. Castro finished with two hits and one RBI in three at-bats, while Na Sung-bum added a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to pad the lead, alongside multi-hit efforts from Kim Sun-bin, Han Jun-su, and Park Jae-hyun. Manager Lee noted after the game that his hitters anticipated aggressive tactics from Im due to the status of the LG bullpen, allowing the lineup to attack early.
⚾ KIA Tigers @ LG Twins · KBOThe KIA Tigers arrive in Seoul riding a dominant six-game win streak, looking to extend their lead over the LG Twins. While the Tigers hold a 28-22-1 record (.560) and are playing elite baseball, the 30-19 (.612) Twins are currently overperforming…
Adam Oller and Relief Corps Limit LG Twins Batters
On the mound, Adam Oller delivered a strong performance for the hosts, throwing 94 pitches across six innings. He surrendered six hits, issued one walk, and struck out eight batters while allowing two runs to earn the victory. The bullpen maintained the advantage through the later frames, utilizing Kwak Do-gyu, Sung Young-tak, Cho Sang-woo, and Jeon Sang-hyun. Jeon entered in the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, striking out Lee Jae-won on three pitches before closing out the ninth to secure a four-out save.
Historical Playoff Odds Favor Kia
Having claimed a 5-1 victory in the opening game on Oct. 17 followed by the 6-3 win on Oct. 18, the Tigers carry a 77.8 percent historical probability of advancing based on past five-game semifinal series data where a team won the first two contests. Kia finished the regular season in third place with a 79-win, 63-loss, and two-tie record, carrying that momentum directly into the postseason matchups at home in Gwangju.
Manager Lee Bum-ho Praises Jeon Sang-hyun
Following the final out, manager Lee highlighted the importance of Jeon’s multi-out saves in stabilizing the late innings. Lee remarked that when Jeon closes out games effectively, the players can leave the ballpark in high spirits, adding that he expects Jeon to keep pushing.
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