(LEAD) Tigers defeat Lions in KBO postseason series opener

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(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 (END)

(LEAD) Tigers defeat Lions in KBO postseason series opener

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（注：补充第5段细节及照片）作者：柳智浩

大邱，10 月 26 日（韩联社）——在先发投手詹姆斯·奈尔突然退场后，第四棒哈罗德·卡斯特罗击出本垒打并打回三分，牛棚投手也稳住了局面，起亚老虎队周一以 5-1 击败三星狮队，开始了他们在韩国棒球组织（KBO）季后赛系列赛中的首场比赛。

2026年10月26日，在韩国棒球联赛季后赛第二轮第一场比赛中，起亚老虎队的哈罗德·卡斯特罗在对阵三星狮队的比赛中击出两分本垒打后庆祝。比赛在韩国东南部城市大邱的大邱三星狮公园举行。（韩联社）

指定击球手韩俊秀也击出一支本垒打，而老虎队凭借一些精彩的防守，在东南部城市大邱的三星狮子公园，在 23,550 名观众的爆满注视下，客场偷走了一场胜利。

这场五局三胜制的第二轮比赛的第二场将于周二下午 6:30 在大邱举行。

本场比赛的胜者将晋级下周的韩国系列赛。此前35次采用五局三胜制进行该轮比赛时，首局获胜者最终赢得系列赛的概率为27次，约占77%。

2026年10月26日，在韩国东南部城市大邱的大邱三星狮公园举行的韩国棒球联赛季后赛第二轮第一场比赛中，起亚虎队救援投手李义利对阵三星狮队。（韩联社）

老虎队在第一局上半率先得分，在两出局的情况下从先发投手克里斯·帕达克手中拿下两分。

帕达克三振了比赛的前两名击球手，但在取得 0-2 的领先优势后，又用 7 个球保送了金道英。

金随后盗上二垒，哈罗德·卡斯特罗击出右外野安打，将他送回本垒。卡斯特罗轻松推进到三垒，因为右外野手金成允的传球越过捕手姜敏浩，直接飞到挡板后方。

随后，罗成范与帕达克展开了一场六球大战，最终以一记沿左外野边线的二垒安打击败了卡斯特罗，取得了2-0的领先。

老虎队在第一局就让帕达克投了32球。

随后，卡斯特罗在第三局一记漂亮的挥棒，将老虎队的领先优势扩大到 4-0。

两出局后，金道英击出一垒安打，延续了这一局。卡斯特罗在3好1坏的情况下，连续击出四个界外球，随后轰出一记高飞的两分全垒打，越过右外野的短墙。

韩俊秀在第四局上半击出一记右外野方向的阳春炮，将老虎队的领先优势扩大到 5-0，也加入了本垒打的行列。

2026年10月26日，在韩国棒球联赛季后赛第二轮第一场比赛中，起亚老虎队的韩俊秀在韩国东南部城市大邱的大邱三星狮公园击出一支阳春全垒打，对手是三星狮队。（韩联社）

老虎队先发投手詹姆斯·奈尔在前四局只面对了最少的打者，取得了五分的领先优势，同时他的防守队员也给予了他一些帮助。

奈尔先是被金智灿击出一垒安打，但随后又被另一位速度型打者金成允击出的双杀球封杀出局。卡斯特罗干净利落地接住高弹跳球，并精准地传给游击手河柱锡完成封杀，河柱锡随后又将球回传给一垒的卡斯特罗，完成双杀。

第三局下半，中外野手朴正宇漂亮地滑垒接住了金英雄击出的下坠平飞球。

比赛在第五局下半一人出局时突然发生转折，奈勒用快速球击中朴承奎的头部，朴承奎被自动驱逐出场。

由于奈勒此前状态火热，老虎队牛棚里无人进行热身。右投手郑海荣被紧急派上投手丘，并获得了额外的准备时间。

郑俊秀三振了第一位打者，但金英雄上场打击时，朴智星盗二垒成功进入得分位置。随后金英雄击出一垒安打，朴智星跑回本垒得分，狮队拿下本场比赛的第一分，比分变为5比1。

不过，郑泫限制了进一步的损失，在与李宰贤进行了 11 球的较量后，三振了他，李宰贤击出了 6 个界外球。

2026年10月26日，在韩国东南部城市大邱的大邱三星狮公园，起亚老虎队先发投手詹姆斯·奈尔对阵三星狮队，这是韩国棒球联赛季后赛第二轮的第一场比赛。（韩联社）

下一位救援投手李义利完美地投完了第六局，让老虎队保持了四分的领先优势。

这位左撇子投手在第七局再次上场，面对对方的强力打线。李三振了具载旭，并让卢文·迪亚兹击出一记无害的滚地球，游击手朴敏接球后漏接，球从他两分之二的位置滚过。

接下来将有四名右打者上场，老虎队派出了右投手赵相佑。

朴承奎击出一记深远的左外野高飞球，给老虎队造成了不小的惊吓，但左外野手朴宰贤在墙前接住了球。

随后朴宰贤奋力扑接，阻止了姜敏浩的二垒安打，挽救了一分。

老虎队的牛棚投手们在第八局和第九局三上三下解决了这三名打者。

帕达克在KBO季后赛首秀中吞下败仗，他投了4又2/3局，被击出5支安打，失5分。他用了94球才解决掉14名打者，老虎队耐心而顽强的打者们让他费了不少功夫。

金道英尤其在第五局上半局面对了 13 个球，追平了第二轮单次击球面对最多球数的纪录。

奈尔距离胜投只差两个出局数。他退场后，五名救援投手联手将狮队的安打数限制在1支，并送出5次三振，其中李义利投了1又1/3局无失分，最终拿下胜投。

jeeho@yna.co.kr (完)

（头条）老虎队在KBO季后赛系列赛首战中击败狮子队