KIA leads LG 2-0 in KBO semi-playoff; Game 3 at Seoul's Jamsil set for 20 October
In short
KIA Tigers lead LG Twins 2-0 in the best-of-five KBO semi-playoff and can advance with a win in Game 3 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on 20 October. KIA named Shirakawa Keisho and LG named Carlos Carrasco as starters. Outlets say a LG loss would make it the last pro baseball game at Jamsil before its demolition.
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KIA Tigers lead LG Twins 2-0 in the best-of-five KBO semi-playoff, and Game 3 is scheduled for 18:30 on 20 October at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. KIA named Shirakawa Keisho as its starter and LG named Carlos Carrasco, according to Chosun Ilbo, Yonhap and Newsis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
KIA won Games 1 and 2 at Gwangju Champions Field on 17 and 18 October. Game 1 ended 5-1, with Kim Do-young hitting two home runs. In Game 2, KIA scored five runs in the first inning off LG starter Im Chan-gyu and won 6-3. Chosun Ilbo, citing OSEN, said KIA's two foreign starters had pitched seven innings for one run and six innings for two runs. [ 1 , 2 , 6 , 8 ]
Shirakawa has gone 4-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 18 games and 83⅓ innings this season. Against LG he is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in two games. Austin Dean is 3-for-4 against him with two home runs, and Lee Jae-won and Park Dong-won have also homered off him, according to Yonhap and Newsis. Kyunghyang Shinmun said it is his first postseason start. Chosun Ilbo said he pitched for SSG Landers and Doosan Bears in 2024 and joined KIA this year as a replacement for the Asian-quota infielder Jared Dale. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 ]
Carrasco has gone 6-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 11 regular-season games and 60 innings. On 14 October he allowed one run in six innings against Doosan in the wild card game, which took LG into the semi-playoff. Against KIA this season he allowed four runs in 4⅓ innings in his one start. Kyunghyang Shinmun said he has 112 major league wins and three major league postseason starts. [ 1 , 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
KIA chose Shirakawa over Yang Hyeon-jong. Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo interpreted this as in effect pointing to a bullpen day, with relievers covering if he falters early. [ 2 , 6 ]
A KIA win would end the series and send it to the playoff against Samsung Lions. Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily and Kyunghyang Shinmun said that in past best-of-five semi-playoffs, teams leading 2-0 advanced seven times in nine (77.8%), and Doosan completed reverse sweeps in 2010 and 2013. Newsis and Kyunghyang Shinmun said Game 3 would be the last pro baseball game at Jamsil, which is to be demolished and rebuilt as a dome after this year, if LG loses. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]
Why it matters
A KIA win would end the series in three games and send it to the playoff against Samsung Lions, while a LG win would extend the series. Outlets also note that Jamsil Stadium is due to be demolished and rebuilt as a dome after this year.
Key facts
- KIA won Game 1 5-1 and Game 2 6-3 at Gwangju Champions Field on 17 and 18 October. [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Game 3 is scheduled for 18:30 on 20 October at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. [ 3 , 4 ]
- KIA starts Shirakawa Keisho and LG starts Carlos Carrasco. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Shirakawa has a 4.75 ERA over 18 games this season and a 7.71 ERA in two games against LG. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Carrasco has a 4.05 ERA over 11 regular-season games and allowed one run in six innings in the 14 October wild card game against Doosan. [ 1 , 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Of nine teams that led a best-of-five semi-playoff 2-0, seven reached the playoff (77.8%). [ 2 , 7 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- KIA leads the series 2-0 after winning Game 1 5-1 and Game 2 6-3. [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Game 3 starters are Shirakawa Keisho for KIA and Carlos Carrasco for LG. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- If LG loses Game 3, it will be the last pro baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, which is to be demolished and rebuilt as a dome after this year. [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The winner of the series faces Samsung Lions in the playoff. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether KIA will use a bullpen day in Game 3. Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo say choosing Shirakawa over Yang Hyeon-jong is in effect a signal of a bullpen day, and Newsis says KIA may pull him early if he struggles; no document states KIA's plan.
- The result of Game 3. The documents were published before the game was played.