Daegu: A showdown between ex-major league pitchers Eric Lauer and Denyi Reyes is set to be the highlight of the crucial third game in the South Korean baseball championship series. The Kia Tigers, leading the series 2-0, aim to tighten their grip with a win over the Samsung Lions as the series moves to Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Tigers have taken the initial two games of the best-of-seven series at their home ground in Gwangju. Eric Lauer, a left-hander with a track record of 36 wins in Major League Baseball, will pitch for the Tigers. Lauer, who joined the team in August as an injury replacement, previously faced the Lions on August 11, conceding seven hits and two home runs over just 3 1/3 innings.
The Lions’ Kang Min-ho and Park Byung-ho hit those home runs in Lauer’s debut. Park, however, has struggled this postseason, going 3-for-22 with nine strikeouts and no extra-base hits.
The Lions will respond by starting right-hander Denyi Reyes, who will be pitching on five
days’ rest. Reyes was named MVP in the previous series against the LG Twins, with two wins and a 0.66 ERA. Despite his success, Reyes has struggled against the Tigers, registering an 8.31 ERA and a 0-2 record in regular-season play, conceding four home runs across three starts, one each to Kim Do-yeong, Choi Hyoung-woo, Na Sung-bum, and Choi Won-jun.
Kim Do-yeong added to his postseason achievements with a solo home run in the Tigers’ 8-3 victory in Game 2, marking his first career postseason homer. Historically, teams losing the first two games of the Korean Series have only twice come back to win the championship. A Game 3 loss would significantly decrease the Lions’ chances, as no team has recovered from a 3-0 deficit in Korean Series history, with only the 2000 Doosan Bears managing to force a Game 7 before ultimately losing.