In brief
In Game 5 of the second‑round series, Ariel Jurado pitched seven strong innings, allowing only one unearned run and guiding the Lions to a 6‑1 win over the Kia Tigers. The victory clinched a Korean Series berth and earned Jurado the series MVP title. With a sell‑out crowd in Daegu, the Lions look forward to facing the regular‑season champions KT Wiz in the championship clash.
In a decisive 6‑1 victory on Sunday evening, the Samsung Lions beat the Kia Tigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, with right‑hander Ariel Jurado delivering his second straight postseason gem to secure a spot in the Korean Series. The game finished at 6:30 p.m. local time after the Lions’ offense produced four runs in the top of the sixth and closed out the effort in the bottom half.
Jurado pitched seven innings of two‑run ball, allowing five hits and one unearned run. The single run came in the third inning when Ha Ju‑suk scored on a Park Jae‑hyun triple that followed an error by first baseman Lewin Diaz. The Tigers' other two runs were earned in the sixth inning, but Jurado struck out two of the final three batters to extinguish the rally. Over the entire series, he posted a 1.32 earned run average across 13 ⅔ innings.
In Game 2 of the series, Jurado had gone 6 ⅔ innings for two runs, and he followed that success with a flawless Game 3 that saw him walk none and retire all 27 batters he faced. In the clinching Game 5, he also finished with a perfect first inning and multiple double‑play balls that established early control. According to Yonhap reports, Jurado mixed 36 changeups, 26 two‑seam fastballs, 10 curveballs and 10 cutters, never allowing command to falter.
The Lions’ offense was paced by leadoff man Kim Ji‑chan, who recorded three hits and three RBIs, and by the early runs in the first and second innings. The final run scored in the sixth, a product of the Lions’ balanced lineup, provided Jurado with ample run support for his dominant performance. The sell‑out crowd of 23,550, the largest for a postseason game that season, added to the electric atmosphere of the win.
With the series clinched, the Samsung Lions advance to a best‑of‑seven championship against the KT Wiz, the regular‑season champions. The Korean Series will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The Wiz, who earned a bye to the championship round, have not played since their regular‑season finale on October 12, and they are looking for their second crown after a 2021 title and a 2023 run that fell short. The Lions, chasing their ninth championship and first since 2014, will try to add to a history of success that includes a 2024 Korean Series runner‑up finish to the Tigers.
Jurado’s performance earned him the series MVP award, with 47 of 79 media votes cast, and his efficiency reinforced the Samsung Lions’ confidence ahead of the championship. Fans and analysts alike noted how his game‑planning and pitch selection kept hitters off balance, turning the Lions into a match‑winning threat. The team will now prepare to meet the Wiz, with the promise of another high‑stakes showdown in KBO history.
