How did the rainout affect the Samsung Lions’ rest advantage over the Kia Tigers?

The Lions had last played a competitive game two weeks earlier, while the Tigers had completed their series against the LG Twins the previous Tuesday. The rainout of Sunday’s opener gave the Tigers another day off, which Park said left both teams starting from a similar point in energy and stamina.

What did Park Jin-man do to help Samsung Lions hitters prepare for the KBO postseason?

The Lions held a scrimmage a day after the Tigers ended their series. Park said the training schedule ensured everyone got to swing the bat during the scrimmage, and he believed the hitters had regained their form after struggling late in the regular season.

Why can a postseason bye be a disadvantage for KBO teams such as the Samsung Lions?

The extra rest awarded to higher seeds can also leave hitters rusty, with their timing sometimes off in their early postseason at-bats. Park said he took that possibility in stride and thought the Lions’ hitters might be sharper after their scrimmage.

Lions manager acknowledges rest advantage over KBO postseason foe gone after rainout

Listen

Summary

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man said Monday in Daegu that a rainout had erased his team’s rest advantage over the Kia Tigers before their best-of-five KBO postseason series. The Tigers had completed a three-game sweep of the LG Twins the previous Tuesday and gained an extra day off when Sunday’s opener was postponed. Park said both teams were starting with similar energy and stamina. He added that the Lions’ hitters might be sharper after a scrimmage and training schedule designed to give everyone batting practice.

Key Facts

The Lions finished second in the KBO regular season and earned a bye to the postseason’s best-of-five second round.
The Tigers reached the series after playing an extra postseason round against the LG Twins.
Park said the KBO’s rest period for higher-seeded teams can leave hitters struggling with their timing in early postseason at-bats.
The Lions held a scrimmage a day after the Tigers finished their series, and Park said the team arranged for every player to bat.
Park said the Lions’ hitters had struggled toward the end of the regular season but he believed they were back on track.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 26, 2026 4:55 pm KST

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man watches a game between LG Twins and Samsung Lions during the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game held in Daegu, Sept. 13. Yonhap

The Samsung Lions last played a competitive game two weeks ago at the end of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season. By finishing in second place, they earned a bye to the best-of-five second round in the postseason.

Their opponents, the Kia Tigers, had to play an extra round of the postseason to reach this point. But they have also had enough time off between the two rounds. The Tigers completed their three-game sweep of the LG Twins in the previous series last Tuesday. Then they were afforded an extra day off Sunday when the scheduled Game 1 of the Lions series was postponed due to rain.

This situation has negated whatever rest advantage the Lions might have enjoyed, manager Park Jin-man said Monday.

"I think we are both starting from the same point, when it comes to the teams' energy level and stamina," Park said in his pregame media availability at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. "So this is going to be a battle of power versus power."

The KBO postseason rewards higher seeds with extra rest after the regular season but those teams often deal with rust, too, with hitters in particular having trouble with their timing in early at-bats of the postseason.

Park took it all in stride.

"I think our hitters may be sharper. We played our scrimmage a day after the Tigers ended their series," Park said with a smile. "We set our training schedules so that everyone got to swing the bat in the scrimmage. Our hitters struggled a bit toward the end of the regular season but I think they are back on track now."

Explore More