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Ace right-handers set for duel in pivotal KBO postseason game

Published: 12 Oct. 2025, 12:56 Updated: 12 Oct. 2025, 16:25

SSG Landers pitcher Drew Anderson, left, and Samsung Lions pitcher Won Tae-in [YONHAP]

Two right-handed aces will go toe-to-toe in a crucial Korean baseball postseason game this week.

The SSG Landers and the Samsung Lions are tied at one game apiece in their first-round series in the KBO postseason. The Lions took the first game 5-2 on Thursday at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, and then the Landers responded with a 4-3 victory two days later at their home park.

When the best-of-five series resumes at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, the Lions will have homegrown star Won Tae-in on the mound.

Won went 12-4 with a 3.24 ERA in the regular season — his fifth straight year with a sub-4.00 ERA. Last Tuesday, Won fired six shutout innings and struck out five batters to help the Lions beat the NC Dinos 3-0 to win the wild card round and book a ticket to the series against the Landers.

Won made three regular-season starts against the Landers but did not have a win-loss record. He had a 3.71 ERA and surrendered 24 hits — more than against any other opposing team — in 17 innings against them.

The Landers batted .338 against Won. Guillermo Heredia went 4-for-5 with two doubles, while Ko Myeong-jun, who has hit two homers in this series, also had two doubles against Won.

Drew Anderson will start for the Landers after recovering from a bout with stomach flu. He was one of the most dominant pitchers in the KBO this year, finishing second overall with 245 strikeouts and third with a 2.25 ERA, to go along with a record of 12-7. The American righty held opponents to a league-low .193 batting average.

Anderson went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two outings against the Lions this year. He struck out 19 and held them to 10 hits in 13 innings, though two of those hits were homers — one each by the No. 3 hitter Koo Ja-wook and cleanup Lewin Diaz.

This will be Anderson's KBO postseason debut.

Yonhap