Samsung bank on Fedde as playoff opener looms against KIA

Can the Samsung Lions overcome the weakness their starting rotation showed against the KIA Tigers in the regular season and take the first step toward a Korean Series berth? The pressure falls squarely on Chris Fedde, 30, the American right-hander named as the Game 1 starter for the best-of-five playoff series.

Samsung will host KIA in Game 1 of the playoff at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on Sunday at 2 p.m. Samsung will send Fedde to the mound, while KIA will counter with James Naile, 33, also American.

Samsung went 7-9 against KIA in this year's regular season, with their starters managing only two wins in those matchups. The rotation repeatedly struggled to contain KIA's lineup, putting the team in a hole early in multiple games. In a short series, the starting pitcher's role becomes even more critical.

Fedde himself had a difficult time against KIA. In two regular-season starts, he went winless with two losses and an ERA of 5.25. He gave up six runs on July 30, though he did pitch well on Aug. 11 — allowing just three runs, one earned, over seven innings — only to take the loss.

KIA's Naile, by contrast, went 2-0 against Samsung with a 3.24 ERA. On head-to-head numbers alone, Naile holds a clear edge.

Still, Fedde showed encouraging signs in an intrasquad game Monday, throwing four scoreless innings and touching a top speed of 150.1 kilometers per hour. After the session, he posted on social media that he could not wait for Sunday to arrive, signaling his eagerness to take the mound.

Samsung's bullpen also faces a setback. Left-handers Lee Seung-hyun and Baek Jeong-hyun are both expected to be left off the playoff roster due to injury. Their absence could complicate late-game matchup decisions against left-handed batters and limit pitching-change options, making it all the more important that Fedde goes deep into the game.

On offense, Samsung are counting on the return of captain Ku Ja-wook. Ku suffered a left hamstring injury on Sept. 30 and, after rehabilitation, appeared as the No. 3 designated hitter in Monday's intrasquad game, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

His absence had taken a visible toll on the lineup. In the nine October games Samsung played without him, the team went 3-6, posting a batting average of .212 (62 hits in 292 at-bats) and a slugging percentage of .342 — last in the league in both categories during that stretch. That stands in stark contrast to the team's full regular-season batting average of .273.

Ku hit .340 against KIA in the regular season, while Lewin Diaz managed only .214 and Choi Hyung-woo .190. His return to the heart of the order is expected to give the offense a meaningful lift, though his hamstring condition may limit him in the field.

The player Samsung must be most wary of is Kim Do-young. He battered Samsung pitching in the regular season, hitting .306 with nine home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of 1.190. He also hit four home runs in seven road games at Daegu. In the semifinal playoff against LG, he homered three times and was named series MVP.

Samsung had a 13-day break after the regular season ended, while KIA swept through the semifinal playoff in three games, giving them the dual advantage of staying sharp and conserving energy. How well Samsung's rested rotation can translate that physical freshness into performance will be another key factor.

Ultimately, Samsung's fortunes in Game 1 hinge on how effectively Fedde neutralizes KIA's lineup. With gaps in the bullpen, the Lions will need Fedde to deliver a quality start and Ku to spark the offense if they are to seize the early momentum in the series.