Daejeon: With his Hanwha Eagles not having played since their final regular-season game on Oct. 3, manager Kim Kyung-moon did not expect his hitters to come out swinging the way they did Saturday in their postseason opener. The Eagles put up 15 hits and five players had at least two knocks, as they defeated the Samsung Lions 9-8 in Game 1 of the second-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon.

According to Yonhap News Agency, just hours earlier in his pregame media session, Kim had predicted a low-scoring game, with both teams sending out their aces: Cody Ponce for the Eagles and Gerson Garabito for the Lions. Instead, Ponce was roughed up for a season-high six runs on seven hits in six innings, while Garabito gave up seven hits in only 3 1/3 innings and allowed five runs.

“I didn’t think we’d score this many runs in the very first game. That’s why baseball is so hard,” Kim said. “I am especially happy to deliver a win to our fans in our first postseason game at this stadium.” The Eagles earned a bye to this stage after finishing the regular season in second place, and they played four scrimmages during their buildup for the series.

Kim noted that playing in practice games is different, but the players exceeded expectations during the game. However, the way the Eagles closed out the win left some concerns for Kim. Closer Kim Seo-hyeon faced difficulties in the top ninth, giving up a leadoff homer and an RBI single. Reliever Kim Beom-su had to secure the final two outs for the save.

Kim Seo-hyeon had issues with blown saves towards the end of the season. “I wish we had a cleaner finish to the game but Kim Seo-hyeon couldn’t quite get it done,” said Kim. “I think it’s too early to say whether we’re going to keep him as our closer. It’s important to help restore his confidence, too.”

Kim admitted he would have kept the pitcher after the two runs if it were a regular-season game. However, with a postseason victory at stake, a quick decision was necessary. “In postseasons, if you miss an opportunity to lock down a win, you don’t know when you’re going to get another one,” Kim added. “Beom-su came on in a tough situation and did an excellent job.”

Lions manager Park Jin-man expressed satisfaction with his players’ hitting, as they gathered 11 hits. However, he noted that the pitchers gave up too many runs with two outs. “I didn’t think we could get to Ponce like this. We were able to capitalize on his mistakes and put those balls in play,” Park said. “Our lineup is in good form. The key for us going forward is to keep Hanwha’s bats in check.”

Two young relievers, Bae Chan-seung and Lee Ho-sung, gave up crucial hits in the sixth inning, but Park remains confident in their potential. “I am sure they will bounce back because they’re still very young,” Park said. “I am sure this game was a good learning opportunity for them. We need these guys to step up to win this series.”