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Ace Ariel Jurado Leads Samsung Lions in High-Stakes Playoff Clash
7 Oct
Summary
- Ace Ariel Jurado starts with 15-8 record, strong against NC
- Left-handed trio Koo, Díaz, Kim key to Samsung's offense
- NC lefty Koo Chang-mo a tough challenge for Samsung's lineup
On October 6th, the Samsung Lions will face off against the NC Dinos in the first game of the Wild Card Series. Leading the charge for the Lions will be their ace, Ariel Jurado, who is coming off a career-high 15-8 season with a 2.60 ERA. Jurado has had strong outings against the Dinos, going 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in four previous meetings.
Manager Park Jin-man is confident in Jurado's abilities, stating, "Our ace Jurado just needs to pitch as he usually does. He has good memories from games against the NC, so I expect him to do well."
The key to the Lions' offense will be their left-handed cleanup trio of Koo Ja-wook, Lewin Díaz, and Kim Young-woong. Manager Park emphasized the importance of this core group, saying, "If they perform well, the team's run production will improve accordingly."
The Lions will face a tough challenge in NC's left-handed pitcher Koo Chang-mo, who has been effective against Samsung's predominantly left-handed lineup. Despite a slow start after returning from military service, Koo has regained his form, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.51 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his last four games.
