“Unbelievable! They said they’d shut him down, but couldn’t stop him even knowing what was coming” ... Kim Do-young’s fearsome power leaves even Youm Kyoung-youb in awe

[Financial News] The king of the fall had already been decided. The opposing manager declared he would “shut him down completely,” staking the fate of the series on it, but the bat of a genius hitter who had blasted 45 home runs was a force of nature impossible to stop even when they knew what was coming.
The Kia Tigers got off to a perfect start in the fall baseball postseason, powered by a dazzling one-man show from “superstar” Kim Do-young. On the 17th, Kia routed the LG Twins 5-1 in Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League postseason Semi-Playoffs, a best-of-five series, seizing the initiative in the short series.
The game was, in effect, a stage “by Kim Do-young, for Kim Do-young.” LG’s worst-case scenario—the one it had feared most even before the game—became reality. Starting with a go-ahead solo homer, Kim added a sacrifice fly and then a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put the game firmly out of reach, driving in all four runs himself as he battered LG’s pitching staff. The commanding presence that made him the regular-season home run king was on full display in the fall postseason as well.

Even the opposing manager completely conceded defeat. LG manager Youm Kyoung-youb, who had declared “Containing Kim Do-young is key to the Semi-Playoffs” just after his team advanced from the Wild Card Series, ruefully admitted defeat after the game.
Youm said, “Kim Do-young didn’t miss the pitchers’ errant pitches,” adding, “It’s not easy to turn every mistake into a home run, but when you see him hitting them, he really is a remarkable player. We have to give credit where credit is due.” Disappointment was plain on Youm’s face as he pointed to the silence of the heart of the lineup—one he had counted on—and the extra run conceded after an error in the sixth as the reasons for the loss.
By contrast, Lee Bum-ho, the Kia Tigers manager who had secured a valuable win at home, looked thoroughly reassured. Lee credited the players with the victory, saying, “I’m grateful to the players for preparing so well at home for such an important game, Game 1.”

Lee went on to lavish praise on Kim Do-young, who drove in all four runs: “There’s nothing to say but that he’s remarkable. When his timing is right and he hits the ball well, you can tell he’s a hitter who knows how to hit home runs. He certainly lives up to being this year’s home run leader.” He added, “Today’s Game 1 showed clearly that the outcome of a game depends on what Kim Do-young does at the most important moments.”
LG’s meticulous plan, after all its deliberation over “how to stop him,” failed unequivocally from the very first game.
Game 1 of the Semi-Playoffs once again proved the baseball adage that short series are ultimately decided by the ace’s pitching and the star hitter’s bat.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter