Shirakawa pulled abruptly after a career-best outing; Park Jeong-woo in for Kim Ho-ryeong... Lee Bum-ho’s ruthless tactics kept complacency at bay even with a nine-run lead

[Financial News] The score was 9-0. The starting pitcher had allowed no runs through five innings and had racked up an astounding nine strikeouts. It was a perfect situation for a typical manager to leave the starter in longer or, with plenty of pitches to spare, calmly watch the game unfold.
But Lee Bum-ho, manager of the KIA Tigers, was thinking neither about the comfortable lead nor the pitcher’s impressive personal stats. His mind was filled with just one thing: the determination to ‘end the semi-playoffs today, no matter what.’
On the 20th, KIA crushed the LG Twins 13-1 in Game 3 of the 2026 postseason semi-playoffs, a best-of-five series held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, and clinched a place in the playoffs with three straight wins. The offense, powered by Kim Do-young’s grand slam and 16 hits, drew the spotlight, but behind it was Lee Bum-ho’s meticulous and ruthless management of his players.

The defining moment of ‘Lee Bum-ho magic’ in deciding the game was undoubtedly the pitching change in the bottom of the sixth. With KIA comfortably ahead 9-0, starting pitcher Shirakawa Keisho, who had been cruising, gave up consecutive hits and found himself in a no-out, runners-on-second-and-third jam. Lee immediately headed to the mound. It was a silent warning that he would shut down even the slightest chance of the momentum shifting, despite the lead not being one that could be overturned right away.
Jeong Hae-yeong took over on the mound after Shirakawa was pulled and cleanly extinguished the threat, allowing just one run against the heart of LG’s lineup. The most nerve-racking moment came next, with the bases loaded and two outs. At the plate was Park Hae-min, who was batting in the .500s in the series and had looked like LG’s most dangerous hitter.
Lee did not hesitate to bring in left-hander Lee Eui-lee. It was not simply a matter of playing the left-right matchup. Before the game, Lee had said, ‘We need a specialist to get the hottest hitter, Park Hae-min, out,’ and had meticulously prepared Lee Eui-lee for the one-batter assignment. Kwak Do-gyu had originally been set for that role. But after failing to contain Park Hae-min in the previous two games, Kwak gave way to Lee Eui-lee for the crucial assignment that day. Lee Eui-lee completely neutralized Park Hae-min and put out the fire, bringing the dugout’s plan to fruition on the field exactly as drawn up.


Lee’s ‘ruthless management’ was already on display in the starting lineup. Based on data showing that LG starter Carlos Carrasco had a higher batting average against left-handed hitters (.267) than against right-handed hitters (.185), Lee made the bold move of stacking the starting lineup with as many as seven left-handed hitters.
At Jamsil, Lee moved left-handed hitter Park Jeong-woo, whose strength is his bat, into the leadoff spot instead of Kim Ho-ryeong, the defensively skilled center fielder. Park fully repaid the manager’s faith, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Most importantly, his nine-pitch walk in the first inning became the catalyst for Carrasco’s unraveling. Left-handed hitter Kim Gyuseong, who started at second base, also had multiple hits and helped lead the battering of LG’s pitching staff. Lee also stood out for his meticulousness in saving a right-handed pinch hitter in case LG brought in a left-handed reliever late in the game.
Ruthless pitching changes even with a big lead, bold lineup adjustments based on data, and razor-sharp decisions at pivotal moments: those were the real reasons Lee Bum-ho demolished the defending champions by a merciless 13-1 score. With a fiercely determined dugout calling the shots, the Tigers are heading unimpeded into the lions’ den, their steps remarkably light.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter