‘Díaz Goes from Heaven to Hell; Opponent’s 12th-Inning Error’—Samsung Evens Series at 1-1 After Nail-Biting Battle

[Financial News] Samsung had the last laugh in a drama featuring the thrills of fall baseball—a nail-biting pitching duel, an extra-inning battle and a costly error.
The Samsung Lions beat kt wiz 3-2 on the road in Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason Korean Series (KS, best-of-seven) at Suwon kt wiz Park on the 4th, taking advantage of an opponent’s defensive error in a breathless game that went 12 innings. After dramatically avenging their one-run loss in Game 1, the Lions evened the series at one win apiece and will head to their home in Daegu with a spring in their step.


The standout player of the game was undoubtedly the Samsung Lions’ foreign player, Lewin Díaz. After striking out with a chance to tie the game in Game 1, Díaz exploded for four hits in six at-bats, two RBIs and one run, proving exactly why he bats cleanup for the Lions. He first made a costly fielding error that helped the opposition tie the game, then scored the winning run himself in the 12th inning, scripting a movie-like journey from hell to heaven.
The game unfolded as a tense pitching duel between Samsung’s Chris Paddack and kt wiz’s Ko Young-pyo. Samsung scored first in the top of the second on a leadoff double by Choi Hyoung-woo and an RBI triple to right by Díaz, aided by a dropped-ball error by kt wiz right fielder Choi Won-joon. But kt wiz responded in the bottom of the fourth with a double by Sam Hilliard and an RBI single by Hur Kyoung-min to tie the game at 1-1.



Samsung starter Paddack laid the groundwork for the win with a superb performance, holding kt wiz’s powerful lineup in check over seven innings while allowing eight hits and one walk, striking out three and giving up one run. He was also named Daily MVP, receiving a prize of 1 million won.
From the eighth inning, after both teams’ starting pitchers had left the mound, the bullpens waged an all-out battle. With the score tied 1-1 and one out with a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth, Samsung made a bold move by bringing in Won Tae-in, who had been slated to start Game 4. Won kept the inning scoreless and sent the game into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, with one out and runners on first and second, Díaz pulled a slider from kt wiz left-hander Jeon Yong-ju and lined an RBI single to right, giving Samsung a 2-1 lead. But the defense in the bottom half proved costly. With one out and runners on first and second, first baseman Díaz failed to field Hilliard’s routine grounder, loading the bases. Shaken by the misfortune and error, Won Tae-in walked Hyun-soo Kim to force in the tying run, making it 2-2.




In the end, the goddess of victory favored Samsung in the top of the 12th. With one out and runners on first and second, Lee Jae-hyeon hit a grounder in front of the pitcher against reliever Woo Kyu-min. Woo threw to second to force out the lead runner, but kt wiz second baseman Oh Yoon-suk, rushing to turn a double play, made a wild throw to first. In the meantime, Díaz, the runner on second, raced home to score the precious go-ahead run.
With the lead, Samsung brought left-hander Bae Chan-seung to the mound in the bottom of the 12th. He closed out the game without allowing a run, bringing the grueling battle, which had lasted more than four hours, to an end.
With the series tied, the teams will take a day off before moving to Daegu Samsung Lions Park for the decisive Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. on the 6th. Meanwhile, a sellout crowd of 17,700 attended the game in Suwon, extending the remarkable record of 48 consecutive sold-out fall baseball games dating back to Game 1 of the 2023 Korean Series.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter