Lions manager hoping for better defense with team off to Korean Series

By Yoo Jee-ho

DAEGU, Nov. 1 (Yonhap) -- Even with his club off to the South Korean baseball championship series, Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man demanded more from his squad Sunday.

The Lions booked their ticket to the Korean Series by defeating the Kia Tigers 6-1 in Game 5 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason Sunday.

The Lions pounded out 11 hits at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, but they also committed two errors -- bringing the total to nine errors in five games.

In the regular season, the Lions tied for the fewest errors in the KBO with 85 in 144 games.

"Our defense has to be better. It was a source of our pride in the regular season but I don't know what has happened in the postseason," said Park, considered among the best defensive shortstops in KBO history during his playing days. "I think some guys are a bit intimidated by the moment. Fielding is no different than hitting. You have to get after it with confidence. And when you become passive, then you won't react to balls as quickly as you normally would.

"In the Korean Series, mistakes will be even more magnified," Park added. "A small miscue can determine the outcome of a game and we have to address that issue."

Save for some defensive adventures, the Lions played a tidy game that lasted two hours and 35 minutes -- by far the fastest game of the series. Starter Ariel Jurado tossed seven strong innings while giving up just one unearned run, while leadoff man Kim Ji-chan paced the offense with three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Jurado was voted the series MVP after going 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his two starts.

"He is a major reason why we are going to the Korean Series," Park said. "Ji-chan was our offensive hero today. He got some timely hits when we had our chance and those hits gave us some important early momentum."

Park pointed to all-purpose reliever Lee Seung-min as the unsung hero of the series. The left-hander appeared in all five games of the series, often handling the toughest assignments against the heart of the Tigers' lineup.

Lee gave up just one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"One postseason game takes as much out of pitchers as several regular-season games, both physically and mentally," Park said. "And Seung-min did a great job covering some difficult innings against their best hitters."

Park said he may consider some lineup changes for the Korean Series, which begins Tuesday against the regular-season champions KT Wiz.

Veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo was forced to play in left field in four of the five games in this series, as the regular left fielder Koo Ja-wook, just back from a hamstring injury, served as designated hitter. While Choi recorded an outfield assist in Game 2, the 42-year-old also looked his age at times and was taken out for a defensive replacement in late innings of the final two games.

"Playing in left for so many innings can also affect his hitting," Park said of Choi, who batted 5-for-13 with two home runs in the series. "I need to sit down with my staff and trainers to discuss potential changes."