Lions starter Paddack says unlikely to pitch on short rest during postseason

By Yoo Jee-ho

GWANGJU, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Lions starter Chris Paddack acknowledged Thursday it was doubtful he would pitch on short rest during the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason series against the Kia Tigers.

The two clubs are knotted at 1-1 after two games at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier in the week. They will now square off at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju, with Games 3 and 4 here Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Paddack endured a rough outing in Game 1, giving up five runs on five hits, including two home runs, in 4 2/3 innings as the Lions fell 5-1.

And with the Lions short on starting pitching options, as the usual starter Won Tae-in is now pitching out of the bullpen in the absence of injured closer Kim Jae-yoon, Paddack could be asked to take the ball in Game 4 on three days' rest.

Paddack himself, though, was not so sure.

"I doubt it," Paddack said Thursday when asked about the possibility of pitching the next day. "I think a lot of it depends on today's game, but it is the playoffs. I think as a team, we are focused on Game 3, and if the manager or anybody comes up to me, we will kind of address it as we go from there."

That Paddack threw 94 pitches in that first game likely plays a role, not to mention his issues keeping the Tigers in check in that game.

Counting the regular season, Paddack is 0-3 against the Tigers with a 6.48 ERA.

"I am 0-3 against these guys, and I take that very personal," Paddack said. "I am going to do my very best to make some adjustments when I toe the rubber again."

But Paddack also said he usually does a good job of moving on from bad outings.

"Life is too short. You have to learn to turn the page," he said. "Deep down, it sucks. The expectation of the ace of the team is to go out there and win, especially in a playoff situation. But I wrote some stuff down in my journal to reflect on some things that I need to improve on as we approach the end of the series."

Paddack, who previously pitched in Major League Baseball postseason games for the San Diego Padres in 2020 and for the Minnesota Twins in 2023, said he finds the KBO atmosphere far more enjoyable, his bad outing notwithstanding.

"I think it is a really cool atmosphere. You see both home and away fans with flags, cheering on their team. Doesn't matter what the score of the game is, the fans are in it, and as players, we feed off of that," he said. "Shout out to both fans. I would say it is a little louder here than it is in the States, which is pretty cool."

"I got to experience 2020 with no fans in the playoffs (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and it is no good. It is hard to get fired up and bring that energy for yourself and teammates," Paddack said. "What I experienced in Game 1 ... the results were not there, but man, whenever I took the field, hearing the fans chant my last name and just the energy that Samsung fans brought the whole game, it means a lot to us."