Outlier game behind him, Tigers starter Oller confident ahead of postseason start vs. Lions

DAEGU, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- Kia Tigers pitcher Adam Oller said Monday he feels "very confident" about his upcoming postseason start against the Samsung Lions, with his one outlier of a regular-season outing against the same foe well behind him.

Oller had a 5.79 ERA in three starts against the Lions during the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season. Almost all of the damage against the American right-hander was done on July 28, when Oller was charged with eight earned runs on seven hits in just one inning of work.

But in the two other starts, Oller held the Lions to one run on six hits in 13 innings combined, including six innings of one-run ball on Aug. 11.

That July outing came at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, where Oller will take the ball for Game 2 of the best-of-five second round Tuesday night. Oller said he had some mechanical issues in that game, and he was able to address them immediately.

"I had some stuff going on mechanically and some tipping stuff that obviously led to a very frustrating outing," Oller told Yonhap News Agency. "After we took care of it, obviously the very next start was against them again, and it went back to normal.

"I feel very confident going into tomorrow," Oller continued. "Obviously, I think Samsung is a very good team, a very good offense. But at the same time, any given day, these teams in the KBO can be the best team in the league. It is really on what offense you are going to get that day. So the biggest thing is just going to be trying to minimize (damage)."

The Lions welcomed captain Koo Ja-wook back from a hamstring injury. But because he will be limited to the designated hitter (DH) role, it kept veteran DH Choi Hyoung-woo, a former outfielder who is now a liability on defense, out of Monday's lineup. Unless Koo makes a quick recovery, that lineup will likely stay intact for Tuesday, and Oller said he would not mind not having to face his former Kia teammate.

Choi, even at 42, is widely considered one of the KBO's most accomplished hitters. He was one of just seven players to bat at least .300 and drive in at least 100 runs in 2026.

"It is kind of surprising to me. Playing here, most of the time, the fly ball is a homer," Oller said of the hitter-friendly stadium. "If we are just calling a spade a spade, it is just how it is here. I feel like there is not a whole lot of range that you have to cover out there. I know he is older and all. He played left field for me for three games last year, and he did just fine. I am surprised by it, but at the same time, I am not upset. I don't care how old he is. He is one of the best hitters in the league. Him being out of the lineup is very good for us any time."