Diaz looked and Castro ran… PO 1st base defense determines victory and defeat

(Daegu = Yonhap News) Reporter Dae-ho Lee = In the end, it was defense that decided victory or defeat in fall baseball.

In the top of the first inning, Samsung Lions first baseman Lewin Diaz just watched the batted ball slipping away, and in the bottom of the first inning, KIA Tigers first baseman Harold Castro used his quick judgment to complete a double play with 3 (1st baseman) to 6 (shortstop) to 3 (1st baseman).

KIA won 5-1 in the first game against Samsung in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League postseason playoffs (PO, 3 wins out of 5) held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 26th.

The match was decided in the first inning.

KIA succeeded in stealing second base after Kim Do-young walked after two outs in the first inning, and Castro, who appeared at the plate, targeted Samsung starter Chris Fedek's second pitch and hit a timely hit in front of right field.

At this time, Samsung first baseman Diaz just stared at the batted ball passing right next to him.

Even if he gave up an infield hit, it would have been difficult for the runner on second base to come home if he had attempted to dive to prevent the batted ball from escaping.

KIA took the lead with Castro's timely hit, and Na Seong-beom, the follow-up hitter, hit a double to left field to take a 2-0 lead.

Conversely, in the bottom of the first inning, KIA first baseman Castro played clean defense.

While Samsung's leadoff hitter Kim Ji-chan reached first base with a heavy hit, second hitter Kim Seong-yoon strongly pulled the first pitch from KIA starter James Nail.

Here, Castro caught a ground ball near first base and, without delay, accurately threw it to shortstop Ha Joo-seok, who was covering second base.

He quickly returned to first base and caught Ha Joo-seok's throw, lighting two outs at once.

A 3-6-3 double play is a difficult defense that can be completed only when the first baseman's quick judgment and the shortstop's stable relay and breathing are in sync.

Nail, who got two outs at once thanks to the rain, hit Seung-gyu Park's head with one out in the fifth inning and hit 11 consecutive batters before being ejected for a headshot.

Castro, who showed good defense from the beginning of the game, hit Fedek in the 4th inning and delivered a KO punch to his opponent with a two-run arch to go up 4-0.

This is the moment when the 'baseball victory equation' of raising the mood with good defense and leading the upward trend to the plate was met.