DAEGU (Interstat) — Kia defeated Samsung 5-1 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, South Korea, on Monday evening in Game 1 of their playoff series. The Tigers used an early burst, a strong start from Naile and a series of scoreless relief appearances to take the opener and move ahead 1-0 in the series. Kia improved to 82-63-2, while Samsung dropped to 81-59-3. Kia finished with seven hits and Samsung with two. The game marked the first meeting of the postseason between the clubs and unfolded under playoff conditions during the evening.

Kia set the tone in the first inning. Park Jung-woo struck out, and Park Jae-hyun also struck out, but Kim Do-yeong walked and stole second to keep the inning alive. Harold Castro singled to right field, and after a defensive sequence and an error by the right fielder, Kim scored. Na Sung-bum then doubled down the left-field line to score Castro. The two-run opening inning gave Kia an early lead and forced Samsung to play from behind.

Samsung’s first inning produced a hit but no run. Kim Ji-chan singled to center field for the Lions’ first baserunner, but Kim Seong-yoon grounded into a double play, and Koo Ja-wook flied out to left. Naile, the top star for Kia, allowed one hit and one earned run over 4 1/3 innings while striking out three. His outing followed a strong previous start in which he allowed one run over seven innings against LG. Naile kept Samsung’s lineup off balance for much of the evening and gave the Tigers the foundation they needed.

Kia extended its lead in the third inning. Kim Do-yeong singled to left field before Castro homered to right field to bring Kim home. Castro finished 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Na Sung-bum walked later in the inning, but Kim Sun-bin grounded out to third to end the threat. Han Jun-su added a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning, completing Kia’s scoring and giving the Tigers a 5-0 advantage. The early power display put pressure on Samsung’s pitching staff and allowed Kia to control the game.

Samsung got on the board in the fifth inning. Park Seung-kyu was hit by a pitch, stole second base and scored on Kim Young-woong’s single to left field. That cut the deficit to 5-1. Lee Jae-hyeon struck out to end the inning, and Samsung’s offense could not build another sustained rally. Kia’s bullpen handled the rest. Lee Eui-lee worked 1 1/3 hitless innings and struck out three. Cho Sang-woo followed with 1 1/3 hitless innings, Jeon Sang-hyun added a hitless inning, and Kwak Do-gyu recorded a strikeout in 1/3 of an inning. The relief work kept Samsung from turning its few opportunities into a comeback.

Samsung starter Paddack was charged with five earned runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out four. Bae Chan-seung provided 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit and one strikeout. Kim Tae-hoon added a scoreless inning with one strikeout, and Miyamori Satoshi also worked a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Despite the solid work behind Paddack, Samsung’s two-hit offensive output left the Lions with too little support. Kia’s seven hits and five runs were enough to secure the victory.

Kia’s defense and pitching combined to limit Samsung after the early innings. The Lions’ best chance came in the first when Kim Ji-chan singled, but the double play erased the threat. Samsung’s lone run came in the fifth on Kim Young-woong’s single, but the next batters could not keep the inning going. Kia’s bullpen preserved the lead with hitless work from Lee, Cho, Jeon and Kwak, while the offense had already built enough separation. Castro’s three-RBI performance and Naile’s efficient start stood as the central performances in the opener.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kia 8, Samsung 4. Interstat’s ELO system had given Samsung a 52 percent probability to win before the game. The result left Kia ahead 1-0 in the playoff series, with the teams scheduled to meet again for Game 2.