DAEGU (Interstat) — Won Tae-in and Chris Paddack combined on a four-hitter, and Kim Young-woong drove in three runs as the Samsung Lions beat the visiting KT Wiz 12-1 on Sunday at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, South Korea. The afternoon playoff game was Game 5 of the series, and the result gave Samsung a 4-1 series victory. Samsung has won the series. KT’s season record is now 90 wins, 52 losses and 5 ties, while Samsung’s record is now 88 wins, 61 losses and 3 ties. The Lions supported their pitchers with 14 hits, while the Wiz managed four.

Won earned the win and moved to 7-7 on the season. Daniel Davis took the loss for KT and fell to 4-2. Paddack recorded the save, his first of the season. Won was the top star for Samsung, working 5 innings and allowing four hits, one earned run and two walks while striking out five. Paddack followed with four perfect innings, striking out five without allowing a hit or an earned run. The pair kept KT off the scoreboard after its early run and allowed Samsung to pull away. Won’s previous four outings included scoreless relief appearances against KT and Kia, and he gave Samsung the kind of start it needed in a clincher.

KT scored its only run in the second inning. Samsung answered with three runs in the second, then broke the game open with eight runs in the fourth. The Lions added another run in the seventh. Kim Young-woong led the offensive surge by going 4 for 5 with three RBIs. Koo Ja-wook went 3 for 5 with one RBI, Choi Hyoung-woo went 2 for 3 with one RBI and Kim Ji-chan went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. The Lions’ 14-hit attack and the big fourth inning turned a tight early game into a one-sided finish. Samsung’s lineup produced hits throughout the order, and the Lions took advantage of the few opportunities KT allowed.

The most important stretch came when Samsung turned its lead into a rout. After KT had taken its brief lead, the Lions responded in the second and then sent a long line of runners home in the fourth. The eight-run inning broke the game open and gave Won and Paddack more than enough support. Samsung’s hitters kept pressure on KT throughout the afternoon, while KT’s four hits limited its chances to answer. The Wiz scored once in the second but could not mount another serious threat. Samsung’s offense kept adding runs and removed any doubt about the outcome.

KT’s bullpen had mixed results. Son Dong-hyun pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed one hit and no earned runs while striking out one. Kim Jeong-woon worked one inning, allowed no hits and no earned runs and struck out one. Ju Kwon recorded one out and allowed one hit and no earned runs. Woo Kyu-min pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed two hits and one earned run. Davis took the loss in the start. The Wiz finished with four hits and one run against the Samsung staff. KT’s hitters could not string together enough traffic against Won and Paddack, and the early lead did not hold.

Samsung’s clinching victory came after a back-and-forth series. The series opened at KT, where the Wiz won 8-7. Samsung evened it with a 3-2 victory in 12 innings. The Lions then won 5-1 and 10-5 at home before finishing the series on Sunday. The Wiz had won one of the first two games at home, but Samsung closed it out with a dominant afternoon at home. The series status after the game was Samsung wins 4-1, and the Lions advanced with the series victory. Samsung’s record now stands at 88-61-3, while KT fell to 90-52-5. The Lions had won the previous two games against KT, including a 10-5 home victory and a 5-1 home win, and they carried that momentum into the deciding game.

Won’s outing was especially important for a Samsung club that needed length and control. He scattered four hits over five innings, walked two and struck out five while allowing just one earned run. Paddack then finished it with four hitless innings and five strikeouts. Kim Young-woong’s four-hit, three-RBI performance paced the offense. Son Dong-hyun was the most effective KT reliever, retiring four batters while allowing one hit and striking out one. Kim Jeong-woon also kept Samsung off the board for an inning. Ju Kwon and Woo Kyu-min had shorter outings, and Woo allowed the one earned run among the relievers. Choi Hyoung-woo had two hits and one RBI, Koo Ja-wook had three hits and one RBI, and Kim Ji-chan drove in two runs.

KT’s best chances came early, but the Wiz could not convert. Han Seung-taek, Kwon Dong-jin and Sam Hilliard supplied the hits, and Kim Min-hyuck drew a walk. The Wiz left runners on base in the early innings and managed little against Paddack, who retired all 12 batters he faced. KT’s hitters struck out 10 times combined against Won and Paddack, and the Wiz did not score after the second. Samsung’s defense and pitching kept KT from building any sustained pressure after the early run.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of KT 9, Samsung 7. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Samsung with a 51 percent probability to win. KT had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 13 went under the over/under line of 9.5.