68.8% of the first game is no comparison. The ace was attached to Game 3, which took 100% of the time. If you lose, you'll be hit hard.

Oct 13, 2025

Samsung Won Tae-in and SSG Anderson. Sports Chosun DB



68.8% of the first game is no comparison. The ace was attached to Game 3, which took 100% of the time. If you lose, you'll be hit hard.
The second round of semi-PO between Samsung and SSG held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 11th. Samsung manager Park Jin-man is watching the game. Incheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.10.11/
68.8% of the first game is no comparison. The ace was attached to Game 3, which took 100% of the time. If you lose, you'll be hit hard.
1st round of semi-PO Samsung-SSG held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 9th. SSG head coach Lee Soo-yong is interviewed before the game. Incheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.10.9/
Usually, the first game is important in the postseason. It's a short-term game that ends quickly, so we have to catch the early momentum.

However, in the best-of-five semi-playoff, the first-round winning team's probability of advancing to the playoffs was 68.8% (11 out of 16), which was not very high.

However, the third game in one win and one loss is different. This third round is the final round. This is because all the teams that have played Game 3 have played in the playoffs.




In a total of 16 best-of-five semi-playoffs, there were only seven cases with one win and one loss. And among them, all the teams that won Game 3 went to the playoffs. In other words, the winning team of Game 3 will have a 100% probability.

There were three times when they won Game 3 and immediately grabbed Game 4, and four times when they lost Game 4 and won Game 5. The team that somehow won Game 3 eventually met the second-place team in the playoffs.

The fourth-place team, which is the winner of the wild-card game, has three wins in Game 3. In 2005, No. 4 Hanwha lost the second game after winning the first game, won the third game, lost the fourth game, and confirmed its advance to the playoffs in the fifth game.




No. 4 LG in 2016 and No. 4 NC in 2017 also beat No. 3 Nexen and Lotte in Game 3, respectively, to reach the playoffs.

The third-ranked team has won four times. Doosan won three consecutive games after one loss to fourth-ranked Lotte in 2009, and SK won three consecutive games after one loss to fourth-ranked KIA in 2011.

Both Kiwoom in 2022 and LG in 2024 beat KT in Game 3 and gave up Game 4 after winning Game 3, but won Game 5 and reached the playoffs.




68.8% of the first game is no comparison. The ace was attached to Game 3, which took 100% of the time. If you lose, you'll be hit hard.
1st semi-PO match between SSG and Samsung held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 9th. Samsung's Kim Young-woong is cheering after hitting a two-run shot with no outs and first base in the top of the third inning. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.09/
68.8% of the first game is no comparison. The ace was attached to Game 3, which took 100% of the time. If you lose, you'll be hit hard.
The second semi-PO match between SSG and Samsung held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 11th. SSG Kim Sung-wook is cheering after hitting a walk-off home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.11/
As it is a short-term game in which only three wins are needed, it can be seen that the third game, which can bring the flow from one win and one loss, is very important.

In the first round, Samsung won 5-2 with Choi Won-tae's tremendous six scoreless innings, Lee Jae-hyun's solo shot, and Kim Young-woong's two-run shot. In the second round, SSG started Kim Gun-woo, but kept the lead by quickly putting in a strong bullpen, allowing a tie in the top of the ninth inning, but Kim Sung-wook hit a finishing solo shot from Samsung's winning pitcher Furado in the bottom of the ninth inning to achieve a dramatic 4-3 victory.

In the third game at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, Samsung's home, Samsung announced Won Tae-in and SSG announced Drew Anderson to start. In an important game, the real ace's match was made.

Won Tae-in was 12-4 with a 3.24 ERA this season. He ranked first in multiple wins and second in ERA among domestic starters, and threw the most innings for domestic pitchers with 166 ⅔ innings. It was truly the No. 1 pitcher among Korean pitchers this season. In this year's regular league, he pitched in three games against SSG and recorded a 3.71 ERA without losing or losing.

Anderson is also SSG's best ace. He went 12-7 with a 2.25 ERA and 245 strikeouts. Many wins were tied for sixth place, but they were third in ERA, and strikeouts competed with Hanwha Ponce until the end to rank second. It was good against Samsung. He had one win, no loss, and a 2.08 ERA in two games.

The starting matchup for the important game was also organized. Naturally, the winning team's morale is raised and shock and fear come to the losing team.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.