According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Samsung beat KT 5-1 in Game 3 of the Korean Series in Daegu on Friday, winning two straight after losing Game 1. Starter Ariel Hurado allowed one run over seven innings, moving Samsung a step closer to its first title since 2014.
The Samsung Lions beat the KT Wiz 5-1 in Game 3 of the 2026 KBO Korean Series in Daegu on Friday. According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Samsung lost Game 1 but has now taken Games 2 and 3 to lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. The paper wrote that Hurado's pitches were sharper than the cold.
광고 문의 · 300×250Hurado Shuts Down KT Over 108 Pitches
Samsung starter Ariel Hurado threw 108 pitches over seven innings, allowing six hits and one run with six strikeouts. Per the Kyunghyang Shinmun's account, he was also named the game's most valuable player. In three postseason starts he is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA, having allowed just three runs in 20 2/3 innings, and he was earlier named MVP of the playoffs.
KT started better. In the top of the first, Kim Min-hyuk doubled to right and Sam Hilliard doubled to center to drive him in for a 1-0 lead. Samsung answered in the bottom half when Choi Hyung-woo singled to tie it 1-1. Hurado then avoided any serious trouble and kept KT from adding to its total.
The Second Inning Decides It
The game turned in the bottom of the second. KT starter So Hyung-jun walked five batters across the first two innings, and with the bases loaded Kim Sung-yun's ground ball gave Samsung a 2-1 lead. Ku Ja-wook then hit a two-run triple off the top of the right-field wall to make it 4-1. So lasted six innings with six strikeouts but took the loss after five walks and four runs.
In the bottom of the eighth, Park Seung-kyu hit a solo homer off KT's third pitcher, Kim Jung-woon, for a 5-1 lead, his first home run in a Korean Series. Kim Sung-yun, whose hit decided the game, received the batting spotlight award. KT outhit Samsung 7-4 but never found a big hit against Hurado.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun also cited a statistic: in Korean Series tied 1-1, the team that won Game 3 went on to win the title 16 of 18 times, or 88.9 percent. The figure is only a guide, and the series is far from over. Game 4 is at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the same ballpark, with Jang Chan-hee starting for Samsung and Logan Allen for KT.
Attendance also drew attention. The crowd of 23,550 was a sellout, bringing postseason attendance to 252,500, and the postseason has sold out 49 straight games since Game 1 of the 2023 Korean Series. KT's Kim Hyun-soo played his 109th career postseason game, tying Hong Seong-heon for the most appearances.