Ariel Jurado Throws 7 Innings, 1 Run as Samsung Beats KT 4-1 in Korean Series Game 3
Ariel Jurado pitched seven innings of one-run ball in near-freezing weather to lead the Samsung Lions to a 4-1 win over the KT Wiz in Game 3 of the 2026 KBO Korean Series on Nov. 6 at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, Financial News reported.
Jurado threw 108 pitches, allowing six hits, no walks and striking out six in the victory that put Samsung two wins from the championship. The right-hander gave up his only run in the first inning on consecutive doubles by Kim Min-hyuk and Sam Hilliard, then settled in from the second inning onward.
Hilliard’s Line Drive Injures Jurado’s Hand
The game’s biggest obstacle was the early-winter chill, with temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. Jurado struggled with command in the first inning but quickly found his rhythm, mixing bold inside pitches with fastballs away from KT hitters to draw swings and misses.
The most tense moment came in the sixth inning, when a line drive off Hilliard struck Jurado on the right hand. He waved off the training coach who ran to the mound and, without a warm-up throw, retired Jang Seong-woo on a center-field fly to end the inning.
Park Jin-man’s 7-Inning Standard
Before the game, Samsung manager Park Jin-man said that if Jurado could go seven innings, it would be the best possible outcome in the cold. Jurado delivered exactly that, handing the ball to reliever Lee Seung-min with Samsung ahead 4-1 in the eighth inning.
In the seventh, with one out and a runner on second, Jurado got pinch hitter Cho Won-jun and Lee Jeong-hoon on consecutive ground balls and roared on the mound after recording the final out of the inning.
Postseason Durability
The performance extended Jurado’s postseason run: he has now recorded a quality start in three consecutive games, and he also won the playoff MVP award earlier in the postseason. The 2025 regular-season innings leader with 197.1 frames pitched 150 innings this season despite shoulder pain.
The Korean Series continues with Game 4 on Nov. 7 at Samsung Lions Park.