(LEAD) Lions ace Jurado throws Korean Series gem to continue strong postseason

DAEGU, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Lions ace Ariel Jurado further burnished his strong postseason resume Friday, as he pitched his club to a crucial victory in the Korean Series.

Jurado held the KT Wiz to a run on six hits in seven innings, as the Lions prevailed 5-1 in Game 3 of the Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu.

The Lions lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Jurado was voted the MVP of the previous postseason series last week, when the Lions eliminated the Kia Tigers in five games. Jurado was responsible for two wins himself, as he pitched to a 1.32 ERA over 13 2/3 innings.

Against the Wiz on Friday, the Panamanian pitcher continued that trend.

Jurado allowed two doubles and a run in the top of the first inning, but then the Wiz got nothing more against him over the next six innings.

The Lions tied the game right away in the bottom first, and spotted Jurado a 4-1 lead, courtesy of Kim Seong-yoon's RBI groundout and Koo Ja-wook's two-run triple.

Jurado gave up a two-out single in the second inning but struck out Jang Jun-won to end that threat. In the third inning, Jurado allowed another single with two outs and once again, he got a strikeout to close out the frame, getting Sam Hilliard -- who had doubled in the Wiz's first run in the first inning -- to whiff on a two-seam fastball.

Jurado retired the next eight batters in a row. Hilliard ended that streak by singling off Jurado's hand with two outs in the sixth, but Jurado, looking none the worse for wear, got a routine flyout to complete the inning.

Jurado tossed 93 pitches to get through six innings but came back out for the seventh.

After one out, the Wiz sent three straight pinch hitters at Jurado. The first one, Jang Jin-hyuk, doubled to right field, but Jurado retired the next two on a pop out and a groundout.

Jurado's counterpart, So Hyeong-jun, walked five batters in the first two innings and gave up four runs. He settled down to piece together four perfect innings, but the Wiz batters failed to respond in kind, as Jurado held them in check.

Jurado said his hand felt fine because the ball didn't strike it squarely. And with his catcher, Kang Min-ho, playing through a torn oblique muscle, Jurado said he was not going to let his hand issues get in the way.

"Min-ho asked me after the sixth inning if I could keep going," Jurado said. "I told him, 'You are playing hurt. I can absolutely pitch more.'"

Jurado said he felt like his upper body opened up a little too early on his delivery in the early innings, and his effort to fix the issue led to more efficient innings.

"Once I corrected that, I was able to go after hitters more aggressively," Jurado said. "Ultimately, I am just happy I helped the team win."

Jurado admitted it has been "a difficult year." His season began with the World Baseball Classic for Panama in March and he also missed some time during the season with a shoulder injury. Throwing some 220 innings, including the postseason, in 2025 took its toll on his body, Jurado said.

"I had to deal with some arm fatigue this year but it is all behind me now," Jurado added. "Right now, all I have to think about is to do the best I can in this battle."

Jurado threw 72 of his 108 pitches for strikes. He mixed in 29 changeups, 28 two-seam fastballs, 23 curveballs and 10 cutters.

For this postseason, Jurado has a 1.31 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. His career postseason ERA now stands at 2.81 after 41 2/3 innings.