Lions ace Paddack says ready to sacrifice body for Korean Series start

In his professional career that began 11 years ago, Chris Paddack had never made a start on three days' rest until last week, when he pitched in Game 4 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason for the Samsung Lions last Friday.

He had tossed 94 pitches in a 5-1 loss against the Kia Tigers four days earlier. But with the Lions short on starting pitchers and sitting a win away from winning that round to book a ticket to the Korean Series, manager Park Jin-man turned to Paddack for Friday's game.

Paddack did his part, holding the Tigers to a run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while making 99 pitches. The Lions blew a 2-1 lead to lose 4-2 but did win the next game two days later to advance to the Korean Series against the KT Wiz.

Paddack is scheduled to start the second game of the Korean Series later Wednesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul, after the Lions lost the opener 8-7 on Tuesday. Paddack will go on four days' rest, which is obviously better than getting three days off but is also not ideal for the 30-year-old right-hander coming off two taxing outings.

Before Tuesday's game, Paddack told Yonhap News Agency he was ready to sacrifice his body for the chance to pitch in the championship series.

"I feel good. I think the buildup to this moment is why we continue to throw all season," he said. "You never know when that opportunity is going to come where you need to go out there on short notice, especially in the Korean Series. We have worked hard all season for this moment. To go out there and be able to pitch in Game 2 of the Korean Series, I think it is going to be a super exciting moment for myself, for this team and for the fans."

He said his body ached a little bit right after his latest start, but it was not as bad as he feared it was going to be.

"I did a really good job this week of preparing mentally and physically," he added. "Trainers have done an awesome job of making sure that I am able to grab the ball when my name is called and doing some extra recovery stuff behind closed doors in the hotel room or on the bus. I am excited to be on somewhat of normal rest."

In 13 regular-season starts, Paddack went 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA. He faced the Wiz only once and held them to six hits in six scoreless innings on Aug. 29, with his family watching from the stands at the Lions' home, Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu.

Paddack smiled and said he "caught a little break" then because the Wiz did not have their top home run hitter, Sam Hilliard, in the lineup that day. Hilliard, whom Paddack previously faced in Major League Baseball, was on paternity leave after the birth of his second child.

"I know he is a great hitter. He has had a heck of a season so far," Paddack said of Hilliard, who led the KBO with 139 RBIs and finished second with 44 home runs in the regular season. Then in Tuesday's game, Hilliard went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

"I really enjoyed watching him on the opposite end. And now we will get to face each other again in the KBO. It will be a special moment," Paddack added.

He said the Wiz have "a really scrappy" lineup, filled with players who can hit home runs and others who make good contact and rarely chase pitches outside the zone.

The pitcher also pointed out that having knocked off the Tigers, one of the league's top offenses in the KBO, should help his team in the Korean Series.

"We have an advantage coming off a really good series versus a really good team," Paddack said. "Being able to transfer that momentum into this series against KT is going to be really good." (Yonhap)