Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho on ‘escaping 3 straight losses + returning to 5’
“Moon Dong-joo pitches well, Peraza and An Chi-hong play well in center field”
The Hanwha Eagles escaped a three-game losing streak in dramatic fashion. Ryu Hyun-jin shakes off pressure ahead of 100-win challenge.
Hanwha Eagles used a late rally to overcome a 0-3 deficit and snap a three-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over the NC Dinos in the regular season of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at NC Park in Changwon on Saturday. With 10 wins and 10 losses, they returned to the 5-percent winning percentage.
Hanwha had a difficult start to the game. Moon Dong-joo gave up a solo shot to Seo Ho-chul in the first inning. In the third inning, he gave up two runs with no defensive help. However, he held on and left the mound after 5 1/3 innings of 95 pitches, seven hits (one home run), two walks, six strikeouts, and three runs (one earned).
The offense was silent until the sixth inning. They were unable to capitalize on NC starter Kim Si-hoon. However, in the seventh inning, the offense came back. Two batters later, Hwang Young-mook reached on an error. After back-to-back singles by Lee Jin-young and Choi In-ho, Peraza hit a two-out RBI double to center field. A walk to Ahn Chi-hong loaded the bases for Noh Si-hwan, who hit a two-run single to make it 4-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Kwon Hee-dong hit a tying double to center field, setting the stage for a tough game. But in the ninth inning, Hanwha finally capitalized on its chances and won the game. In the top of the ninth, Lee Jin-young led off with a single to right. Choi In-ho laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second. Peraza then hit a hard grounder to third base. It went straight to the third baseman, but Seo Ho-cheol couldn’t stop it. An error put runners on first and third with one out. Ahn Chi-hong took advantage of a one-ball, two-strike count and a seven-pitch at-bat to hit a two-run double to left field to make it a 5-4 game. Kim Tae-yeon’s pushing single and Choi Jae-hoon’s sacrifice fly to center field extended the lead to 7-4. Joo Hyun-sang earned the save in the ninth inning.
After the game, Choi Won-ho said, “Although Moon 토토 Dong-ju didn’t get the win, his pitching was better than ever. He showed good pitching that we can look forward to next time,” and praised Moon’s role as a starter.
“In the bullpen, Jang Si-hwan saved the day and Joo Hyun-sang secured the win,” he said. “At the plate, the center fielders, including Lungraja, Noh Si-hwan, and Ahn Chi-hong, did their jobs when they were needed and brought home the win.”
Hanwha, which snapped a three-game losing streak and returned to a five-game winning percentage, will now attempt to reach 100 career wins on Sunday when Ryu Hyun-jin takes the mound. Starting for NC is Shin Min-hyuk.