Hanwha, which had secured its place in last place for the first time in four years, has been pushed out and is looking to move up to 8th place. If they win the final match, they can finish the season in 8th place. 메이저놀이터
Hanwha won 7-4 in the home game against Lotte in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 15th.
Rookie Moon Hyun-bin hit a tying two-run home run in the second inning, followed by a timely hit in the sixth inning, going 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 3 RBIs, and 1 walk. Catcher Park Sang-eon also showed his presence in the lower-order lineup with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 4 at-bats, including 2 RBIs and a double in the 6th inning, and No. 1 hitter Choi In-ho also had a multi-hit streak for two consecutive games with 2 hits in 4 at-bats.
On the mound, starting pitcher Lee Taeyang laid the foundation for victory with a good pitch in 5 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 2 runs (no earned runs), and then the bullpen maintained the lead by allowing 2 runs in 4 innings. Joo Hyun-sang, who blocked the first inning of the sixth inning with a three-way strike, earned his second win of the season and lowered his ERA to 1 point (1.99), and Kim Beom-soo took responsibility for the last out and earned his first save of the season.
Jung Woo-ram, who retired with 7 balls in the 7th inning, set a new record for the most appearances by a pitcher in a single Asian league by appearing in his 1,003rd game. He surpassed Japan’s Hitoki Iwase’s 1,002 games.
After the game, Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho said, “In a situation where the first run was given up, Moon Hyun-bin tied the game with a home run, and Park Sang-eon also scored an RBI in a critical situation to secure the win,” adding, “It is important not to lose concentration until the end. “I will focus on the last game so that all players can do their best until the end and continue to compete,” he said of his victory.
Hanwha, which secured at least 9th place with an 8-0 win over Lotte the previous day (14th) and was eliminated from last place for the first time in 4 years, achieved consecutive wins and recorded 58 wins, 59 losses, and 6 draws. On this day, 8th place Samsung, which lost 3-5 in the final match against Changwon NC, finished with 61 wins, 82 losses, and 1 draw, losing its lead.
If Hanwha wins the final game of the season against Lotte in Daejeon on the 16th, it can push Samsung to 9th place and finish the season in 8th place. For Hanwha, which ranked 10th and last place for three consecutive years, 8th place also holds great significance. This is an opportunity to finish comfortably in 8th place with a win in the final game at home.
Hanwha announced left-hander Kim Ki-joong as the starting pitcher for the final game. He has 36 games (51⅓ innings) this season with 1 win, 3 losses, and 1 hold, and an ERA of 4.73. His pitching content is good, with 1 win, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 4.09 in 5 games (22 innings) as a starter. He pitched in relief in all 5 games against Lotte this year, allowing no runs in 3⅔ innings.
For Lotte, left-hander Shim Jae-min will start. In 32 games (43⅔ innings) this season, he has 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 holds, and an average ERA of 4.12. He was fine with 2 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 3.97 in 5 games (22⅔ innings) as a starter. However, against Hanwha, he showed a weak side with relief appearances in all four games and an average ERA of 16.88 with one hold.