It was third-year player Moon Hyun-bin (21) who saved the Hanwha Eagles from the quagmire.
On the 5th, Moon Hyun-bin entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Samsung Lions in an away match at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, hitting back-to-back homers in the 8th and 9th innings, leading Hanwha to a 7-6 comeback victory with a performance of 2 hits in 2 at-bats and 4 RBIs. Hanwha, which broke their four-game losing streak, ended the season with a record of 4 wins and 8 losses.
Due to a severe slump in their batting lineup, Hanwha, which fell to 10th place just 10 games into the season including a recent four-game losing streak, was again struggling on that day. Up to the 7th inning, they managed only 1 hit—the only run scored came from a left-field clutch hit by No Si-hwan in the 3rd inning. Ace Ryu Hyun-jin started the game but was shaken, yielding 4 runs in 5 innings after giving up two home runs, and Hanwha trailed 1-5 until the 7th inning.
In the 8th inning, Kim Tae-yeon and No Si-hwan went down with a strikeout and a pop-up to first base, leaving two outs. In a bleak situation, Moon Hyun-bin made his appearance. This was Moon Hyun-bin's first at-bat after being brought in as a defensive replacement in the 5th batting order due to the absence of Chae Eun-seong in the 6th inning. Samsung's bullpen pitcher Lim Chang-min threw a forkball on the first pitch, which caused Moon Hyun-bin's bat to miss, but he battled back with a series of fouls on pitches 2 through 5.
After selecting a ball on the sixth pitch, he cut another three consecutive foul balls. Lim Chang-min's forkball on the 10th pitch came in low and center, but the ball hit by Moon Hyun-bin cleared the right-center fence. The home run traveled 120 meters and marked his first home run of the season. It was the signal for Hanwha's dramatic comeback.
Following Esteban Florial's double and Lee Jin-young's two-run home run to left field, Hanwha narrowed the gap to one run. In the 8th inning, Park Sang-won gave up a solo shot to Kim Hun-gon, but in the top of the 9th inning, Hanwha did not miss their chance despite having two outs. After a walk to Lim Jong-chan and a left-field single by No Si-hwan, Moon Hyun-bin struck again in the runner-on-1st-and-2nd situation.
Moon Hyun-bin connected with a forkball that came on the 6th pitch from Samsung's closer Kim Jae-yoon, sending the ball over the right field wall. The home run traveled 120 meters and was his second of the season. His first back-to-back homers ignited Hanwha's comeback to lead 7-6. Closer Kim Seo-hyun closed the game with a perfect inning in the 9th, making Moon Hyun-bin's three-run homer in the 9th the game-winner.
After the game, Moon Hyun-bin said, “This is the best moment I've had in my baseball career,” reflecting on the 8th inning home run: “I thought it wouldn't go over, so I started running fast, but it went over, and then I thought, ‘Okay, things are getting better.’”
After a tense battle lasting up to 10 pitches, Moon Hyun-bin, who was remarkably focused at the plate for the resulting home run, noted, “Since runners need to be on base to score, I kept focusing not to give up, and it resulted in a good outcome. After I hit the home run, (Lee) Jin-young also hit a home run, lifting the mood in the dugout.”
He felt it the moment he hit the three-run homer in the 9th. He explained, “I thought if I made solid contact in a scoring position, I could continue the chances, and I tried to hit accurately, and it resulted in a good outcome. I thought it was going to go as soon as I hit it.”
Manager Kim Kyung-moon's advice also helped. Moon Hyun-bin stated, “Today, the manager said not to worry about the outcome and to be aggressive with the fastball, so I did just that. The manager's words resulted in a good outcome, and I felt like things would get better after the 9th inning home run. It wasn't just me; many of the other seniors also had solid hits that went directly to people. I thought, ‘Oh, maybe this isn't going to go well,’ but hitting a home run felt like a release for me,” expressing confidence that this comeback would serve as a stepping stone for future success.
Moon Hyun-bin, who started the season as a designated hitter but had recently spent a long time on the bench, saw action again in the 8th inning against Samsung the previous day (4th) and played center field in this game. Although he had practiced only as a third baseman, he is expanding his territory by utilizing the outfield experience he gained during his rookie season in 2023. Moon Hyun-bin said, “If I can be on the field, I don't care where (the defensive position) is,” with bright eyes.
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