Hanwha Eagles, led by the cohesiveness of their batting lineup, handed Doosan Bears' ace left-handed pitcher Cole Ervin, who has 28 wins in Major League Baseball, his first professional baseball loss.
Hanwha Eagles recorded a 5-4 victory against Doosan Bears in the second game of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League season held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 9th.
Hanwha avenged the previous day's heartbreaking loss, breaking a two-game losing streak and recording 5 wins and 10 losses for the season. In their last 8 games, they struggled with 2 wins and 6 losses (loss, loss, loss, loss, win, loss, loss, win), but the previously silent batting lineup showed its strength two days in a row, brightening their prospects.
Starting ace Kodi Ponce pitched 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 9 while giving up 4 runs on 101 pitches, achieving his second victory of the season (undefeated). Following him, Park Sang-won (1 inning, no runs), Han Seung-hyuk (1 inning, no runs), and Kim Seo-hyun (1 inning, no runs) solidly supported from the bullpen, and new closer Kim Seo-hyun recorded his third save of the season.
In the batting lineup, foreign hitter Estevan Florial rebounded from a fielding error the previous day and a base running blunder in the first inning to contribute with 2 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, and 1 run scored from 3 at-bats. Catcher Choi Jae-hoon also contributed with 2 hits and a decisive sacrifice fly.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted after the game, “There have been many games that didn't go well, but I'm happy to win at a crucial time and to repay the enthusiastic support of the fans.” He added, “Our offense is coming alive, which is encouraging. In particular, we showed our best efforts in offense and base running today, and that allowed us to achieve the victory.”
Hanwha will look to take the winning series in their three-game matchup against Doosan, starting with Ryan Weiss on the 10th. Doosan is expected to send Jack Logg.
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