The surge of the Hanwha Eagles in professional baseball shows no signs of fading. Alongside their strong starting pitching, the bullpen's ability to protect leads is becoming increasingly impressive. They have begun to demonstrate the qualities of a strong team while continuing to excel in one-run games.
Hanwha won 3-2 against LG on the 29th in Daejeon. They maintained the 3-2 score established by solo home runs from Lee Jin-young and Shim Woo-jun in the fourth inning until the end of the ninth. After starting pitcher Ryan Weiss allowed 2 runs over 6 innings, the bullpen, consisting of Park Sang-won in the 7th, Han Seung-hyuk in the 8th, and Kim Seo-hyun in the 9th, each threw a scoreless inning to combine for the one-run victory.
In the 7th inning against LG's top batters, Park Sang-won made a strong start from the bullpen. After handling the first batter, Park Dong-won, with a ground ball to third base, he struck out Hong Chang-ki with a fastball clocked at 148 km/h on the fifth pitch, which was low and inside. It seemed that catcher Lee Jae-won, who had been standing slightly raised as if expecting a high fastball, sat down to receive the pitch. He then got Kim Hyun-soo to pop up to left field with a forkball, retiring the side in order for his fourth hold of the season.
In the 8th inning, it was setup man Han Seung-hyuk's turn, who has been in excellent form recently. He established a two-strike advantage against Austin Dean with a fastball on the first pitch and a curve on the second, followed by a slider that went outside the zone on the third pitch. He then struck out using a curveball thrown at 120 km/h on the fourth pitch, which was well-placed on the inside.
After Han Seung-hyuk induced a ground ball from Moon Bo-kyung with a 153 km/h fastball on the third pitch, he gave up a double to the right side to Oh Ji-hwan but retired Moon Sung-ju with a ground ball to shortstop, escaping the scoring threat. This marked his sixth hold of the season. Since the game against Samsung on the 6th, he has accumulated 10⅓ innings without an earned run over his last 12 games, lowering his earned run average to 2.45.
In the 9th inning, it was closer Kim Seo-hyun's time. He struck out the first batter, Park Hae-min, with a high fastball clocked at 154 km/h on the fifth pitch, but allowed a hit to pinch hitter Song Chan-eui. However, he induced Park Dong-won into a ground ball to shortstop, resulting in a 6-4-3 double play that ended the game. Kim Seo-hyun, who retired the side in order on just 11 pitches, secured his 8th save of the season, climbing to a tie for 2nd place in this category.
As a result, Hanwha has now won 3 consecutive games by one run, following their 3-2 victory against KT in Daejeon on the 26th-27th. They have achieved 7 one-run victories this year, the most in the league. Their overall record in one-run games stands at 7 wins and 4 losses, with a winning percentage of .636. Last year, they managed only 13 wins against 19 losses in one-run games, resulting in a winning percentage of .406.
Hanwha coach Kim Kyung-moon has consistently emphasized, "Winning by one run is what makes a strong team," noting that they have become a squad capable of withstanding pressure in close games. Closer Kim Seo-hyun, who has earned 5 of his saves in one-run games, also remarked, "When I go out in one-run situations, I can pitch more comfortably."
In reality, winning by a narrow margin is thrilling, but from a managerial perspective, it is preferable to win with a more comfortable score. However, it is difficult for Hanwha, with its inconsistent batting lineup, to secure large margins regularly. The team’s identity this season revolves around minimizing runs allowed by pitchers and relying on solid defense, which has resulted in strong performances in one-run games, a trend that seems inevitable rather than coincidental.
Above all, it is their strong bullpen that makes this style of baseball possible. Although Hanwha's starting rotation boasts a solid earned run average of 2nd place (3.38), their relief pitching is also competitive with an earned run average of 3rd place (3.45). They have won all 15 games in which they led through the 7th inning. The stability of the 8th and 9th innings is significant, thanks in large part to setup man Han Seung-hyuk and closer Kim Seo-hyun.
The 7th inning, which serves as a crucial bridge to Han Seung-hyuk and Kim Seo-hyun, depends heavily on Park Sang-won, who excelled last year with an earned run average of 1.99 in the second half. While he had been somewhat inconsistent in the early part of this season, his recent 1-2-3 inning against LG on the 29th was encouraging for Hanwha. Park Sang-won is currently recording an earned run average of 4.05 with a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 holds over 16 games, and his strikeout rate remains solid at 13 strikeouts over 13⅓ innings.
On the 27th, lefty Kim Beom-soo helped secure a save by handling a ground ball from Jang Jun-won with 2 outs and runners on first and second in the 9th inning against KT. His performance is improving. New fireballer Jung Woo-joo and second-year lefty Jo Dong-wook are also being utilized as part of the reliable setup options, indicating that Hanwha's bullpen possesses depth. This balanced composition ensures that no single pitcher is overburdened, suggesting that Hanwha's effective style of baseball is not a short-lived trend.
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