"After today's game, I need to go down..."

Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon indicated on the 30th, ahead of the Daejeon LG game, that he would utilize catcher Heo In-seo (22) as a pinch hitter. With outfielder Choi In-ho recovering from thigh pain and being sent down to the 2nd team, it was decided to register Heo In-seo for the 1st team on the 1st, resulting in Heo In-seo vacating the position.

Heo In-seo, who was drafted by Hanwha with the 11th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2022 draft, is regarded as the team's top catching prospect and has completed military service with the Army. Although he made the opening roster, he found himself without a place to play in the 1st team as it is defended by Choi Jae-hoon and Lee Jae-won. He was registered for the roster again on the 25th of last month after spending the first two series on the bench. With the condition of starting catcher Choi Jae-hoon not being good, Kim Kyung-moon called Heo In-seo to prepare for any unexpected situations.

It was a temporary three-catcher system, but Choi Jae-hoon's condition did not worsen. Coincidentally, after Heo In-seo was registered for the 1st team, Hanwha was involved in four consecutive one-run games, leaving no opportunity for backup players to get in. With Choi In-ho's return date approaching, it seemed that Heo In-seo would also go down to the 2nd team after just sitting on the bench this time.

It seems that manager Kim Kyung-moon was concerned about Heo In-seo. Kim noted, "I couldn’t send (Heo) In-seo out while playing in close one-run games. After today's game, he has to go down to the 2nd team, so I want to give him the opportunity to greet the fans at least once as a pinch hitter." From the perspective of motivating the players, sending someone to the 2nd team without allowing them to play in the game was not a welcome task for the manager.

However, the game on the 30th unfolded as a tense pitcher duel, resulting in a one-run contest. By the top of the 8th, Hanwha led 3-2. Given the flow of the game, it seemed unlikely that Heo In-seo would have a chance to come in as a substitute, but manager Kim did not break his promise. In the bottom of the 8th, with Hanwha ahead 4-2 and two outs, Heo In-seo appeared as a pinch hitter at Lee Won-seok's bat. It was his first appearance of the season, nearly 949 days since his last game in the 1st team on September 25, 2022, against Doosan before his military enlistment.

In a situation where going to the 2nd team was confirmed, Heo In-seo stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the season. He did not let this hard-won opportunity slip away easily. Against LG right-hander Bae Jae-jun, with a 2-2 count, he pulled a fastball at 151 km/h that came in high inside on the fifth pitch, hitting it for a double that fell to left field. The hit brought home 3rd base runner Noh Si-hwan, scoring an RBI double. It was a key hit that expanded the score to 5-2, marking Heo In-seo's first career RBI and contributing to Hanwha's fourth consecutive win.

While it was admirable for the manager to stick to his promise of using Heo In-seo as a pinch hitter in a close game, it was also impressive how Heo In-seo responded without missing that chance. No matter how you package it, going to the 2nd team can only be disappointing for the player, but the trust and return shown by Kim and Heo In-seo that day demonstrated that going to the 2nd team could also be romantic.

After the game, Heo In-seo stated, "After returning from the military, I felt excited and nervous to stand at the plate again, but thanks to the support of the fans, I was able to achieve a good result. I would like to thank the fans," and added, "Fans cheered for my first RBI, and I will prepare better to show them good performances in the future."

For Hanwha, it was a game that captured both romance and reality. Starter Ryu Hyun-jin pitched 7 innings, allowing 6 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, and striking out 6, leading to 2 runs. The game featured a two-run home run by pinch hitter Hwang Young-mook in the 7th inning to turn the game around, and with solid defense from Han Seung-hyuk and Kim Seo-hyun in the 8th and 9th innings, they secured a comeback victory over LG with a score of 5-2. Including their recent four-game winning streak, Hanwha, now 18-3 over their last 21 games, marked a record of 19 wins and 13 losses (.594 win rate), closing in on first-place LG (20 wins and 11 losses, .645 win rate) by 1.5 games.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon remarked, "Starter Ryu Hyun-jin fulfilled his role for 7 innings, which allowed us to come from behind in the latter part of the game," and added, "In the tense flow, Hwang Young-mook, who came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th, launched a valuable two-run homer that led us to the comeback. I also want to congratulate Heo In-seo on recording his first RBI."

Hanwha will face LG on the 1st with sidearm pitcher Um Sang-baek aiming for a five-game winning streak. In desperate need of ending a four-game losing streak, LG will send left-hander Son Joo-young to the mound.

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