Kiwoom Heroes manager Hong Won-ki vowed not to give up despite the differences in the starting pitcher matchup.

In an interview before the game against Hanwha Eagles at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome for the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' on the 10th, Hong said, "There is a big difference in the starting pitcher matchup, but you never know in baseball," expressing his determination to win the game.

Kiwoom lost 5-7 to Hanwha on the 9th. With this victory, Hanwha extended their winning streak to 10 games. In this game, they will challenge for their 11th win in 33 years since 1992, with ace Kodi Ponse taking the mound.

To stop Hanwha's winning streak, Kiwoom arranged their starting lineup as follows: Song Seong-mun (third base), Yasiel Puig (left field), Lee Joo-hyung (center field), Choi Joo-hwan (first base), Ruben Cardenas (designated hitter), Kim Tae-jin (shortstop), Lim Byeong-wook (right field), Kim Jae-hyun (catcher), and Seo Yu-shin (second base). The starting pitcher is Kim Seon-ki.

Ponse has recorded 6 wins with an earned run average of 1.70 over 8 games (53 innings) this season. Based on his excellent performance, he was awarded the league MVP for April. In his last start, he achieved a non-containing victory against KIA with 7 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. This will be his first start of the season against Kiwoom.

Kim Seon-ki has recorded 3 losses with an earned run average of 6.65 over 13 games (23 innings) this season. In his last start, he recorded 3⅔ innings with 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run against KT. Against Hanwha, he has a decent record with an earned run average of 3.86 over 2 games (2⅓ innings).

In the starting pitcher matchup between Ponse and Kim Seon-ki, it is a fact that the odds lean towards Ponse. However, Hong Won-ki stated, "You never know in baseball. There is uncertainty in any game. To increase that possibility, it is important for Kim Seon-ki to pitch as long as possible while allowing minimal runs. Since the opposing starting pitcher is very strong, we have to score point by point somehow. If we manage to score, the game could unfold in unpredictable ways. We plan to approach the game with that mindset."

Lee Joo-hyung, who struggled early in the season and was demoted to the second team, returned to the first team on the 9th and had a stellar performance with 3 hits, 2 home runs, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, and 1 hit by pitch in 3 at-bats. He hit his 3rd and 4th home runs of the season but unfortunately could not prevent the team's loss. Hong Won-ki welcomed Lee's performance, saying, "It seems he prepared well after going down to the second team. His balance was good, and he reached base in every at-bat yesterday. The quality of his hits was also good. He hit home runs, but overall his balance looked good."

Seo Yu-shin, who was drafted in the 11th round (106th overall) of the 2023 rookie draft, is set to make his first start in the first team. In the Futures League this year, he recorded a batting average of .290 (9 hits in 31 at-bats), 8 RBIs, 6 runs scored, and an OPS of .740 over 18 games. Hong Won-ki explained, "He has been performing well in the Futures League. He also shows stability in defense. He stood out to me during spring camp, so I decided to give him a start in the lineup today."

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