Hanwha Eagles player Sim Woo-jun will take a day off due to being hit by a pitch.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said in an interview before the game against Kiwoom Heroes at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 11th, "Sim Woo-jun needs to rest today. Tomorrow is also a day off, so I plan to let him rest today and tomorrow."
Hanwha has formed its starting lineup with Hwang Young-mook (second baseman), Esteban Florial (center fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-sung (first baseman), Lee Jin-young (right fielder), Kim Tae-yeon (left fielder), Lee Jae-won (catcher), and Yido (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Ryan Weiss.
Sim Woo-jun recorded 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 walk in 1 at-bat as a starting shortstop on the 10th against Kiwoom. He showed good performance, creating additional bases and scoring first with his speed, but was hit on the left knee by a 145 km/h fastball from left-handed reliever Son Hyun-ki in his second at-bat with no outs on first base in the fourth inning, and was ultimately replaced by pinch runner Yido, finishing the game.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted, "Yesterday, Sim Woo-jun's base running was very significant. Before the video review, I thought he was out. However, he slid in with such speed that he was safe, which connected to a score and allowed us to win. His hitting has been improving lately, so it's disappointing that he's out, but I hope he rests well this time. He must have had a lot of stress. I hope he performs well in the next game after resting."
Hanwha achieved a convincing 9-1 victory over Kiwoom on the 10th, extending their winning streak to 11 games. Starting pitcher Kodi Pence delivered a performance worthy of a top starter, pitching 6 innings with 3 hits allowed (1 home run), 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 1 run earned.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "All of our starting pitchers are performing well, and I’m grateful to Pence as well. A top starter is doing such a great job covering innings. He pitched until the 6th yesterday, but if a starting pitcher can go that far, the manager doesn’t ask for more. I'm grateful."
Rookie pitcher Jung Woo-jun made an appearance in the ninth inning of the last game, pitching 1 scoreless inning. Regarding Jung Woo-jun throwing more breaking balls than usual, Kim Kyung-moon explained, "There was a bit of a score gap in yesterday's game. In tight situations like a one-run game, we sometimes can’t use breaking balls, but it seems the pitching coach ordered it yesterday. So he threw a lot of breaking balls yesterday."
Regarding Jung Woo-jun's long-term growth, Kim Kyung-moon said, "Right now, I'm focused on taking it game by game, so I find it hard to think about that," adding, "The team would prefer him not to pitch back-to-back games as much as possible. We're paying attention to pitch counts. After pitching, we allow him to rest more and are utilizing him with a long-term perspective."
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