Can Hanwha ace Cody Ponce demonstrate his extraordinary ability once again and save the struggling Hanwha Eagles?

Ponce will start in the regular season game against the NC Dinos at the Ulsan Munsoo Stadium on the 22nd.

Ponce is unquestionably the league's best ace this season. He has appeared in 10 games, recorded 8 wins, an ERA of 1.48 (67 innings, 11 earned runs), 93 strikeouts, a WHIP of 0.85, a batting average allowed of .170, and 8 quality starts, ranking at the top in almost all metrics in the league. He is tied for first in wins with Park Se Woong (Doosan), and leads the league in ERA and strikeouts.

Compared to Eric Peddy (currently with the St. Louis Cardinals), who achieved a triple crown last year with 20 wins, an ERA of 2.00, and 209 strikeouts while with the NC Dinos, Ponce's pace is not lagging. Based on 10 games, Peddy had 8 wins (1 loss) and an ERA of 1.47 (61⅓ innings, 10 earned runs) with 80 strikeouts.

After pitching in 10 games, Ponce recorded an ERA similar to Peddy's at the time, and has the same number of wins. Instead, he has pitched more innings and recorded more strikeouts. At this moment, Ponce has an astonishing pace with 24 wins and 279 strikeouts. He is rapidly approaching the triple crown. As an ace, he not only has the ability to eat innings but also to overwhelm opponents with strikeouts. Notably, on the 17th in Daejeon, he pitched a stellar game in the first game of a doubleheader against SSG, throwing 8 innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, 18 strikeouts, and no earned runs. He had a no-hitter through 8 innings but allowed a hit to Ahn Sang Hyun after 2 outs in the 8th, ending his no-hitter streak.

Moreover, Ponce achieved an incredible milestone, setting a new record for the most strikeouts in a single game based on 9 innings. He broke the record set by his teammate Ryu Hyun Jin in 2010, 15 years later.

Above all, he demonstrated the true essence of an ace. Ponce showed his real ace capabilities, rescuing the team from a daunting situation after suffering a sweep loss to Doosan in a three-game series right after a 12-game winning streak.

The key is stamina. Ponce has recorded over 100 pitches in 5 consecutive games. He carries a considerable workload in terms of innings and pitches due to the responsibility of being an ace. Starting with 101 pitches (7 innings) against NC in Daejeon on April 20, he threw 109 pitches (7 innings) against KT in Daejeon on April 27, 101 pitches (7 innings) against KIA in Gwangju on May 4, 110 pitches (6 innings) against Kiwoom on the 10th, and last week he set a record with 18 strikeouts against SSG while throwing 113 pitches.

After a 4-day rest, he will take the mound again. The last appearance was in a doubleheader, which messed up his pitching rotation, putting more pressure on Ponce once again. With the series record at 1 win and 1 loss and Hanwha having lost 2-5 the previous day (21st), there is interest in whether Ponce can lead the team to a winning series.

Meanwhile, NC will feature rookie Kim Nok Won as the starting pitcher. Kim Nok Won has recorded 1 hold and an ERA of 5.63 in 3 games since being promoted from a developmental player to an official player this season, with no wins or losses. He left a disappointing impression in his debut on the 4th against Lotte with 3 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks, and 4 earned runs, but earned his first hold on the 11th against Doosan, pitching 1 inning, allowing 1 hit, 1 strikeout, and no earned runs, followed by a solid performance off the bullpen on the 17th against Kiwoom, pitching 4 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 1 earned run as he prepares for his second start of the season.

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