“As a No. 4 batter who also plays good defense, he is a player who gives a lot of gratitude to the team.”

Hanwha Eagles' No. 4 batter Noh Si-hwan is recognized by manager Kim Kyung-moon for his contribution in various areas. As a No. 4 batter who stabilizes the team's core and can hit a home run, he also plays the role of a starting third baseman who firmly safeguards the infield. Noh Si-hwan himself is a presence that greatly influences the team's strength.

Such Noh Si-hwan has gone silent. The trademark home run of 'slugger' Noh Si-hwan has vanished. After hitting his 10th home run of the season with a game-winning solo shot in the 11th inning against KIA in Gwangju on the 2nd, he has gone 15 games without a home run. During the 12-game winning streak, Noh Si-hwan produced hits and RBIs, but has not recorded a home run.

After the end of the 12-game winning streak, he is in line with the team’s overall declining batting cycle. Noh Si-hwan's hitting pace has also dropped significantly. He was silent for three consecutive games from the Doosan match on the 14th in Daejeon to the first game of the doubleheader against SSG on the 17th. Although he reported hits in the second game of the doubleheader on the 17th and on the 18th, he has gone silent again during the match against NC in Ulsan on the 20th and 21st. From the 13th, after the end of the 12-game winning streak to the 21st, he batted .138 (4 hits in 29 at-bats) with 2 RBIs and an OPS of .437 over 8 games.

As Noh Si-hwan fails to deliver a big hit, the team's scoring ability has also declined overall. In 8 games played since last week, they scored only 18 runs, averaging 2.25 runs per game.

One reason for the prolonged silence could be his defensive duties. This season, Noh Si-hwan has started as a third baseman in 47 out of 48 games the team has played. He currently holds the record for the most defensive innings among all players in the league with 417 innings. This is why manager Kim Kyung-moon is grateful for Noh Si-hwan.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon remarked, “(Noh) Si-hwan always says he is fine. About 95% of players who don't play defense try to hit, but Si-hwan's strength is that he wants to hit while playing defense. As a No. 4 batter who also plays good defense, he is a player who gives a lot of gratitude to the team.”

Then, on the 21st against NC in Ulsan, he started as a designated hitter for the first time this season. He was batting fourth in the lineup. Kim noted, “As far as I know, he has played defense in almost every game. I remember he missed once,” and added, “I hope he produces a good hit from the designated hitter spot today.”

However, Noh Si-hwan's silence continued. In his first at-bat in the second inning, he hit a ground ball to the shortstop, and in his second at-bat in the fourth, he grounded out to the third baseman. In the sixth inning, with the score flipped to 2-4, No. 3 batter Moon Hyun-bin made a hit to right field to create a no-out opportunity at first base, but Noh Si-hwan hit into a double play at third base, wasting the opportunity.

As the gap remained at 2-4 in the eighth inning, another opportunity arose for Noh Si-hwan. After one out, Floriel hit a single to center, and Ha Joo-seok drew a walk, creating a 1st and 2nd base opportunity with one out. Moon Hyun-bin hit a well-hit ball towards right field, but it was caught straight on. With two outs and runners on first and second, Noh Si-hwan stepped up. He battled persistently against NC's Bae Jae-hwan. He faced an intense 10-pitch duel. However, he was retired on a fly ball to the second baseman, lowering his head. In the end, Hanwha lost 5-2 after allowing an additional run in the eighth inning.

His contributions are recognized by everyone, yet he is a player that cannot be absent even in his slump. He is irreplaceable in both offense and defense. Ultimately, Noh Si-hwan must overcome this challenge on his own. Once again, Hanwha is left with no choice but to look to Noh Si-hwan.

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