The Hanwha Eagles defeated the Lotte Giants and reclaimed sole possession of 2nd place.
Hanwha won the home game against Lotte in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League by a score of 4-2 at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 23rd.
Starting pitcher Ryan Weiss had a strong performance, throwing 8 innings with 11 strikeouts and allowing 2 runs, earning his 7th win of the season (2 losses).
In the lineup, Estevan Florial and Ha Ju-suk each recorded 2 hits. In the 6th inning, with 1 out and runners on 1st and 3rd, Roh Si-hwan scored with a smart baserunning play on a ground ball from Hwang Young-mook to the pitcher, helping to secure the momentum.
Breaking a two-game losing streak, Hanwha improved to 30 wins and 20 losses (.600), pushing Lotte (29 wins, 20 losses, 3 ties, .592) down to 3rd place and reclaiming sole possession of 2nd place in just two days.
The first score came from Lotte. In the top of the 2nd inning, with 2 outs and no one on base, Lotte catcher Yoo Kang-nam hit a left-field solo home run off Hanwha starter Ryan Weiss. He pulled a fastball traveling at 148 km/h that came inside on the second pitch over the left field fence. The home run had a distance of 125 meters and was his 4th of the season. It was his first home run in 14 games since June 3 against NC.
Hanwha was held to 2 hits and no runs through the 4th inning by Lotte starter Park Se-woong, but they broke the silence in the bottom of the 5th. Leadoff batter Lee Jin-young reached with a hit that deflected off the shortstop's glove and went to the left. Hwang Young-mook struck out on the third pitch, but Lee Jae-won connected with a single to center, creating a 1 out, 1st and 2nd bases opportunity, and Ha Ju-suk delivered a timely hit to left. Ha Ju-suk tied the game at 1-1 by hitting a low forkball on the 4th pitch from Park Se-woong after a 2-1 count.
Hanwha extended their opportunity to 1 out with the bases loaded after Estevan Florial's hit to right. Choi In-ho then took a walk, allowing Hanwha to take the lead. After three consecutive balls came in, Choi In-ho watched the 4th pitch go by for a strike, and took first base when the 5th pitch's fastball was high and outside. This resulted in a 2-1 lead on an RBI walk.
Hanwha did not waste the opportunity created by Lotte's defensive error in the 6th inning. On Roh Si-hwan's ground ball hit, an error was made by Lotte third baseman Son Ho-young, allowing a runner to reach base. Chae Eun-seong got hit by the pitch on the first pitch, and then Lee Jin-young hit a fake bunt slash resulting in a ground ball to the shortstop, creating a 1 out, 1st and 3rd situation.
Here, Hwang Young-mook hit a slow ground ball in front of the pitcher, and while pitcher Park Se-woong rushed forward to field the ball, 3rd base runner Roh Si-hwan showcased his baserunning instincts. After making a fake attempt as if he wasn’t going home, he dashed toward home as Park Se-woong turned to first base, scoring a run. It was a moment where Roh Si-hwan's baserunning sense shined.
In the bottom of the 7th, Hanwha continued with Lee Jae-won's walk followed by Florial's double in front of the center fielder. Lotte center fielder Jang Du-seong attempted a diving catch but missed. With 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Lotte replaced Park Se-woong with Song Jae-young, but when Choi In-ho hit a ground ball to 3rd, 3rd base runner Lee Won-seok scored, extending the lead to 4-1. Choi In-ho had 2 RBIs without a hit.
In the meantime, Hanwha starter Weiss dominated Lotte's lineup through the 8th inning. He threw 8 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run) with no walks, 11 strikeouts, and 2 runs, achieving his 7th win of the season (2 losses). His earned run average also dropped from 3.67 to 3.50. Weiss secured victories in both outings against Lotte this season, boasting a 14-inning stretch with 23 strikeouts and 3 runs allowed.
With 93 pitches thrown, Weiss took the mound again in the top of the 9th inning. After allowing a weak hit to left field to leadoff batter Jang Du-seong, he exited the game. His total pitch count was 94, throwing a maximum speed of 155 km/h and an average of 152 km/h in 37 fastballs, while also mixing in 44 sliders, 16 curveballs, and 1 changeup.
With no outs and a runner on 1st, closer Kim Seo-hyeon entered and retired Yoon Dong-hee on a foul fly to first base, but Víctor Reyes hit an infield single to shortstop, leading to a crisis with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd after a wild pitch. After striking out Jeon Jun-woo, Kim Seo-hyeon issued a walk to Na Seung-yeop, resulting in a 2 out, bases loaded situation. Although he allowed a timely hit by Jeon Min-jae, resulting in a run charged to Weiss, he struck out pinch hitter Go Seung-min to end the game. It was his 15th save of the season. In the lineup, Ha Ju-suk contributed with 2 hits and 1 RBI, while Florial also had 2 hits for a multi-hit performance.
Lotte starter Park Se-woong delivered a quality start, throwing 6⅓ innings, allowing 7 hits, with 2 walks, 1 hit batter, 3 strikeouts, and 4 runs (3 earned), but received no offensive support, earning his 2nd loss of the season (8 wins). His personal 8-game winning streak ended. He pitched at a maximum speed of 150 km/h and an average of 148 km/h in 35 fastballs, in addition to 42 sliders, 18 forkballs, and 3 curveballs. Lotte's lineup was stifled by Weiss, managing only 5 hits and 1 run, allowing them to relinquish their 2nd place standing back to Hanwha.
Meanwhile, all 17,000 seats were sold out by 5:03 p.m. on that day for Hanwha. It marked the 23rd sellout of the season. 23 out of 26 home games in Daejeon have been filled to capacity, except for 3 games. Since the game against Kiwoom on the 13th of last month, Hanwha has achieved a remarkable 19 consecutive sellouts, extending their record for consecutive home sellouts in KBO history. Hanwha previously held the record with 17 consecutive home sellouts over the two seasons of 2023 and 2024.
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