The Korean professional baseball team Hanwha Eagles won despite closer Kim Seo-hyeon's first blown save of the season. They scored six runs in a big inning in the top of the 9th, and Kim Seo-hyeon recorded his first win of the season despite allowing three runs in the blown save.
Hanwha won the away game against the NC Dinos in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League 9-6 at Changwon NC Park on the 31st. In the top of the 9th, they had another explosive big inning, scoring six runs that included Roh Si-hwan's game-winning walk. Chae Eun-seong made a significant contribution with a homer in the 6th and a two-RBI double in the 9th, finishing with two hits, three RBIs, and two walks.
In the 8th inning, with Hanwha leading 3-2 and two outs, Kim Seo-hyeon was inserted early. He allowed the runner on third to score on a wild pitch for his first blown save of the season. He pitched 1⅓ innings but gave up three runs on three hits and a wild pitch, managing to secure his first win of the season on his 21st birthday.
Hanwha maintained its position in second place with 34 wins and 23 losses (.596 winning percentage) after defeating NC for two consecutive days. Eighth place NC fell to a five-game losing streak with 23 wins, 27 losses, and three ties (.460).
Hanwha took the first lead. In the top of the 1st inning, the leadoff batter Floriel hit a triple down the right-field line against NC starter Kim Nok-won. Although Han Ju-suk grounded into a ball in front of the pitcher, Floriel was caught in a rundown and was easily out, but Moon Hyun-bin's single to center, a stolen base at second, and a walk by Roh Si-hwan helped create a bases-loaded situation. Although Chae Eun-seong flew out to the second baseman, Lee Jin-young drew a walk after a full count to score the first run.
After failing to convert a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 1st with one out and runners on first and second, NC grabbed another chance in the bottom of the 2nd. With one out, Kim Hwi-jip hit a deep triple down the right-field line. Hanwha right fielder Lee Jin-young could not catch the ball cleanly, allowing him to reach third. Then, Cheon Jae-hwan hit a high fastball from Eom Sang-baek to bring Kim Hwi-jip home. The score was tied at 1-1.
In the 5th inning, both teams exchanged a run each. In the top of the 5th, Hanwha took the lead with a double by Floriel that went over the right fielder's head, followed by a timely hit to right field by Moon Hyun-bin off the new pitcher Son Joo-hwan. In response, in the bottom of the 5th, NC tied it at 2-2 with a single by Kim Joo-won and another single by Park Min-woo, followed by a sacrifice fly from Matt Davidson.
In the top of the 6th, Hanwha regained the lead with a home run. Leading off, Chae Eun-seong hit a slider from Son Joo-hwan that was left over the middle at 138 km/h, sending it over the left-center fence for a distance of 125 meters, marking his 8th home run of the season. Chae Eun-seong, who had hit six home runs in the last 11 games, also reached a milestone of 2,000 career hits in the KBO League, becoming the 73rd player to achieve this.
NC did not back down easily. In the 8th inning, against Hanwha setup man Han Seung-hyeok, Oh Young-soo reached base with a walk, and pinch runner Park Young-bin successfully stole second. With two outs and a runner on third after Kim Hwi-jip's ground ball to second, Hanwha made a risky move by inserting closer Kim Seo-hyeon earlier. However, Kim Seo-hyeon, returning after two days off, threw consecutive balls to Cheon Jae-hwan. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon called catcher Choi Jae-hun to the mound to relay instructions, but Choi Jae-hun missed the third pitch that caught the outside border for a strike. The runner on third scored, ending Kim Seo-hyeon's scoreless streak for the season.
However, Kim Seo-hyeon struck out Cheon Jae-hwan swinging to end the 8th inning, and Hanwha had another opportunity in the top of the 9th. Against NC closer Ryu Jin-wook, the table setters Floriel and Han Ju-suk hit consecutive singles to right, and after a seven-pitch battle, Moon Hyun-bin drew a walk to load the bases. Roh Si-hwan followed with another seven-pitch battle, also drawing a walk to give Hanwha a 4-3 lead.
The next batter, Chae Eun-seong, hit a ground ball that bounced high in front of the third baseman, turning into a two-RBI double that made it 6-3. NC requested a video review, but the call remained a fair ball instead of a foul. NC manager Lee Ho-jun protested the video review result and was ejected.
In the continued situation with one out and runners on second and third, Roh Si-hwan scored from third on a ground ball by Kim Tae-yean. With two outs and a runner on second, Choi Jae-hun hit a one-RBI double to left, followed by a timely hit to right by Lee Do-yoon. They scored six runs in the top of the 9th, widening the score to 9-3. Kim Seo-hyeon, who took the mound in the 9th with a six-run lead, gave up three runs due to three hits and a wild pitch but managed to pitch 1⅓ innings to earn his first win of the season. Before this appearance, Kim Seo-hyeon had a 0.67 ERA with two earned runs over 27 innings across 28 games, but he struggled today, raising his ERA to 1.59.
In Hanwha's batting lineup, Chae Eun-seong contributed significantly with two hits, three RBIs, and two walks, leading the victory, including a home run. Both Floriel and Moon Hyun-bin recorded three hits each. NC closer Ryu Jin-wook did not retire a single batter and suffered his first loss of the season, allowing three hits, two walks, and three earned runs. In the lineup, Han Seok-hyun, Kim Hwi-jip, Cheon Jae-hwan, and Kim Jeong-ho each had two hits. Catcher Kim Jeong-ho, who made his first-team debut the previous day (30th), recorded a multi-hit game by also hitting a single off Kim Seo-hyeon in the bottom of the 9th.
[OSEN]