Professional baseball Hanwha Eagles ace Cody Ponce (31) became the first to reach 10 wins this season. He became the first Hanwha pitcher and the seventh in league history to achieve 10 consecutive opening day wins. A bench-clearing incident occurred during the game due to a misunderstanding with an opposing batter, but he remained completely unfazed.

Ponce made the start in a home game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on the 22nd, leading Hanwha to a 10-4 victory with 5⅔ innings pitched, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, striking out 12, and giving up 2 runs (none earned).

This was his 10th win of the season, achieved without a loss since the opening. It marked the seventh time in KBO League history that a pitcher recorded 10 consecutive wins after the season opener. Following records of 14 wins by Hyundai Jeong Mintae in 2003, and KIA Hector Noesi in 2017, 13 consecutive wins by Doosan Seth Frankoff in 2018, and 12 consecutive wins by KT William Cuevas in 2023, it places him alongside Doosan Park Myung-hwan in 2005 and LG Adam Plutko in 2023, both with 10 consecutive wins.

With strong support from the batting lineup, Ponce did not allow a run until the fifth inning. He left the game with two outs and runners on first and second due to a fielding error in the sixth, with the bullpen allowing both inherited runners to score, but they were counted as unearned runs, lowering his season ERA from 2.16 to 2.01. He overwhelmed the Kiwoom batters with a fastball peaking at 159 km/h and averaging 155 km/h (45 pitches), along with changeups (27 pitches), curveballs (14 pitches), sliders (9 pitches), and two-seam fastballs (1 pitch).

In the third inning, a bench-clearing incident occurred during a confrontation with Kiwoom batter Lim Ji-yeol. Before throwing his second pitch with two outs and a runner on first, Ponce was warned by home plate umpire Moon Dong-kyun for a pitch clock violation. While about 6 seconds remained on the pitch clock, the umpire had cautioned him for delaying the pitch after the batter was ready.

In response, Ponce quickened his pitching tempo. He briefly paused in the set position before immediately going into his pitching motion. At that moment, umpire Moon Dong-kyun called time again, causing Lim Ji-yeol to step out of the batter's box. However, Ponce had already begun his pitching motion and threw the ball, which prompted Lim Ji-yeol to react angrily.

Seeing that umpire Moon Dong-kyun had given the play signal, Ponce questioned why time had been called. He protested toward the umpire, extending his fingers, which was misinterpreted by Lim Ji-yeol, who yelled at Ponce and approached the mound. As Ponce defended that he was protesting the umpire, a verbal exchange occurred between the two players, drawing both teams onto the field. Fortunately, the bench-clearing situation was resolved quickly without major conflict. In the ensuing at-bat, Ponce struck out Lim Ji-yeol on a swinging strikeout.

After the game, Ponce explained the situation in the third inning, saying, "The umpire gave me the play signal, so I threw the pitch, but I didn’t notice that (Lim Ji-yeol) was not ready in the batter's box. The pitch I threw was a slider, and after throwing it, I asked the umpire why he called time." He added, "I had no bad intentions toward the batter. During the game, my competitive spirit rises, and when someone says something, I instinctively react. I understand Lim Ji-yeol's position, and I had no bad intentions. It was a misunderstanding."

Ponce acknowledged that he had been warned by umpires for pitch clock violations several times since the opening game. For the sake of faster gameplay, umpires have the discretion to issue warnings to pitchers even when the pitch clock is still running. However, there is a certain ambiguity because it is based on the umpire's discretion without clear guidelines, and umpires appear to be particularly strict with Ponce, who is adept at managing his pitching tempo.

Ponce also admitted that he managed his tempo. However, he emphasized that it was not a violation of the pitch clock, but rather a matter of timing battles with the batter within the allotted time. He said, "If you maximize the use of the pitch clock, you can make it uncomfortable for the batter. The KBO League is not an easy place. Today, as well as every team, is difficult to face. Therefore, I try to utilize even the smallest elements. I see it as part of the game."

After back-to-back rainouts on the 20th and 21st, Ponce took the mound after the longest 7-day rest since the opening and threw a fastball peaking at 159 km/h, marking his highest speed of the season. Ponce noted, "I don't pay attention to velocity. I'm just really thankful for the team. I appreciate the fielders for their defensive and scoring support and the bullpen for their solid performance," adding, "I can't win in baseball by myself. I'm grateful to be on such a good team."

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