Outfielder Luis Liberato (30), who came to Korea after signing a six-week contract with the Hanwha Eagles, made a strong debut with three hits in his first game. Estevan Florial (28), who is briefly in the U.S. recovering from a finger injury and on parental leave, also remains on edge.

In the home game against the Kiwoom Heroes held at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on the 22nd, Liberato started as the second batter and center fielder, contributing with three hits, including a double, in five at-bats and one RBI, leading Hanwha to a 10-4 victory. He made a fiery debut in front of 17,000 home fans, marking the 33rd sold-out game of the season.

On the 8th, during the game against KIA in Gwangju, Florial was hit by a pitch from Jeong Hae-young in the 10th inning, leading to a fracture in his right pinky finger and placement on the foreign rehabilitation list on the 17th. Liberato, who was chosen as an injury replacement foreign player, signed a contract worth a total of $50,000 for six weeks. After arriving in Korea from the Mexican League on the 19th, Liberato immediately prepared for the Kiwoom game on the 20th, but rain delayed his debut by two days until the 21st.

In his first at-bat in the first inning, he was retired on a fly ball to left field. After seeing a forkball that missed high outside on the first pitch from Kiwoom's starting pitcher Raul Alcantara with no outs and a runner on first, he swung at a 149 km/h fastball that came in low and outside for the second pitch. Although he was out, he showed good responsiveness by sending the ball to the outfield.

In the second inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, he recorded his first hit. He swung at the first pitch forkball from Alcantara but fouled it. He then pulled a 152 km/h fastball that came high inside for the second pitch, landing a hit in front of the right fielder. It seemed like it could be a timely hit, but runner Choi Jae-hun on second hesitated at third, and the runner on second, Shim Woo-jun, was tagged out while trying to run to third. The inning ended without an RBI.

In the fourth inning, he succeeded in achieving multi-hits. After fouling off Alcantara's first pitch forkball, he lightly connected with a 152 km/h fastball that came high and middle for a hit to center-right. His quick and concise swing, which accurately met a high fastball, stood out.

In the fifth inning, he targeted a left-handed pitcher. With two outs and a runner on third, he pulled a 139 km/h fastball that came high inside from rookie Jeong Se-young for a hit that dropped to the right of center field. He hit a timely two-base hit that brought home the third runner, boldly advancing to second base while seizing on a defensive gap. This made the score 9-0.

Having just played one game, hitting three hits already demonstrates his basic contact ability. He successfully targeted all three hits with fastballs, making consecutive solid hits from Alcantara's fastballs that clocked at 152 km/h. He also showed proactivity by swinging during the first and second pitches in his first four at-bats.

After the game, Liberato noted, "I feel good. I tried to stay focused each time I stepped up to the plate. The first hit was tough to get as it was a high pitch inside, but luckily, it turned into a hit. I always aim to hit aggressively when the ball comes into the zone, and the results were good. I was also familiar with the ABS zone from my time in the U.S."

Experiencing a game in front of a packed crowd of 17,000 from the debut was thrilling. He said, "Hearing the fans' cheers made me incredibly happy. The fans supported us with loud cheers, which seems to have boosted the team's morale."

He also experienced a rare bench-clearing incident starting from his KBO debut. In the third inning with two outs and a runner on first, Hanwha's starting pitcher Cody Ponce received a pitch clock violation from the umpire before throwing his second pitch to Kiwoom's Im Ji-yeol. Following this, Ponce threw the ball before the play call was made, and Im Ji-yeol reacted sensitively before preparing for the at-bat, resulting in a tension between the two players. Ponce protested to the umpire, and Im Ji-yeol expressed dissatisfaction with Ponce throwing the ball without being prepared to bat.

Misunderstandings arose between them, but the situation was quickly resolved without any physical confrontation. Liberato, who ran from center field to calm Ponce on the mound, remarked, "The bench-clearing was fun. I thought I had to hit harder in my next at-bat and acknowledged, although the batter did well, I also made mistakes in my outfield defense. I need to focus more on defense." In the seventh inning, a double by Im Ji-yeol came within Liberato's range, but he narrowly missed catching the ball due to its late dive.

During his aggressive baserunning play on the double in the fifth inning, Liberato stated, "Being aggressive is always my style. Although it's a six-week short-term contract, I am not concerned about what happens after that. If I give my best over the next six weeks, nobody knows the result thereafter. I will always do my best."

Having played just one game, Hanwha showcased its overwhelming power against Kiwoom in both pitching and hitting. Liberato commented, "I could feel why Hanwha is the top team," sharing that he has a total of seven championship titles. "I have won three times in the U.S. and won last year in both the Dominican Republic and Mexico," he subtly appealed. It's noteworthy if Liberato will break free from the temporary label after six weeks, having made a solid start for the top-ranking Hanwha.

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