Hanwha Eagles Manager Kim Kyung-moon decided to give his ace Cody Ponce (31) a break for the remainder of the first half.
On the 5th, Manager Kim Kyung-moon said in an interview before the game against Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome that 'Ponce has thrown more innings than he did in Japan. Since he has thrown a lot in the first half, even though he has one more appearance left, I thought it was time to give him a break.'
Hanwha set its starting lineup with Lee Won-seok (left fielder), Luis Liberato (center fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (designated hitter), Roh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Lee Jin-young (right fielder), Ha Ju-suk (second baseman), Choi Jae-hun (catcher), and Shim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Ryu Hyun-jin. Ponce has been removed from the first-team roster, and Heo In-seo has been called up.
Ponce has recorded 11 wins and an earned run average of 1.85 over 18 games (115⅔ innings) this season. He leads the league in earned run average, wins, and strikeouts (161). On the 4th, although he did not become the winning pitcher against Kiwoom, he delivered a strong performance with 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. With this appearance, Ponce finished the first half on a positive note while maintaining the record of 11 consecutive wins.
Manager Kim Kyung-moon praised Ponce's first-half performance, saying, 'If it's not now, there won't be another chance to rest. He has absorbed a lot of innings until now, and if he pitches one more game, he has to rest for two days and then pitch again in the All-Star game. I discussed it well with the pitching coach and made a decision. What the manager can do for a pitcher who has thrown hard is only this.'
According to the pitching schedule, Ponce was supposed to pitch against KIA on the 10th. With the decision to give Ponce a rest, Hwang Jun-seo is expected to step in as the replacement starting pitcher. Manager Kim Kyung-moon noted, 'Currently, it seems highly likely that Jun-seo will pitch.'
Roh Si-hwan, batting sixth in the last game, hit a decisive home run in the ninth inning. In this game, he returned to his original spot as the fourth batter. Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, 'Originally, he is the fourth batter. This was an opportunity to try batting sixth. He hit an important home run yesterday, and I think he played well for the team in various ways. Rather than having his batting order change frequently, it would be better for Roh to do well batting fourth.'
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