The Hanwha Eagles have surged to their second consecutive victory.
Hanwha won 6-4 against the Kiwoom Heroes in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 5th. With this victory, they secured a winning series during the weekend three-game set.
Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin recorded 5 innings with 5 hits allowed, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 3 runs (1 earned run). The bullpen, consisting of Park Sang-won (⅔ inning, no runs), Hwang Jun-seo (1⅓ inning, no runs), Ju Hyun-sang (1 inning, 1 run), and Han Seung-hyeok (1 inning, no runs), allowed a tie but ultimately preserved the victory. Han Seung-hyeok earned his second save of the season.
At the plate, Chae Eun-seong hit his 13th home run of the season, with 2 hits in 5 at-bats, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Liberato contributed with a decisive 2-run double, and Moon Hyun-bin had a game with 4 hits.
In the 4th inning, lead-off hitter Moon Hyun-bin got a hit, and Roh Si-hwan drew a walk. With one out and runners on first and third, Lee Jin-young hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, but pitcher Wells chose to throw home, allowing runner Moon Hyun-bin to safely score from third base for the first run. Following that, Choi Jae-hun delivered a timely hit to add another run.
In the 5th inning, Kiwoom's Kim Keon-hee hit a double with one out, quickly putting them in scoring position. With consecutive hits from Song Seong-moon and a walk from Lim Ji-yeol, Kiwoom had a bases-loaded chance with two outs, where Lee Joo-hyung drew a 1-RBI walk to score a run. On a play by Choi Joo-hwan, Ryu Hyun-jin made two errors, allowing Kiwoom to score twice and take the lead.
In the top of the 8th, Hanwha's Moon Hyun-bin reached base with a hit. Roh Si-hwan struck out, and although Kiwoom brought in closing pitcher Joo Seung-woo, Chae Eun-seong hit a go-ahead 2-run home run against Joo Seung-woo, leading Hanwha to a comeback.
In the bottom of the 8th, Kiwoom's Eo Jun-seo hit a game-tying solo home run with two outs, leveling the score. However, in the top of the 9th, Hanwha's lead-off hitter Shim Woo-jun drew a walk, and Lee Won-seok executed a sacrifice bunt to create a chance with one out and a runner on second base. Liberato hit a 1-RBI double to give Hanwha the lead again, and Moon Hyun-bin delivered a timely hit to seal the game.
After the game, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted in an interview, 'Although it didn't lead to a victory, Ryu Hyun-jin performed well as the starting pitcher. In a crucial moment, captain Chae Eun-seong's home run changed the momentum, and with timely hits from Liberato and Moon Hyun-bin, we were able to secure the win.' He added, 'I want to praise all our players for focusing and giving their best until the end.'
Hanwha, riding a two-game winning streak, has scheduled Ryan Weiss as their starting pitcher for the game on the 6th. Kiwoom's starting pitcher will be Park Joo-sung.
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