The Hanwha Eagles concluded the first half with a thrilling walk-off comeback victory. Equally encouraging alongside their six-game winning streak and preparations for a first-place solo run was the performance of second-year left-handed starter Hwang Jun-seo.
Hanwha, led by manager Kim Kyung-moon, celebrated a 3-2 walk-off victory against the KIA Tigers in a home game held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park on the 10th.
Trailing 1-2 in the bottom of the 9th, they showcased their resilience against KIA's closing pitcher Jung Hae-young. With consecutive hits from Lee Jin-young and Choi In-ho, followed by a walk from Shim Woo-jun, they loaded the bases with one out. After drawing a walk that forced in a run from Luis Liberato to tie the game, Moon Hyun-bin delivered a walk-off hit in front of the right fielder, creating a dramatic finish.
Following a sweep against the Kiwoom Heroes last weekend and another sweep against KIA this week, Hanwha finished the first half with a record of 52 wins, 33 losses, and 2 ties (winning percentage .612). This victory widened the gap to 4.5 games against LG, who lost to Kiwoom 3-4 on the same day, solidifying Hanwha's position at the top.
Although the hero of the walk-off was Moon Hyun-bin, the foundation for the victory was laid by starter Hwang Jun-seo. With ace Cody Ponce resting after his appearance on the 4th against Kiwoom, manager Kim Kyung-moon gave Hwang Jun-seo a chance as a substitute starter. Despite facing KIA's ace James Neigh, Hwang Jun-seo ignited his fighting spirit, stating, 'I think it will be more fun than pressure. I will pitch just as well as Ponce.'
The confidence was well-founded. Hwang Jun-seo suppressed KIA's recently strong lineup over 6⅓ innings, allowing only 3 hits, no walks, recording 6 strikeouts, and conceding just 1 run. Hanwha's lineup failed to score until the 7th inning, so Hwang went down with a potential loss, but his performance was comparable to Neigh (6 innings, 3 hits allowed, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, no runs).
Although Hwang Jun-seo's first win of the season slipped away again, his pitching was impressive. He threw faster fastballs with a top speed of 148 km/h and an average speed of 144 km/h (38 of them) but tossed even more forks (48). He mixed in sliders (3) and curves (1). It was primarily a two-pitch mix of fastballs and forks, but the perfectly placed forks falling sharply and bold fastball approaches stood out.
He recorded 3 strikeouts with forkballs and 3 with fastballs. Notably, against Kim Ho-ryeong in the 2nd and Park Min in the 5th, he delivered low inside fastballs accurately, resulting in looking strikeouts on 3 pitches. After conceding the first run in the 4th, with one out and a runner on first base, he threw an inside fastball to Lee Woo-sung, inducing a ground ball to second base and completing a 4-6-3 double play without further runs.
Up to that day, Hwang Jun-seo recorded 1 win and 3 losses with an earned run average of 3.15 over 10 games (34⅓ innings) and struck out 30 batters. He began the season preparing in the second team, but he took advantage of the substitute starting opportunity that arose due to Eom Sang-baek's struggles in mid-May. He showcased competitiveness with an earned run average of 3.38 over 6 starting games, making it likely that he will enter the starting rotation in the second half.
Before the game, manager Kim Kyung-moon noted regarding the utilization of Eom Sang-baek, who has repeatedly underperformed, 'While (Eom) Sang-baek has been waiting behind (Hwang) Jun-seo, I will think about their positions in the second half.' This suggests a potential positional change for the two players. Hwang Jun-seo's excellent performance appears to have convincingly resolved some of Kim Kyung-moon's concerns.
After the game, manager Kim Kyung-moon said, 'I'm happy to have concluded the last game of the first half well and to have brought victory to the fans. Starter Hwang Jun-seo also did a great job fulfilling his role,' before acknowledging their contributions and added, 'All players maintained their focus until the end and gave their best.'
Concluding the first half on a positive note while confirming the card of 'starter Hwang Jun-seo,' Hanwha has geared up for solidifying their lead in the second half. The Hanwha players will take a two-day All-Star break from the 11th to the 12th, then resume training in Daejeon starting on the 13th. Following that, they will open the second half with a four-game series against KT in Suwon on the 17th.
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