▲ Manager Kim Kyung-moon ⓒ Photo by Kwak Hye-mi
[SPOTV News = Gocheok, Reporter Park Seung-hwan] “Noh Si-hwan did his job well.”
The Hanwha Eagles claimed an 11-5 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes in the third game of the season between the two teams at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 12th, marking their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Hanwha, which had already posted winning series against the KIA Tigers and LG Twins last week, carried that momentum into this matchup. In the top of the first inning, Hwang Young-muk was hit by a pitch, followed by a single from Jonathan Peraza and a walk to Kang Baek-ho, loading the bases with one out. Noh Si-hwan then crushed his third career grand slam off Kiwoom starter Bae Dong-hyun, giving Hanwha an early lead.
The Eagles continued to pile on runs. With one out and no one on base, consecutive singles by Lee Jin-young and Kim Tae-yeon set up a first-and-third situation, and a sacrifice fly by Choi Jae-hoon scored another run, making it 5-0 after just one inning. In the second, back-to-back doubles by Moon Hyun-bin and Kang Baek-ho added another run. Then in the fourth, four straight hits by Peraza, Moon Hyun-bin, Kang Baek-ho, and Noh Si-hwan drove in two more runs, pushing the lead to 8-0 and essentially sealing the game.
Starter Ryu Hyun-jin was flawless through the first three innings but allowed consecutive singles to An Chi-hong and Choi Joo-hwan in the fourth, followed by a sacrifice fly to Trenton Brooks, giving up his first run. In the bottom of the fifth, he quickly got two outs but then allowed a single to Seo Geon-chang and a walk to Im Byeong-uk before giving up a two-run single to An Chi-hong. Ryu finished with five innings pitched, three earned runs, and was then replaced.
▲ Ryu Hyun-jin and Manager Kim Kyung-moon ⓒ Photo by Kwak Hye-mi
▲ Kang Baek-ho ⓒ Photo by Kwak Hye-mi
▲ Noh Si-hwan ⓒ Photo by Kwak Hye-mi
Although Ryu Hyun-jin could only go five innings despite strong offensive support, it did little to affect the game’s outcome. In the top of the sixth, Kang Baek-ho blasted a solo home run to widen the gap. Kiwoom managed to pull one run back in the bottom of the sixth, but the five-run cushion held. Both teams traded single runs in the eighth, but Hanwha held on to secure the three-game sweep.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s final line: 5 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, 3 earned runs. While not spectacular given the run support, he earned his first career win at Gocheok, moving to 199 career victories. Offensively, Noh Si-hwan went 3-for-6 with a home run, five RBIs, and one run scored. Kang Baek-ho recorded three hits (including a home run), three RBIs, two runs scored, and two walks. Moon Hyun-bin added three hits, one RBI, and two runs scored.
After the game, Manager Kim Kyung-moon summarized the performance: “Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin pitched well and set a good tone for the game. The hitters, especially Noh Si-hwan with his grand slam, came through with timely runs and did their jobs. The bullpen also held the lead and finished the game well.”