The Hanwha Eagles have soared to the top of the standings, riding the momentum of the season’s early season high.
Hanwha won 8-5 against KT Wiz in the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to six games after losing its opening game on April 24 against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
On the other hand, KT, which was considered a pre-season favorite, reported its first win against the Doosan Bears on the 28th to end a four-game losing streak to open the season, but fell to 10th place after losing its second straight game against the top-ranked Hanwha. Starter Uhm Sang-baek suffered his second loss of the season after giving up four runs on four hits (two home runs) with three walks and four strikeouts in three innings.
It’s a fearsome Hanwha rise. It’s only the fourth time in the team’s 26-year history that Hanwha has won six of its opening seven games. Hanwha, which in recent seasons has been labeled as the “neighborhood book” and often preyed on by stronger teams as it struggled early in the season, has jumped out to a six-game winning streak to start the season.
Hanwha scored four runs in the top of the third inning behind Felix Peña.
One out later, Jonathan Peraza hit a changeup from KT’s Uhm Sang-baek for a leadoff solo home run (his third of the season) over the left-center field fence. Noh Si-hwan followed with an RBI double, and Ahn Chi-hong hit a high fastball for a two-run homer. In the fourth inning, Jung Eun-won tripled and Moon Hyun-bin sacrificed him in for a run to make it 4-0.
With run support, Peña gave up a two-run homer to Bae Jae-dae in the top of the fifth, but Ha Joo-seok followed up his game-winning hit the day before with a triple to right. After Peña went down, there was some danger, but the bullpen was able to put out the fire.
With runners on first and second in the eighth inning, Moon Hyun-bin hit a two-run double to center field to make it 6-3.
Peña picked up his second win of the season, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings. Once again, Hanwha’s starting pitcher picked up the win. Aside from Ryu, Hanwha’s other four starters all picked 안전놀이터 up wins.
The Hanwha Eagles’ meteoric rise has Daejeon baseball fans screaming happily, “The Hanwha Eagles are crazy” as they enjoy “real happy baseball. The team is on the verge of making history by selling out its first ever three-game home opener.
Following the home opener on the 29th, which was called by Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon and pitched by Ryu Hyun-jin, Hanwha Life Eagles Park was sold out (12,000 seats). At this rate, the 31st game is likely to be sold out as well. The starting pitcher is Hwang Jun-seo (19), the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 rookie draft. Kim Min-woo, the No. 3 starter, is scheduled to take the mound, but he is out due to a sudden bout of gallbladder symptoms. Choi Won-ho chose Hwang Jun-seo, who has been refining his pitching in the second team, as his replacement.