"What crime did Wang Yen-ching commit?" Conceding a staggering 6 runs due to errors, the Hanwha defense is left sighing [Daejeon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The ace pitcher surrendered three runs and was pulled after five innings, yet his earned run average (ERA) dropped into the single digits. This occurred because the defense failed to support Wang Yanching (25·Hanwha Eagles) at critical moments, and all runs were recorded as unearned.

Hanwha lost 1-6 to the Samsung Lions in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Bulls Park on the 16th.

Hanwha, mired in a six-game losing streak, remained in a tie for seventh place with a record of six wins and 10 losses.

It was a shocking three-game series. Even though the games were held on weekdays, the stands were always packed with enthusiastic fans. The streak of sold-out games continued for 11 consecutive matches since the opening.

However, they failed to repay that enthusiasm. In the game on the 14th, pitchers recorded 18 walks and hit batters, an unprecedented disgrace in KBO League history. As a result, they could not maintain a 5-1 lead and suffered a 5-6 comeback loss.

On the 15th, Gyeonggi also recorded 10 walks and committed three fielding errors. Starting pitcher Will Hernandez allowed seven runs from the first inning, causing the momentum to shift early, which somewhat overshadowed the fact that two of the errors directly resulted in runs, a situation that must be carefully reviewed.

That day, more fatal scenes unfolded. In the bottom of the second inning with one out, Jeon Byeong-woo's hit was not fielded by shortstop Ha Ju-seok, allowing the runner to advance to second base. Subsequently, Lee Jae-hyun's single sent the runner home.

In the third inning, with one out and a runner on first, Park Jeong-hyun fielded a ground ball hit by Ryu Ji-hyeok but made an error on the throw, allowing all runners to reach base safely. He then chased a fly ball hit by Jeon Byeong-woo but failed to catch it. Although officially recorded as a hit, the defensive play was regrettable. This resulted in one unearned run, and Lee Jae-hyun's sacrifice fly added two more runs. All three runs allowed by Wang Yen-ching were unearned.

With the team trailing 1-3 while chasing a single run, a critical error occurred in the bottom of the 7th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Yonatan Ferrara appeared to field Lee Jae-hyun's hit ball, suggesting the inning would end, but Ferrara dropped the ball he seemed to have secured. A play so unbelievable it made one doubt their eyes allowed two runners to score.

While attention has focused on Hanwha's shaky defense this season, their offense has also shown equally unsettling instability. With 22 errors in 16 games, they are unequivocally the team with the most errors.

Especially for Wang Yen-ching, misfortune has been concentrated. In four games this season, he pitched 22⅔ innings and allowed 10 runs, of which only 4 were earned runs. This means that had there been no errors, the score would not have included 6 unearned runs. Despite allowing 3 runs in today's game, his season earned run average (ERA) dropped further from 2.04 to 1.59.

If this trend continues, they could end up with the unfortunate nickname "Wang Cry." It appears that Yanqing is the most depressed player on Hanwha, where both the defense and the pitching staff are struggling.

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*This content was translated by AI.