"We'll definitely rise" Wolf returns → Daejeon team on winning streak? Hanwha's junior, No Si-hwan, also returns

*This content was translated by AI.

With Wolf's return, Hanwha Eagles, which has been on a winning streak, gains another reliable ally.

The 2024-born "Wolf" is the escaped wolf that recently stirred up South Korea. On the morning of the 8th, the wolf escaped from O-World located in Daejeon Metropolitan City, drawing nationwide attention. Fortunately, it was captured at 0:44 a.m. on the 17th without any loss of life or property damage and returned safely.

Coincidentally, after the wolf returned, professional sports teams in the Daejeon area went on a winning streak, becoming a hot topic. It began on the 18th when Daejeon Hana Citizen of K League 1 defeated FC Seoul 1-0 in professional soccer. Later that same day in professional baseball, Hanwha crushed Lotte Giants 5-0, and on the following day, the 19th, secured a 9-1 victory over Lotte.

Especially for Hanwha, it was an even more dramatic winning streak. Before the victory on the 18th, Hanwha had been stuck in a slump with six consecutive losses. With unnecessary controversies added, external perceptions of Hanwha had reached their worst.

However, eldest brother Ryu Hyun-jin (39) turned the tide with a perfect seven-inning scoreless performance. Following him, foreign pitcher Will Hernandez (27), who had previously pitched a disastrous 1/3 inning with seven runs allowed, continued the momentum with a six-inning scoreless performance that sparked a turnaround.

The comeback held even greater significance as it came ahead of a decisive match against LG Twins, a championship contender they faced in last year's Korean Series. Moon Hyun-bin (22) was one of the key players who led the team to victory on the 19th with five at-bats, four hits (including one home run), four RBIs, one strikeout, and two runs scored.

Moon Hyun-bin said, "It's great that we can now head to Jamsil in good spirits. Since LG is the team above us, if we can beat them, we'll be able to return to Daejeon in an even better mood," expressing his strong desire to win. There was one more thing Hanwha and Moon Hyun-bin were looking forward to: No Si-hwan (26), the "Eagles' fourth batter" they will face at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon announced on the 18th that "No Si-hwan is scheduled to join the first team after playing in a Futures League game on Monday (the 20th). He will practice with the first-team players on Tuesday and Wednesday (21st–22nd) and is expected to be promoted on Thursday (23rd)."

This marks his return just ten days after being excluded from the first-team roster on the 12th. Ahead of this season, No Si-hwan signed an 11-year, 30.7 billion won non-exclusive free agent (FA) multi-year contract with Hanwha. It was the first contract in KBO history exceeding nine years and 30 billion won.

In his first season, which began with high expectations, he left a disappointing impression with a batting average of 0.145 (8 hits in 55 at-bats) in 13 games, three RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.230, a slugging percentage of 0.164, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.394. Along with the team's poor performance, manager Kim Kyung-moon decided to send No Si-hwan down from the first team to relieve his burden. The reason he did not play for some time after being excluded from the first-team roster was also in the same context.

His performance against the Futures team was not important at all. He focused solely on returning to actual competition. In the three-game series against Ulsan Whales, No Si-hwan started as the leadoff batter in all three games. He played as a designated hitter in the first game and at third base in the remaining two games, working hard to regain his game sense and adapt.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "(No) Si-hwan wasn't sent down because he lacked ability, was it? It was a mental issue. He is a player with a strong sense of responsibility, so when things didn't go well, he must have been under almost manager-level stress. That's why we wanted him to rest and feel a bit more at ease."

The trust from teammates remained unchanged. Moon Hyun-bin expressed his affection, saying, "I have always believed that (No) Si-hwan will do well. He even got a hit yesterday (18th)." He added, "Si-hwan has such a strong mentality that I have no worries at all. By the end of the season, he will hit over 20 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs. So I told him to find his rhythm quickly and come back up," he laughed.

Even without No Si-hwan, Hanwha had the league's strongest lineup. During the period when No Si-hwan was absent, Hanwha hit .287 (first in the league) with an OPS of 0.754 (fourth) in five games, overwhelming opposing pitchers. With the fourth batter, who has found his hitting rhythm, joining the lineup, the power will be beyond imagination.

Moon Hyun-bin mentioned the "umbrella effect," saying, "Lee Won-seok is really doing well right now. Also, Kang Baek-ho and Peraza are playing well, so I think pitchers are targeting them, which means I'm getting some mistakes too."

He continued, "Our pitchers are also very good, so I believe things will definitely improve. We've definitely started a winning streak, and the team atmosphere is very good. We always believe our lineup is strong, so if we keep going like this, we'll win more games," he said with determination.

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*This content was translated by AI.