'Eight pitchers go all out → LG Twins defeated for the first time in six months' Hanwha's Kim Kyung-moon: "Noh Si-hwan at the fourth spot injected positive energy" [Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

The LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles met again for the first time in six months. Was it the desperate desire to avoid a three-game losing streak? Hanwha went all out and ultimately secured a valuable victory.

Under the leadership of manager Kim Kyung-moon (68), Hanwha defeated the LG Twins 8-4 in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game held at Jamsil Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd.

Despite winning 7-3 in the third game of the Korean Series on October 29 last year, Hanwha had to watch the championship ceremony at home and had already suffered two consecutive losses in this three-game series, so they entered the game with even stronger determination to win.

It was also Noh Si-hwan's return game after signing a contract worth 30.7 billion won over 11 years, the highest amount in KBO League history. Manager Kim Kyung-moon, who had been struggling with a batting average of 0.145 (8 hits in 55 at-bats) without a single home run in 13 games this season and was sent to the 2nd team, brought Noh Si-hwan back and placed him at the fourth spot in the lineup.

Hanwha made an early strategic move by replacing temporary starter Hwang Jun-seo, who had thrown 2⅔ innings with 44 pitches and allowed two runs (one earned), in the middle of the third inning. This was a full-scale effort involving eight pitchers: Kim Seo-hyun, followed by Jo Dong-wook (⅓ inning), Park Sang-won (⅔ inning), Jung Woo-ju (1 inning), Lee Min-woo (1⅓ innings), and Kim Jong-soo (⅓ inning).

The lineup showed its power. Starting with Yonatan Peraza's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning while trailing 0-2, Noh Si-hwan hit his first home run of the season against reliever Ham Deok-ju. Hanwha then took the lead by adding another run, followed by Moon Hyun-bin's solo home run in the fifth inning and Hwang Young-mok's two-run single in the sixth inning.

Jack Cushing was brought in one pitch earlier in the eighth inning, and in the bottom of the ninth, Hanwha added two more runs by taking advantage of an opponent's error, sealing the victory. Although Austin Dean hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, keeping Hanwha on edge until the end, they ultimately secured the win.

After the game, manager Kim Kyung-moon praised the team, saying, "All players played well," and added, "Both pitchers and batters fulfilled their roles, allowing us to win the final game of the three-game series."

Most importantly, Noh Si-hwan's performance was a welcome sight. Before the game, he said, "I didn't expect to do well from the start. I need to take it slow and ease the pressure. It's not just Noh Si-hwan; anyone who is a free agent feels stressed when they don't deliver results. So, I hope we can relax a bit, smile with our teammates, and play with ease."

Despite concerns about his ability, he was entrusted with the crucial role of hitting fourth. Manager Kim said, "After all, isn't Noh Si-hwan our team's fourth hitter?" Ultimately, Noh Si-hwan led the lineup with two hits in four at-bats, one walk, one RBI, and one run, including a decisive home run.

Manager Kim credited Noh Si-hwan, saying, "Our fourth hitter, Noh Si-hwan, hit a home run in his first game back, injecting positive energy into the team."

With the two-game losing streak broken and today's victory, Hanwha improved to 9 wins and 12 losses, moving up one spot to joint sixth place. They will now head to Daejeon to face the NC Dinos.

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*This content was translated by AI.