'Oh, the first starter is holding his shoulder and is pulled out' — The 37-year-old pitcher who threw the day before was removed after 3 innings; earned his first win of the season: "The count battles are going well. I want to do my part."

*This content was translated by AI.

Although the team was leading 6-1, the sudden departure of the first starter in the middle of the game raised concerns. Moon Seung-won (37, SSG Landers) completely dispelled those worries. He pitched again the day after throwing, delivering a flawless performance that brought a smile to the manager's face.

On the 29th at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park, in the KBO League visit game against Hanwha Eagles, Moon Seung-won entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth inning with the team leading 6-1 and shut out the opposition for three scoreless innings.

After a five-game winning streak, the team had fallen into a two-game losing streak. Manager Lee Seung-yong reflected on the previous day's game before the match and expressed regret for using closer Jo Byeong-hyun for too long. "We know that a losing streak often follows a winning streak, so we wanted to win quickly to reset, but it wasn't easy," he said.

However, Moon Seung-won played a significant role in extending the game to extra innings the previous day. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the team leading 5-2, Kim Min, who had been pitching flawlessly all season, entered the game. After a walk and a defensive error, he allowed runs via a straight walk and a pitch hitting a batter. With Kim Min unable to throw strikes, Moon Seung-won was hastily brought in with the bases loaded and no outs.

Although he allowed a run on Choi Jae-hoon's sacrifice fly to left field, increasing the number of outs was more important. Moon Seung-won induced a ground ball to shortstop Lee Jin-young, picking off the runner who had advanced to second base, and then handed the ball to Jo Byeong-hyun with a one-run lead.

Before the game, Manager Lee expressed his wish: "We have high expectations today. Since White needs to pitch longer innings, we hope he takes an aggressive approach from the start." However, White's pitch count per inning far exceeded 20, and it was veteran pitcher Moon Seung-won who carried out the manager's wish.

In a situation where there was no room for retreat, Moon Seung-won, who was on standby in the bullpen, prepared for his appearance as hastily as the day before. White had pitched 85 pitches through the fourth inning, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 1 run, but did not appear in the bottom of the fifth. Moon Seung-won took the mound instead.

SSG Landers explained, "White felt tightness near his right shoulder, so he was replaced to protect the player."

Having thrown only 11 pitches the previous day, Moon Seung-won confidently dominated the Hanwha lineup despite the sudden appearance. He began nervously by allowing a straight walk to the first batter, Yonatan Peraza, but then cleanly handled the next three batters. Against Kang Baek-ho, he engaged in an eight-pitch full-count battle before striking him out with a dropping forkball to end the inning.

He allowed a hit-by-pitch and a single in the sixth and seventh innings respectively, permitting baserunners, but finished each inning without wavering. He threw 55 pitches over three innings, allowing just 1 hit, 2 walks, and recording 3 strikeouts in a scoreless performance. His fastball reached a top speed of 148 km/h. He threw 33 fastballs of two different types, mixing in forkballs, curves, and sliders to overpower the Hanwha batters.

After the game, Moon Seung-won said, "First, I'm happy that the team won. I feel proud to have played a good role in breaking the losing streak." He added, "Today, I was in a situation where I had to pitch long innings. We used the winning pitcher yesterday, and the score gap was large. I had a strong desire to do my part."

When he signed a multi-year non-free agent contract worth 5.5 billion won for five years after the 2022 season, he was expected to be a starting resource, but that expectation was not fully met. Last year, he mostly started games, posting a record of 4 wins and 7 losses with an ERA of 5.13, and this season he has been on standby in the bullpen.

Moon Seung-won said calmly, "My mindset toward baseball has always been the same. This year, I am in the bullpen, so I don't know when I will be called upon. Since appearances in the bullpen are more frequent than as a starter, I am focusing on quick recovery and managing my body."

Nevertheless, he has taken responsibility for 15 2/3 innings in 12 games, posting a record of 1 win, 1 hold, and an ERA of 1.15, delivering exceptional performance. He is effectively fulfilling the role of a winning pitcher. Moon Seung-won stated, "The count battles are going well. I am trying to read the flow, and that part is working the best. As a result, the games are unfolding well."

His goal is not big. "The top priority is not getting injured like last year," said Moon Seung-won, adding, "I want to play a full season in good health and contribute to better team results."

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*This content was translated by AI.