Ryu Hyun-jin's 'KKKKKKKK' Class Remains Unshaken: Hanwha Defeats KIA with Aderlin's Powerful Two Home Runs; What Are the Thoughts of 'Winning Coach' Kim Kyung-moon? [Gwangju On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Hanwha Eagles, led by Ryu Hyun-jin's outstanding pitching, subdued the KIA Tigers, resetting the midweek series record to 1 win and 1 loss.

On the 6th, Hanwha secured a 7-2 victory in an away game against KIA at the KIA Champions Field in Gwangju during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

With this win, Hanwha escaped a two-game losing streak, improving to 13 wins and 19 losses. Meanwhile, KIA failed to maintain its upward momentum from the previous day's (5th) 12-7 victory, finishing with 15 wins, 1 draw, and 17 losses.

On this day, Hanwha set its starting lineup in the following order: Hwang Young-mok (second baseman), Peraza (outfielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). Ryu Hyun-jin was the starting pitcher. Before this game, Ryu had appeared in five games this season, recording 2 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 3.60.

In response, KIA arranged its starting lineup as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Aderlin (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Dale (shortstop), Han Jun-soo (catcher), and Park Min (third baseman). Adam Oller was the starting pitcher. Before this game, Oller had started six games this season, recording 4 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 1.64.

Hanwha successfully took the early lead by scoring first in the bottom of the second inning. Leadoff batter Kang Baek-ho reached base on a walk, followed by Noh Si-hwan hitting a single to left field. Kim Tae-yeon successfully executed a sacrifice bunt, resulting in one out with runners on second and third. It seemed Kang Baek-ho would not score when Lee Won-seok hit a ground ball to third base, as he was tagged out at home plate. However, Choi Jae-hoon reached base on a straight walk, extending the bases-loaded opportunity. Sim Woo-jun then hit a two-run double to left-center field, making the score 2-0.

Hanwha extended its lead by one run with a powerful hit in the bottom of the third inning. With no runners and one out, Moon Hyun-bin, facing a 1-0 count, targeted Oller's second pitch, a fastball, and hit a solo home run over the center field wall. This was Moon Hyun-bin's sixth home run of the season.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Hanwha added two more runs, pulling ahead 5-0. After one out, Lee Won-seok hit a single to left field, and Choi Jae-hoon hit a double to left-center field, creating a bases-loaded opportunity. Sim Woo-jun then struck out swinging, but Hwang Young-mok hit a two-run double to left-center field, bringing Lee Won-seok home from third base. Peraza then drew a walk, extending the bases-loaded opportunity. During Moon Hyun-bin's at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Choi Jae-hoon to score from third base. The score became 5-0.

While Hanwha's batters were powering up, Ryu Hyun-jin was delivering an excellent performance on the mound, allowing no runs through the fifth inning. The player who finally broke through was Aderlin. Aderlin, who made his debut for KIA the previous day as a substitute foreign player, stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning with no runners and two outs. The count was 1-1. He then targeted Ryu Hyun-jin's third pitch, a high outside changeup, and hit a solo home run over the left-center field wall. This was the moment Aderlin hit back-to-back home runs in consecutive games.

Hanwha then added one run in the eighth inning, effectively sealing the game. Leadoff batter Kim Tae-yeon reached base on a straight walk, and after Lee Won-seok's sacrifice bunt, he advanced to second base. Choi Jae-hoon's ground ball to third base ended the threat, but Sim Woo-jun hit a two-run single to left field, bringing Kim Tae-yeon home from second base. The score became 6-1. In the top of the ninth inning, Kang Baek-ho hit a solo home run, achieving his career milestone of 600 RBIs (85th all-time). In the bottom of the ninth, KIA's leadoff batter Aderlin hit a solo home run over the center field wall. Aderlin displayed his power by hitting three home runs in two games, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

Hanwha's starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin's class remained intact. He recorded 6 innings, 4 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 8 strikeouts, and 1 earned run, earning the win. With this victory, Ryu Hyun-jin achieved 3 wins (2 losses) this season and reached 120 career wins in the KBO League. His total pitch count for the day was 85. Jo Dong-wook (1 inning, no hits, 1 walk, scoreless), Lee Min-woo (1 inning, no hits, 1 strikeout, scoreless), and Cushing (1 inning, 1 hit allowed, 3 strikeouts, 1 run, 1 earned run) pitched in succession. In Hanwha's lineup, which recorded a total of 9 hits, Lee Won-seok and Sim Woo-jun both delivered multi-hit performances.

On the other hand, KIA's starting pitcher Oller recorded 6 innings, 7 hits allowed, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 5 earned runs, taking the loss. His total pitch count was 101. Jang Jae-hyuk (2 innings, 1 hit allowed, 2 walks, 1 run, 1 earned run) and Kim Geon-guk (1 inning, 1 hit allowed, 3 strikeouts, 1 run, 1 earned run) pitched in succession. Although Aderlin hit two home runs for KIA, the team managed only scattered 5 hits.

After the game, Hanwha's "winning coach" Kim Kyung-moon said, "Ryu Hyun-jin perfectly fulfilled his role as a starting pitcher and came down. The position players also showed focused performance in scoring opportunities. Especially, Sim Woo-jun, who recorded three RBIs, along with the lower-order batters who contributed with hits and RBIs, were key factors."

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*This content was translated by AI.