Manager Kim Kyung-moon held back on comments regarding the removal of Ha Ju-seok from the first-division roster, but expressed regret over the base-running in the bottom of the ninth inning. "It was a shame to miss a game we could have won." [Daejeon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon (68) refrained from commenting on Ha Ju-seok (32)'s exclusion from the first-division roster, yet expressed regret over the situation in the bottom of the ninth inning the previous day (the 8th).

Ahead of the home game against the LG Twins at the Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park on the 9th, part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, Hanwha made changes to its first-division roster.

Veteran infielder Ha Ju-seok, who displayed a disappointing base-running play the previous day, was sent to the Futures League team. In the game on the 8th, with the score tied 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth inning, one out, and runners on second and third base, Ha failed to score when Lee Do-yun hit a line drive to the right field, leaving behind a sense of regret.

Lee Won-seok hit the ball, and LG right fielder Hong Chang-gi attempted a sliding catch. At that moment, Ha Ju-seok, who was the runner on third base, hesitated and ultimately failed to score.

Hong Chang-gi's follow-up play was excellent. He caught the difficult hit and immediately threw accurately to home plate to prevent additional runs. However, predicting such a play was not easy, and if Ha had retouched third base in advance, it appeared he could have scored. Thus, this decision left a sense of regret.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon, who met with reporters before the game, explained, "Ha Ju-seok has worked hard since the opening game. It seemed his pace had dropped slightly. There are players waiting for their turn, and since (Hwang) Young-mok, (Lee) Do-yun, and (Ha) Ju-seok are all left-handed batters, we made one substitution."

He could not hide his regret over the base-running play in the bottom of the ninth. While the manager refrained from elaborating further, saying, "Since he was already removed, it doesn't seem necessary to discuss this again," he added, "It was indeed regrettable in many ways. With the starters out and replacements stepping in, it was a game we could have won if they had played with that level of effort. It's a shame we missed the opportunity. I want to praise the players for their hard work."

He also expressed gratitude to Lee Min-woo, who took over from the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs and carried the game to the end. Lee Min-woo pitched 3⅓ innings (62 pitches), allowing five hits, one hit-by-pitch, striking out one, and surrendering one run, but ended up as the losing pitcher.

Manager Kim said, "It was regrettable that he had to pitch until the end like that. Still, I think it's not bad that pitchers like (Lee) Sang-gyu and (Yoon) San-heum are stepping up and holding the line with strikes."

He continued, "Although San-heum and Sang-gyu threw relatively few pitches, they appeared on the mound a few times. We believe there is definitely time to jump in. In a few days, the pitchers we've been waiting for will return, and we aim to time it well."

On this day, Hanwha lined up with Lee Jin-young (center field), Yonatan Peraza (right field), Moon Hyun-bin (left field), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third base), Heo In-seo (catcher), Kim Tae-yeon (first base), Lee Do-yun (shortstop), and Hwang Young-mok (second base). The starting pitcher was Wang Yencheng.

Promoted to fill Ha Ju-seok's spot was promising power-hitting infielder Park Jeong-hyun (25). In the Futures League this year, Park Jeong-hyun played in 25 games, batting .340 (100 at-bats, 34 hits), with one home run, 18 RBIs, and three stolen bases, posting an on-base percentage of .346 and a slugging percentage of .460.

Sim Woo-jun will start on the bench for player protection. Manager Kim stated, "(Sim) Woo-jun has some pain around his neck, and it seems he had it even when he sat out yesterday (the 8th). Although he says he's fine to start in the lineup, since it's a day game, (Lee) Do-yun and (Hwang) Young-mok were chosen to start first."

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*This content was translated by AI.