Hanwha's Park Jun-young made history in the KBO for the first time in 45 years! First-ever debut start win by a development player! Hanwha defeats LG 9-3 [Daejeon Live Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Hanwha Eagles, powered by the outstanding pitching of starter Park Jun-young (24) and a explosive lineup, defeated the LG Twins for the second consecutive day.

On the 10th, Hanwha secured a 9-3 victory over LG in a regular-season home game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With the 18th sellout crowd of the season drawing 17,000 spectators, Hanwha clinched a three-game winning series against LG with two wins and one loss, improving their record to 16 wins and 20 losses, just one step closer to a .500 winning percentage. Meanwhile, LG concluded the week with three wins and three losses, finishing at 22 wins and 14 losses without any progress.

The standout player was undoubtedly Hanwha's starting pitcher Park Jun-young. Park, a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Yeongil Elementary, Yeongnam Middle School, Chungam High School, and Cheongwon University, joined Hanwha as a development player this year. He shares the same name as Park Jun-young (23, 2022 2nd Round 1st Pick), who started against LG in Daejeon on the 8th.

Park Jun-young aggressively targeted strikes from the first pitch, pitching five innings with three hits allowed, three walks, and two strikeouts without allowing any runs, securing his first win in his KBO debut.

The lineup also supported the rookie's first win by concentrating 12 hits across both long and short hits. Heo In-seo went 3-for-4 with one home run, one RBI, and two runs scored; Hwang Young-mok went 3-for-4 with three RBIs; and Kang Baek-ho went 3-for-4 with one home run, one RBI, and two runs scored, delivering powerful hits.

Park Jun-young is the first player in the 45th-year history of the KBO to earn a debut start win as a development player. While 35 players have recorded a start win in their debut game, all were either first-round draft picks or selected through the draft.

In contrast, LG's starting pitcher Lachlan Wells struggled, allowing six runs (five earned) over 3⅓ innings with six hits allowed, two walks, and two strikeouts, making the start difficult. The lineup also managed only scattered seven hits, resulting in a loss.

On this day, Hanwha lined up Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Heo In-seo (catcher), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Lee Do-yoon (shortstop), and Hwang Young-mok (second baseman). Park Jun-young was the starting pitcher.

LG countered with Hong Chang-ki (center fielder), Koo Bon-hyeok (third baseman), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Cheon Seong-ho (right fielder), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Lee Young-bin (first baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). Lachlan Wells was the starting pitcher.

Hanwha attacked the LG mound from the very beginning. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, leadoff batter Kang Baek-ho opened the scoring with a massive double that struck the upper part of the left-field wall. Noh Si-hwan drew a walk, and Kim Tae-yeon followed with a one-RBI single to left field. Then, Hwang Young-mok, known as the "devil" against LG, hit a two-RBI triple that split the gap between center and left field, instantly building a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning with no outs and runners on first and third, Kang Baek-ho's ground ball into a double play allowed the runner from third, Peraza, to score. In the bottom of the 4th, leadoff batter Heo In-seo hit a single to left field off Wells' first pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Lee Do-yoon then hit a one-RBI triple down the right-field line, and Hwang Young-mok followed with a one-RBI single to left field, instantly extending the lead to 6-0.

In the middle of the game, two future stars of Hanwha created a massive arc. In the top of the 5th inning with two outs, Kang Baek-ho crushed Kim Jin-su's 145 km/h fastball, sending it soaring over the monster wall. The ball speed was 175 km/h, with a flight distance of 135 meters — his seventh home run of the season.

Heo In-seo, batting leadoff in the top of the 6th, also connected with Kim Jin-su's second pitch, a fastball on the outside corner, hitting a solo home run over the left-field wall. The ball speed was 175 km/h, with a flight distance of 135 meters — his seventh home run of the season.

LG finally mounted a late comeback. In the top of the 6th, Austin and Lee Jae-won's fielding errors allowed runners to reach base, creating a bases-empty situation with runners on first and second. Cheon Seong-ho's ground ball advanced the runners to second and third, and Song Chan-ui's ground ball was mishandled by Noh Si-hwan, allowing one run to score. In the top of the 7th with one out and bases loaded, Cheon Seong-ho hit another ground ball, scoring one more run to narrow the gap.

However, it was not enough to turn the tide. In the bottom of the 7th with one out and a runner on second, Hanwha added another run when Kang Baek-ho's ground ball was mishandled by Kim Jin-sung at first base, allowing the runner from second, Moon Hyun-bin, to score. LG failed to add any more runs and ultimately lost to Hanwha.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.