'Starting pitcher Jung Woo-ju' pitched 4 innings with 4 strikeouts and 1 earned run, earning a decision against An Woo-jin... "I will pitch even better," responding to Coach Dal's trust [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

There were no two failures. Jung Woo-ju (20, Hanwha Eagles), who transformed into a starting pitcher, delivered a performance that surpassed the league's top pitcher, An Woo-jin (27, Kiwoom Heroes), bringing a smile to the manager's face.

On the 14th, Jung Woo-ju started against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game, throwing 73 pitches over 4 innings for 1 hit allowed, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 1 earned run in a strong outing.

Jung Woo-ju, who entered the league as the second overall pick last year and performed in the relief rotation, continued to struggle in the bullpen this season before switching to the starting rotation. He struggled in his first game, but today was different.

In the game against the KIA Tigers on the 7th, Jung was pulled early after allowing 1 hit, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs in just 1⅔ innings. Nevertheless, Manager Kim said, "I think we should give (Jung) Woo-ju the opportunity first," and added, "After watching him pitch about three times, I plan to discuss it with the pitching coach."

Manager Kim stated, "As a manager, I always want a starter to pitch at least five innings," and added, "I think Woo-ju will pitch well today. The pitch count should be decided in consultation with the pitching coach as the innings progress."

The fact that the opponent was An Woo-jin raised expectations further. Jung Woo-ju is also a pitcher evaluated as a future leader of Korean baseball, and Manager Kim expressed his expectations. Regarding the matchup against An Woo-jin, he said, "I actually think Woo-ju will pitch better," showing his confidence.

Jung Woo-ju started the bottom of the first inning with a three-up, three-down, and showcased dominant pitching in the second inning with two strikeouts. He ended the third inning with another three-up, three-down.

The fourth inning was disappointing. He allowed a hit-by-pitch to leadoff hitter An Chi-hong, but got Choi Ju-hwan to fly out to right field and Im Byung-wook to fly out to shortstop. However, when he induced a high pop fly to right fielder Trenton Brooks, the infielders failed to communicate effectively and missed the ball. During that time, the runner from first base advanced to second, then third, and scored. For Jung Woo-ju, it was regrettable that he gave up a run that didn't need to be scored.

However, he remained steady afterward. He induced a fly out to center field against Park Ju-hong and calmly closed out the inning.

While the pitching performance was flawless, it was too much to ask for more. Jung Woo-ju, who started against Kiwoom on September 15 last year and threw 54 pitches to set a personal record for most pitches in a game, threw 73 pitches today, far exceeding that record. In the postseason, he threw 67 pitches in the fourth game of the playoffs against Samsung Lions on October 22 last year, a record he also surpassed.

An Woo-jin allowed 5 hits and 3 earned runs through 5 innings. He even gave up his first home run of the season to Kim Tae-yeon. Although he struck out 7 batters with terrifying pitches, he was overwhelmed by the Hanwha lineup's aggressive approach, surrendered more runs than Jung Woo-ju, and left the mound with the loss. As Manager Kim said, Jung Woo-ju stood out more on this day.

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*This content was translated by AI.