*This content was translated by AI.
"You really have to be careful with your words."
Moon Hyun-bin (22), who led the Hanwha Eagles to a thrilling walk-off two-run home run, threw his hands and feet up in admiration for the seniors' even more impressive performances.
On the 15th, Moon Hyun-bin started at third in the batting order and as left fielder in the visiting game against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBIs, one run scored, and one strikeout, leading Hanwha to a 5-3 victory.
With KT recording 11 hits and Hanwha 8 hits, the game was decided by the focus of the middle-of-the-order batters. KT's cleanup hitters went 2-for-13 with one RBI and one walk in silence, but Hanwha's top batters collected hits in every scoring position.
In the bottom of the fourth inning with Hanwha trailing 0-1, one out, and a runner on first base, Moon Hyun-bin crushed Go Young-pyo's high fastball for a two-run home run over the right-field wall. It was his eighth home run of the season with a distance of 125 meters. In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs, he hit a triple that split the gap between left and center field, but he did not score as the following batters failed to deliver.
After the game, Moon Hyun-bin met with reporters and said, "I was certain it went over the moment it was hit. The count was unfavorable. My reaction to fastballs hasn't been great, so I thought a fastball might come in. I swung with the intention of not missing it. And it seems I'm able to give this interview because my senior, Do-yoon, made a great defensive play. I'll give the credit to Do-yoon."
The celebration was quite large, largely due to his recent poor hitting form. Moon Hyun-bin has been batting .244 (11-for-45) with two home runs in his last 10 games.
Regarding the home run celebration, Moon Hyun-bin said, "I've been doing poorly lately. It was a walk-off home run, and it felt like I broke through a wall, so I think I came out because I was happy." He added, "You need the timing to be just right. There's a timing where you feel you can hit every pitch perfectly, but that timing hasn't been coming out, so I try to make contact no matter what." He then laughed, saying, "I got lucky with the result, but I don't think the timing was good. If I had hit a home run with a timing I wasn't satisfied with, I might have been the home run champion once."
With this home run, Moon Hyun-bin joined Kang Baek-ho and Heo In-seo in tying for first place on the team in home runs (eighth overall). This pace is unfamiliar even for Moon Hyun-bin, who hit a single-season record 12 home runs last year. Moon Hyun-bin stated, "I've been trying to create as many hard-hit balls as possible rather than focusing on home runs, and that seems to be helping a lot. Since before the season, I've focused on practicing hitting harder and more accurately. I tried to hit more doubles and extra-base hits rather than home runs, but it seems they came out with a high launch angle by luck, resulting in home runs."
With Noh Si-hwan's return, the Hanwha team's lineup has become fierce, even scary. Foreign batter Yonatan Peraza, who hit the go-ahead home run today, is fourth on the team with seven home runs. Noh Si-hwan has hit six home runs in May alone and is on the verge of reclaiming the team lead.
In response, Moon Hyun-bin said, "You really have to be careful with your words. When I was slightly ahead in the home run count, I jokingly said, 'I'm in first place.' Right after I said it, the seniors started hitting home runs fiercely. They immediately caught up in the home run count."
Thanks to such a powerful lineup, starting pitcher Wang Yencheng avoided the loss despite allowing five hits, four walks (three walks, one hit-by-pitch), striking out eight, and giving up two runs over five innings. Additionally, Hanwha has now moved one step closer to a .500 winning percentage with a record of 19 wins and 21 losses.
Moon Hyun-bin said firmly, "My bat is making good contact, and the pitchers are coming up with many cycles. If I can maintain this performance, I think I can make a full recovery."
Finally, Moon Hyun-bin also expressed gratitude to Jack Cushing (30), who made his final appearance for Hanwha today. Cushing, who joined as a foreign pitcher replacing the injured Owen White, came in during the bottom of the ninth inning with Hanwha leading 5-3, pitched one inning allowing three hits and one run, and secured the team's victory with a perfect finish.
Cushing's contract has expired, and he is scheduled to leave Korea on the 20th. Moon Hyun-bin conveyed his sincere feelings: "Personally, I'm very happy that Cushing made a great save in his final game. He pitched multiple innings for the team and threw a lot, and I thought he was cool as a teammate. I feel very grateful to Cushing."
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*This content was translated by AI.
