and "Manager Kim Kyung-moon's first-ever pitcher substitution" — even players were unaware. "It was flexibility, not blind faith"... Why are Hanwha fans so enthusiastic?

*This content was translated by AI.

It was no exaggeration to say Hanwha won thanks to Manager Kim Kyung-moon's inspired pitcher substitutions. Even the pitcher who finished the game said, "I didn't expect to be called upon suddenly." Hanwha fans praised the move, saying, "I've never seen Manager Kim Kyung-moon make a pitcher substitution like this," and "This victory showed flexibility, not blind faith."

On the 10th, Hanwha secured a thrilling one-run victory, 4-3, against the KIA Tigers in a regular-season home game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Hanwha had mounted a fierce comeback on the 9th against KIA, scoring three runs in the eighth inning, but ultimately lost 4-6. Had they lost this game as well, they risked falling into a losing streak and potentially slipping to fifth place.

However, with the win, Hanwha reset their midweek series record to 1-1. With 31 wins, 1 tie, and 28 losses, Hanwha maintained its fifth-place position. The gap to fourth-place KIA narrowed from two games to one. The winner of the winning series will be decided in tomorrow's game on the 11th.

The highlight of the game came in the top of the ninth inning. With Hanwha leading 4-3, it was KIA's final offensive opportunity. As expected, Hanwha brought in closer Lee Min-woo. Lee Min-woo appeared to get off to a smooth start by inducing a ground ball to the shortstop on the third pitch from leadoff batter Byun Woo-hyeok. However, he then allowed a walk to the next batter, Kim Ho-ryeong, after a six-pitch battle. One out, first base. The tying run was on deck.

KIA substituted left-handed batter Park Jeong-woo for ninth-place batter Jung Hyun-chang. The Hanwha bench immediately reacted. They immediately took the bold step of removing Lee Min-woo from the mound. For Commander Kim Kyung-moon, this was hardly a typical move. After all, Manager Kim is known as one of the managers who epitomizes "faith-based baseball." In fact, there had been controversy among fans due to his excessive faith. A prime example is Kim Seo-hyun. He was continuously given opportunities throughout the season based on faith, but after losing several games, he was eventually demoted to the minor league.

However, this time was different. It was a move straight from the gods. Jo Dong-wook took an advantageous 0-2 count and then threw a slider that broke sharply outside and low. On the fourth pitch, he delivered a delicate slider that drifted just outside the strike zone, low and outside, inducing a swing and a miss. Two outs.

Park Jae-hyun, the hitter with the hottest batting form of the season, stepped up to the plate. His first pitch, a 148 km/h fastball, was fouled. The second pitch, a slider, resulted in a swing and a miss. He quickly took an advantageous 0-2 count. The third pitch was a high fastball, but it was fouled off with a cut. On the fourth pitch, he threw a slider similar to the decisive pitch he had thrown against Park Jeong-woo earlier, drifting outside and low. Park Jae-hyun's bat swung helplessly, and Hanwha secured the victory.

Hanwha's starter, White, recorded 7 innings, 6 hits allowed, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 1 earned run (1 self-earned run) for his third win of the season (2 losses). His total pitch count was 89. Lee Sang-gyu (1 inning, 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 2 runs), Lee Min-woo (1/3 inning, no hits allowed, 1 walk, scoreless), and Jo Dong-wook (2/3 inning, no hits allowed, 2 strikeouts, scoreless) pitched in succession. In the lineup, which produced 8 hits, Lee Do-yoon and Kim Tae-yeon both recorded multi-hit games.

After the game, "winning manager" Kim Kyung-moon praised White, saying, "Most importantly, White fulfilled his role as the starting pitcher and came down." He then added, "Moon Hyun-bin hit a three-run home run early in the game to take the lead. The players maintained their focus until the end of the game and held off the one-run lead, allowing them to seize the victory."

Jo Dong-wook, who recorded the save in the ninth inning, explained, "I was preparing in the bullpen, but I didn't expect to be called upon suddenly. My heart was racing and I was nervous, but I thought I had to throw calmly. I also had confidence against left-handed batters, and my recent condition was good, so I planned to push hard. The fastball velocity was good, so I intended to get ahead in the count with fastballs and finish with sliders. I was nervous stepping into a tight situation, but perhaps because of that nervousness, I ended up pitching better." He then added, "I recorded my 28th consecutive sellout at home games. Thank you to the fans. If you continue to fill the stadium, the players will be able to exert even greater effort."

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*This content was translated by AI.