'Wiped out the 1st and 3rd base crisis' Guardian Yuto records 11 SVs, Kiwoom sweeps Hanwha in three games [Gocheok Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Although Kiwoom Heroes remains in last place, they secured a satisfying three-game sweep against Hanwha Eagles, keeping their hopes of escaping the cellar alive.

On the 14th, Kiwoom defeated Hanwha 3-2 in a home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, starting at 2 p.m.

Kiwoom, the last-place team that started the 2nd p.m. game, improved to 26 wins, 40 losses, and 1 tie, erasing the gap with 9th-place Lotte Giants, who have yet to finish their games. This season, Kiwoom is tied 4-4 with Hanwha in head-to-head matchups.

In contrast, 5th-place Hanwha fell into a three-game losing streak, dropping to 32 wins, 31 losses, and 1 tie, eliminating the gap with 6th-place Doosan Bears. If Doosan defeats KIA Tigers, the standings will flip.

Hanwha lined up Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Yoo Min (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Lee Do-yoon (second baseman), Heo In-seo (catcher), Park Jung-hyun (shortstop), and Lee Won-seok (center fielder). Starting pitcher was Wang Yencheng.

Kiwoom countered with Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Choi Ju-hwan (first baseman), Keston Hiura (designated hitter), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Park Chan-hyuk (right fielder), Yeo Dong-wook (third baseman), Eo Jun-seo (shortstop), Park Soo-jong (center fielder), and Won Seong-jun (left fielder). Starting pitcher Kenny Rosenberg took the mound.

It was a tense back-and-forth battle. Hanwha missed a golden opportunity in the top of the 1st. Leadoff batter Kim Tae-yeon was hit by a pitch, and Peraza reached on a walk, but Yoo Min grounded to the first baseman, and Kang Baek-ho struck out swinging. Noh Si-hwan was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Lee Do-yoon struck out.

Kiwoom had its own disappointments in the bottom of the 1st. With one out, Choi Ju-hwan was hit by a pitch; with two outs, Kim Geon-hee hit a double to center-left, but Choi Ju-hwan was stranded at third base. Park Chan-hyuk flew out to the second baseman, failing to score.

Kiwoom scored first in the bottom of the 2nd. With two outs and a runner on first, Won Seong-jun hit a single to center, and Seo Geon-chang drew a walk to load the bases. When Wang Yencheng threw a wild pitch, Park Soo-jong used his speed to score at home.

Hanwha responded in the top of the 4th. Leadoff batter Kang Baek-ho, after a full count, powerfully pulled a high changeup from Rosenberg on the inside corner for a solo home run to right field to tie the game. It was his 14th home run of the season and his 150th career. This marks the 64th such record in KBO history.

Momentum shifted to Hanwha. In the top of the 5th, with a runner on first, Kim Tae-yeon hit a double, and with two outs, Yoo Min hit a sacrifice fly to left-center, scoring a run to take the lead.

However, Kiwoom immediately reset the score in the bottom of the 5th. Starting with a walk by Seo Geon-chang, followed by a double from Hiura, and then a ground ball to the first baseman by Kim Geon-hee, a run scored.

Both starting pitchers allowed two runs over five innings, and the bullpens took over from the 6th inning. For Kiwoom, Park Ji-sung pitched two innings, and Won Jong-hyun pitched one inning. For Hanwha, Jung Woo-ju and Jo Dong-wook each pitched two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run.

The 8th inning brought contrasting fortunes for both teams. Lee Sang-gyu, who had retired the side without allowing a run in the 7th, appeared again in the 8th. Kiwoom loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch to Yeo Dong-wook and a sacrifice bunt by Eo Jun-seo. With two outs, Won Seong-jun hit a single to left-center, reclaiming the lead.

The following inning was disappointing. Even after Hanwha replaced their pitcher with Park Sang-won, Seo Geon-chang and Choi Ju-hwan drew straight walks to load the bases, but Hiura struck out swinging.

Failing to capitalize on the opportunity, a crisis emerged. Against Hanwha closer Gnakubo Yuto, Hwang Young-mok hit a double to center-left, and Lee Won-seok's bunt attempt popped up. Coincidentally, the ball rolled past the first baseman Choi Ju-hwan, who had rushed over for bunt defense, resulting in a hit.

However, Yuto retired Kim Tae-yeon on a strikeout swinging and Moon Hyun-bin on a catcher's foul fly. He then struck out Yoo Min swinging, preserving the team victory. Yuto recorded his 11th save of the season.

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*This content was translated by AI.