"(Moon) Hyun-bin got hit by a foul ball... I never expected a triple play in that very at-bat where he was replaced... Coach Kim Kyung-moon embraces 20-year-old Han Ji-yoon [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Eagles coach Kim Kyung-moon (68) embraced second-year player Han Ji-yoon (20), who doused their hopes with a triple play in a bases-loaded, no-out situation on the previous day (the 1st).

Coach Kim Kyung-moon smiled at Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season match between KT Wiz and visiting Hanwha scheduled to be held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 2nd, saying, "Did you think such a rare scene would occur?"

The scene the coach referred to occurred in the bottom of the 5th inning with Hanwha trailing 4-7. After Noh Si-hwan and Heo In-seo hit home runs in the top of the 4th to cut the deficit by three runs, Hanwha built momentum in the 5th as leadoff batter Lee Won-seok recorded a line drive single and Yonatan Peraza drew a walk.

With the cleanup trio consisting of Han Ji-yoon-Noh Si-hwan-Kang Baek-ho following, a big inning was anticipated. Not only Noh Si-hwan and Kang Baek-ho but also Han Ji-yoon, who made his first division debut this year despite being a second-year player, had drawn expectations with impressive hitting including one double and one home run.

However, luck did not favor Hanwha. Han Ji-yoon's pulled high slider near the third base was fielded by Heo Kyung-min. Heo calmly stepped on third base to force out runner Lee Won-seok from second, then threw to second base to force out runner Peraza from first, and shortstop Kim Sang-su threw to first base to retire batter-runner Han Ji-yoon, completing the triple play. Video review did not change the result, and Hanwha failed to score any additional runs afterward, falling into a two-game losing streak.

Coincidentally, some fans speculated about the situation since Han Ji-yoon's at-bat followed the one where Moon Hyun-bin had been replaced. On this day, Moon Hyun-bin started as the third batter and completed two at-bats before being substituted by Han Ji-yoon ahead of defense in the bottom of the 4th inning. According to Coach Kim, the reason was that he had been hit by a foul ball in the previous at-bat.

Coach Kim burst into a wry laugh, saying, "(Moon) Hyun-bin was replaced due to being hit by a foul ball (for protective reasons), yet such a scene occurred."

However, he placed hope in the overall team performance. Starting pitcher Bruce Zimmermann, who took the mound on the previous day, allowed seven runs only in the 3rd inning, finishing with four innings pitched, eight hits allowed, two walks, three strikeouts, and seven earned runs, recording his first KBO loss.

Coach Kim said, "Zimmermann himself must have been surprised. He probably didn't expect to get hit that hard. It shows how well KT is playing together. Although we gave up many runs, that was yesterday's business. As the number of pitches gradually increases, I hope he can pitch well in the remaining games. When he pitches well, our winning streak can also resume," smiling.

The batting lineup, which has been gaining strength since captain Chae Eun-seong returned, was also viewed positively. On the previous day, Chae Eun-seong led the lineup with four hits in four at-bats and one run scored, alongside Heo In-seo (two hits in four at-bats including one home run, two RBIs, one run) and Lee Do-yoon (two hits in three at-bats, one run).

Coach Kim joked, "It seems only (Chae) Eun-seong is hitting well," but added, "Practice and games are different. His feel will return as he continues playing. As we blend together and connect better, more RBIs should come. Eun-seong's condition is improving, and Kang Baek-ho has also returned. If everyone pulls together, synergy effects will emerge. I believe this will bring more opportunities for the team to win."

Meanwhile, on this day, Hanwha arranged its batting order as Lee Won-seok (center fielder)-Yonatan Peraza (right fielder)-Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder)-Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter)-Noh Si-hwan (third baseman)-Chae Eun-seong (first baseman)-Heo In-seo (catcher)-Lee Do-yoon (second baseman)-Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). Starting pitcher was Owen White.

In response, KT configured its batting order as Choi Won-joon (right fielder)-Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman)-Ahn Hyeon-min (designated hitter)-Sam Hilliard (center fielder)-Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder)-Kim Sang-su (second baseman)-Heo Kyung-min (third baseman)-Han Seung-taek (catcher)-Jang Jun-won (shortstop). Starting pitcher was Ko Young-pyo.

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

*This content was translated by AI.