'Bang bang bang bang → Bang bang' Home runs painting the summer sky, '2 home runs, 5 hits' Koo Ja-wook soared... Hanwha loses 8-5 [Daegu On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions secured a satisfying victory backed by an explosive home run show.

On the 14th, Samsung defeated Hanwha Eagles 8-5 in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, powered by four home runs.

Samsung, now in second place with a two-game winning streak, recorded 61 wins, 41 losses, and 2 draws. The gap between them and third-place LG Twins, who lost today, widened to five games. They remain 1.5 games behind first-place KT Wiz. Meanwhile, Hanwha, now on a two-game losing streak, sits in sixth place with 48 wins, 52 losses, and 3 draws, still five games behind fifth-place KIA Tigers.

Samsung's starting lineup for the day was: Kim Ji-chan (center field), Kim Sung-yoon (right field), Koo Ja-wook (left field), Lewin Diaz (first base), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Jeon Byeong-woo (third base), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second base), Kang Min-ho (catcher), and Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop). Starting pitcher was Choi Won-tae.

Hanwha countered with: Choi In-ho (center field), Yonatan Peraza (right field), Moon Hyun-bin (left field), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third base), Chae Eun-seong (first base), Heo In-seo (catcher), Lee Do-yoon (second base), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). Bruce Zimmermann started on the mound.

Choi Won-tae had previously struggled against Hanwha on April 14, allowing eight hits and four earned runs over 4⅔ innings, but today was completely different.

Using a fastball clocking up to 151 km/h, he strongly pressured Hanwha batters. After retiring the side in order in the first inning, Choi struck out Moon Hyun-bin at the end of the first and continued to retire Kang Baek-ho and Noh Si-hwan in the second, shutting down Hanwha's powerful lineup with three consecutive strikeouts.

Holding Hanwha scoreless through four innings on just 45 pitches, Choi allowed a left-field single by Chae Eun-seong in the fifth and an hit by Lee Do-yoon with one out. However, he retired Sim Woo-jun with an outside cutter and Heo In-seo with an outside changeup for back-to-back strikeouts, extinguishing his own trouble.

The offense also exploded. After Zimmermann had pitched well through three innings, Koo Ja-wook opened the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run to right field (his 11th of the season). In the fifth, Kang Min-ho (9th) and Lee Jae-hyun (13th) hit back-to-back home runs, extending the lead. Kim Ji-chan, Kim Sung-yoon, and Koo Ja-wook recorded three consecutive hits, pushing the score to 4-0.

In the sixth, Choi Won-tae allowed a solo home run to Moon Hyun-bin and gave up two runners with two outs before being relieved at one out on first base. Right-hander Lee Seung-hyun entered and finished the inning without allowing any additional runs. In the bottom of the sixth, Samsung's offense exploded again.

Ryu Ji-hyuk hit an infield single against Zimmermann, followed by a two-run single from Kang Min-ho. Although Hanwha brought in Lee Min-woo as a pitcher, Lee Jae-hyun delivered a two-out RBI single. Kim Ji-chan then sacrificed with a bunt, and Kim Sung-yoon added a hit to score two more runs. Though Kim Sung-yoon was thrown out attempting a stolen base, Koo Ja-wook drew a walk on a forkball from Lee Min-woo and hit a solo home run. This marked his first multi-home run game since September 5 of last year against Kiwoom Heroes, after an 11-month drought.

The victory seemed secure until the eighth inning when Samsung's bullpen faltered. Relief pitcher Satoshi Miyamori allowed a leadoff home run (his 25th) to Kang Baek-ho. After recording two outs, he walked Lee Do-yoon and then surrendered a three-run homer (his third) to Park Jeong-hyun with runners on first and third after throwing a cutter down the middle. The comfortable game quickly turned into a three-run deficit with a save situation.

Kim Jae-yun entered in the top of the ninth, allowed an hit to Kang Baek-ho but retired Noh Si-hwan via a double play to erase the runners. He then struck out Kim Tae-yeon to end the game, securing his 26th save of the season.

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*This content was translated by AI.