'6-game losing streak → Plunges to 8th place': Is Hanwha's autumn baseball over? "It will be different in the first division" — The bullpen dilemma that Kim Seo-hyun and Jung Woo-ju could not solve

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Seo-hyun (22) and Jung Woo-ju (20) also failed to provide a clear solution for Hanwha's shaky bullpen. As Hanwha continues its six-game losing streak, its dream of autumn baseball is slipping further away.

On the 20th, Hanwha suffered a comeback loss, 6-10, against the KIA Tigers at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park in a home game.

With six consecutive losses, Hanwha fell to 8th place with a record of 48 wins, 56 losses, and 3 ties, trailing behind NC Dinos and Lotte Giants. The gap to 5th-place Doosan Bears has now widened to eight games.

Although Hanwha finished the first half in 6th place, just 1.5 games behind 5th-place Doosan, it has continued to decline in the second half with a record of 8 wins, 16 losses, and 1 tie — the worst in the league.

To reach a .500 winning percentage, Hanwha must achieve 23 wins and 14 losses (a .622 winning percentage) in its remaining 37 games. The situation is extremely difficult: Doosan Bears currently holds a win-loss margin of +8 wins; to gain a +9-win advantage, they need 27 wins and 10 losses (.730), while a +7-win advantage requires 26 wins and 11 losses (.703). Only then can Hanwha come close to qualifying for autumn baseball.

The problem remains that there is still no clear answer. The offense leaves many runners stranded, yet it ranks second in home runs and fourth in OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging), so it cannot be called poor overall. The issue lies on the mound. While Wang Yencheng and Owen White have performed adequately as starters, Ryu Hyun-jin and new foreign pitcher Bruce Zimmermann have struggled without securing a single win.

The bullpen is an even bigger problem. In 25 games during this period, there were only five holds and two saves. This was not solely due to unfavorable circumstances; the bullpen ERA stood at 6.70, ranking 9th overall.

It proved difficult to find a pitcher who could stabilize the team, so Hanwha ultimately recalled Kim Seo-hyun and Jung Woo-ju again on the 18th. Last year, Kim Seo-hyun served as closer and recorded 33 saves, but this season he has struggled severely with control issues and even spent time studying in Japan. Jung Woo-ju also showed great promise last year as a rookie, earning a spot on the national team, but faced difficulties this season and complained of shoulder pain, dedicating himself to recovery.

Both pitchers recently threw three consecutive scoreless innings in the Futures League (KBO minor league) and joined the first division ahead of a midweek three-game series.

Earlier, Manager Kim had consistently expressed concerns about the bullpen issues. "With these two players back, they have experience from last year, so I think they might feel more energized," he said. He added, "These players will face crowds and pitch in the first division again, which could make a difference. Even if they can't immediately take over as relievers or closers, if they contribute one role at a time in important situations, it should help us secure consecutive wins."

However, neither player provided significant help in the game against KIA on the 20th. Hanwha took a 6-4 lead after Kim Tae-yeon hit a tying two-run homer in the bottom of the 7th inning and Han Ji-yoon followed with a go-ahead two-run home run. Jung Woo-ju then entered the mound in the top of the 8th.

Facing first batter Kim Do-young, Jung Woo-ju allowed a walk after six pitches. Aside from strikes, he missed the zone too much. He gave up a hit to Herald Castro as his pitches crowded the plate, and surrendered one run on Na Sung-beom's sacrifice fly to center field. He then struck out Yoon Do-hyun with a high fastball swing-and-miss.

Although Hanwha held onto its lead after allowing one run and only needed one more out, Kim Tae-gun hit a straight pitch that again crowded the zone, resulting in a painful two-run home run over the left-field wall. He was eventually replaced by Hwang Jun-seo.

After failing to score in the bottom of the 8th, Hanwha faced trouble in the top of the 9th when Kim Ho-ryeong's hit resulted in an error by right fielder Kim Tae-yeon, allowing a runner to reach third base. Although he struck out Park Jae-hyun, he gave up a one-run single to Ha Ju-seok, putting Hanwha behind 6-8 before handing the ball to Kim Seo-hyun.

Kim Seo-hyun allowed a hit to Kim Do-young on pitches outside the zone. He then surrendered a run when Chae Eun-seong made an error on Castro's grounder. The deficit widened to three runs, and after making a wild pitch to Na Sung-beom that led to a bases-loaded situation, he struck out Oh Sun-woo with a slider. However, he hit Kim Tae-gun with a pitch, allowing another run via a bases-loaded walk, before retiring Jung Hyun-chang on a first baseman's grounder to end the inning.

While hasty judgments should be avoided, there was no overwhelming performance from Kim Seo-hyun and Jung Woo-ju as expected. Given their recent ups and downs, this result may have been predictable, but the game highlighted a significant gap between the manager's expectation that "it will be different in the first division" and reality.

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*This content was translated by AI.