'Opponent Batting Average 0.377' LG Devil Hwang Young-mok to Start at No. 8 and Second Base! Manager Kim Kyung-moon Reveals Hanwha's Card to Break Six-Game Losing Streak [Daejeon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Hanwha Eagles have brought out LG devil Hwang Young-mok (27) as their card to break a six-game losing streak.

On the 21st, Hanwha revealed its starting lineup for the home game against the LG Twins at the Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

For today's game, Hanwha set its batting order as follows: Kim Tae-yeon (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (center fielder), Han Ji-yoon (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Heo In-seo (catcher), Hwang Young-mok (second baseman), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Bruce Zimmermann.

In response, LG constructed its lineup with Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Jung-bin (first baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Koo Bon-hyuk (shortstop), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Hong Chang-ki (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Song Seung-gi.

Hanwha's aggressive lineup configuration has drawn attention. Moon Hyun-bin, who is more familiar with corner outfield positions, will play center field, while Han Ji-yoon, who transitioned from catcher to the outfield just two years ago, will take the left field position.

While there may be concerns about defense, their batting is certain. Moon Hyun-bin has posted a .286 batting average (412 at-bats, 118 hits), 12 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 105 games, with an on-base percentage of .368 and a slugging percentage of .451. Han Ji-yoon has recorded a .304 batting average (23 at-bats, 7 hits), 2 home runs, and 10 RBIs in 11 games, with an on-base percentage of .385 and a slugging percentage of .609, injecting vitality into Hanwha's lineup.

Before the game, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon explained, "Recently, runs have consistently been scored from behind, so we decided we need to score more runs. From an offensive perspective, we moved Moon Hyun-bin to center field."

Another reason for focusing on batting appears to be Hwang Young-mok's selection to start. Hwang Young-mok has had an ordinary season with a .247 batting average (93 at-bats, 23 hits), 1 home run, and 18 RBIs in 56 games, along with an on-base percentage of .358 and a slugging percentage of .355.

However, despite his overall slump, he transforms when facing LG, hitting .400 (20 at-bats, 8 hits) with 7 RBIs in 8 games against them. His career statistics against LG are equally devilish: a .377 batting average (77 at-bats, 29 hits), 1 home run, 12 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases in 33 games, with an on-base percentage of .455, slugging percentage of .468, and OPS of .923.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon stated, "Hwang Young-mok hit well yesterday (the 20th), and since there are only a few games left against LG, it makes sense to send in a player who is hitting well."

Recently, Hanwha's bullpen has been significantly shaken, leading to many losses in the later innings of games. Veterans know that only victory can turn around such a gloomy atmosphere. Manager Kim added with emphasis, "Even yesterday, all the home runs were fine, but the closer always struggled. I think we should finish strong in the remaining games and end the season on a solid note."

Meanwhile, Hanwha has made changes to its first-team roster. Wang Yencheng (25), the team's leader in wins, has been hospitalized due to pneumonia symptoms. In his place, right-handed reliever Lee Hyung-beom has been called up.

A Hanwha club official stated, "Wang Yencheng received medical treatment for cold-like symptoms this morning, and after additional tests, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to the hospital. He is expected to be discharged once his condition improves and will return after skipping one turn in the starting rotation."

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

*This content was translated by AI.