"The lineup needs to step up." Kim Kyung-moon, "Attack Now" Baseball, 20 Home Runs, No Foreign Investor... 4 Consecutive Starts Excluded [Daejeon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon (68) hoped the lineup would provide more support amid a shaky pitching mound. However, there was no room for Yonatan Peraza (28) in the "Attack Now" baseball strategy envisioned by Manager Kim Kyung-moon.

On the 23rd, Hanwha announced its starting lineup for the home game against LG Twins at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

Hanwha's lineup that day featured 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), Lee Do-yoon (second baseman), and Park Jung-hyun (shortstop). The starting pitcher was right-handed Park Jun-young, born in 2003.

This lineup is identical to the one used on the previous day (the 22nd), which had been canceled due to rain. Only the keystone combination differed from the game on the 21st; the batting order remained unchanged. This means Yonatan Peraza has been absent for four consecutive games.

Peraza, who returned to Hanwha after two years, is currently batting.288 (386 at-bats, 111 hits) with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs in 107 games this season, posting an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.914. However, since the game against Daejeon KIA Tigers on the 20th, he has been excluded from the starting lineup for four consecutive games, including a rain-delayed contest.

The reason lies in his dismal recent performance. Peraza struggled in July with a.232 batting average (69 at-bats, 16 hits) over 20 games and fell further in August to a.143 average (35 at-bats, 5 hits) across 11 games. His second-half stats total just.188 (80 at-bats, 15 hits) in 25 games, offering little help to a team still clinging to hopes of finishing in the top five.

Before the game, Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "Even if the pitchers perform slightly better, the lineup needs to step up more. In yesterday's game, we had no expectations at all, but thanks to the lineup stepping up, we managed to turn things around and win. It would be even better if the pitchers hold strong, but I hope the hitters can provide a bit more power."

Naturally, Kim Tae-yeon (29), who has been hitting well recently, took over Peraza's spot. In August, Kim posted an impressive.462 average (13 at-bats, 6 hits) with two home runs and five RBIs in nine games. During the game on the 21st, where Hanwha came back from a 0-9 deficit to win 15-11, Kim went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored, including the go-ahead hit.

The only change was in the keystone combination: Hwang Young-mok (second baseman) and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop) were replaced by Lee Do-yoon (second baseman) and Park Jung-hyun (shortstop). Lee Do-yoon returned to his starting role, replacing Hwang Young-mok, who had performed well against LG. Park Jung-hyun's inclusion was due to Sim Woo-jun's injury. Manager Kim Kyung-moon explained, "(Sim) Woo-jun has been feeling a bit uncomfortable. That's why he was left out of the lineup yesterday, and since today is a rest day, we decided to keep him out until he fully recovers."

He continued, "I think (Park) Jung-hyun hasn't done as much fungo or defensive training as anyone else. The defensive coaches have been consistently working with him, so there's no concern about his readiness for games. Jung-hyun also needs to keep gaining experience through the effort he puts in. I hope he builds confidence through these games."

The starting pitcher remained unchanged. Park Jun-young has recorded 32 games this season with one win, no losses, an ERA of 4.50, and 49 strikeouts over 54 innings. He was highly anticipated after being selected as the first overall pick in the second round of the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft and has recently been included in the rotation as a developing starting pitcher over his last three appearances.

Had the previous day's game proceeded as scheduled, another top draft pick, Hwang Jun-seo (21), would have started that day. Hwang Jun-seo, a left-handed pitcher who joined Hanwha after graduating from Jangchung High School and was selected first overall in the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft, has posted one win, two losses, an ERA of 4.45, and 36 strikeouts over 32⅓ innings in 22 games this season. However, as his start date was pushed back, Hwang Jun-seo now waits behind Park Jun-young as a long reliever.

Nevertheless, Manager Kim Kyung-moon expressed confidence: "(Hwang) Jun-seo is currently on standby as a long reliever, but if any issues arise in the starting rotation, he will be the first choice to step in."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original