"It depends on how (Moon Dong-ju) buttons in the beginning (of the game) (the content of the game that day) is different."
Hanwha Eagles manager Choi Won-ho, who is aiming to escape three consecutive losses, hoped for starter Moon Dong-joo's good performance.
Hanwha, led by Choi, will play an away game of the 2024 professional baseball KBO League regular season against the NC Dinos under head coach Kang In-kwon at Changwon NC Park on the 16th.
Hanwha, which had been on a strong rise, recording seven wins and one loss in eight games including the opening game, is not in a good mood lately. It accepted a poor report card of one win and five losses in six games last week, and is now mired in three consecutive losses. Once the lone lead in the league, the ranking has dropped to 9-10 losses, which means it has already tied for fifth place with the LG Twins (9 wins, one draw and 10 losses).
Aiming to escape losing consecutive games through this game, the Hanwha Eagles will have right-hander Moon Dong-ju as its starting pitcher. Having been called by the Hanwha Eagles as its first pick in 2022, Moon is the future and present of the Hanwha Eagles who received the Rookie of the Year award with eight wins and eight losses and an ERA of 3.72.
However, he has not been in a good mood lately. He declared victory in the game against the Incheon SSG Landers on March 28 by allowing six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in five innings, but faltered in the game against the Lotte Giants in Daejeon on March 4 by allowing 10 hits, one homer, three walks, and four strikeouts in five innings. In the game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on March 10, he suffered a loss by allowing six runs in 3.1 innings, six hits, one homer, three walks, two walks, and two strikeouts.
Why is Moon Dong-ju suddenly in a slump? The head coach left overcoming the initial difficulties as a task.
"It's the same for (Moon) Dong-ju, other starting pitchers and young pitchers, but it depends on how you button them in the beginning," Choi Won-ho, manager of the team, said before the game on Wednesday. "When I was good in literature (March 28), I started off well in the beginning. When I struggle, I get shaken up in the beginning."
Coach Choi also said, "There seems to be such a difference depending on how the first inning works out. Since I don't have much experience, I have to have more experience in things like moving on when I'm not in good condition and moving on from a crisis."
Hanwha is also agonizing over the recent withdrawal of injured players. Main shortstop Ha Ju-seok was diagnosed with a ruptured hamstring, and Kim Min-woo, who was the most stable member of the starting lineup, was also absent from the roster due to a sprained elbow. Center hitter Chae Eun-seong will take a break. He was hit on the thumb while defending against the Kia Tigers in Daejeon on Wednesday last week.
Coach Choi Won-ho first said of Ha Ju-seok, "I think we need to wait a little longer. Coincidentally, (Ha) Ju-seok was injured and (Jonathan) Peraza's pace and other players' pace of hitting fell together, leading to his losing streak. We still have a lot of games left, so I think it would be okay if we work together little by little."
"(Chae Eun-seong) said at the training part yesterday (15th), "I don't think it will be easy within this week. I can't hold my bat tightly. I was forced to pull it out of the entry in a hurry yesterday, and I raised (Kim) In-hwan," Choi said of Kim. "I examined him for about a week, and he showed signs of inflammation. I will focus on relieving inflammation while recovering for about a week. After that, I will start playing catch ball right away. (Most importantly) I will be pain-free after a week. If I see that I have no pain, I will throw it through catch ball. I have to wait and see for a week."
Kim Min-woo's vacancy will be filled by left-hander Hwang Joon-seo, who is ranked first in 2024 overall. As of this year's match against NC, Hwang has one win, no loss, 12 strikeouts, and an ERA of 0.84 (one run in 10.2 innings). At the match against KT Wiz in Daejeon on March 31, he pitched well by allowing three hits, one homer, and two walks in five innings, and became the 10th player in the KBO and the first player in the Hanwha Eagles to win the starting pitcher title in 18 years since Ryu Hyun-jin (against LG Twins in Jamsil on April 12) in 2006.
"(Kim) Min-woo should first check that he is free of pain and then check his pitching performance as well. In the Futures (second tier) league, we also need to check how our bodies are feeling when we play full strength, so I think it will take some time. In that process, we can only play if we say we are completely okay. Until then, I will go to (Hwang) Jun-seo," Choi said.
In addition to Moon Dong-joo, Hanwha has set up a starting lineup of players including Choi In-ho (left fielder), Peraza (right fielder), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (second baseman), Choi Jae-hoon (pitch), Kim In-hwan (first baseman), Hwang Young-mook (striker), and Lee Jin-young (center fielder). Kim In-hwan, who was called up to the first team along with Jang ahead of the upcoming match, has been listed as the seventh batter and first baseman. Jang Min-jae, who started the Futures League and raised the number of pitches to 7-80 pitches, is expected to play the role of swing man.
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