Hanwha ended its exhibition game against KT Wiz at the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon with a draw of 11-11. The team led by five points with a score of 11-6 through the eighth inning, but lost five points in the ninth inning alone.
It was a slugfest where both teams gave and received five combined home runs and 25 hits (13 for Hanwha and 12 for KT). Following Jonathan Peraza’s tiebreaking three-run homer in the third inning, the Hanwha Eagles had three home runs including a solo shot by Jung Eun-won and Kim Tae-yeon in the sixth inning. Lee Jin-young’s surprise squeeze bunt appeared to have sealed the game with four runs and a big inning in the seventh inning, but the closing main phenomenon in the ninth inning was on shaky ground. Lee Choong-ho came out, but he allowed five runs and a big inning after two outs in the ninth inning.
KT had two hits and four RBIs as MVP Mel Rojas Jr. returned in four years, hitting a two-run shot in the first inning with a right-handed batter and a two-run shot in the seventh inning with a right-handed batter. Kang Hyun-woo, who came out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning with two outs, hit a dramatic tie with two RBIs and a two-run double. As a new closer, Park Young-hyun pitched well, allowing one hit, no outs, and no run in the two innings.
Hanwha had three wins, two losses and one draw, and KT had two wins, three losses and one draw.
KT has taken the lead from the first inning. Hanwha Peraza missed Kang’s line drive to center field after the No. 1 allotment hit to center field off Hanwha’s starting pitcher Sanchez. While the ball fell off his glove, first baseman Kim Min-hyuk went to the third base and Kang Baek-ho went all the way to the second base. KT, which had Park Byung-ho’s sacrifice fly to right field with one out and the second and third bases loaded, took the lead by 3-0, thanks to Mel Rojas Jr.’s two-run homer.
Rojas rolled up Sanchez’s 149-kilometer fastball outside the sixth pitch, and scored a two-run homer over the top of the central fence. It was his second homer in an exhibition game with a 125-meter flying distance. In contrast, Sanchez threw 35 pitches in the first inning alone to ease his pressure, although his defense errors overlapped.
However, he allowed three hits (one homer) and three walks, three strikeouts and three runs (no earned) in three ⅓ innings without allowing any additional runs. With a total of 75 pitches, he pitched sliders (19), curves (14) and changeups (10) evenly, in addition to his maximum 150 kilometers and average 148 kilometers fastballs (28). He struggled amid lack of crystal balls in the early part of the game, but found comfort in the second inning.
The Hanwha Eagles, who had been dragged by KT sidearm starter Ko Young-pyo with a perfect score until the second inning, broke his silence with Lee Jae-won’s hit to the right-center field with one out in the third inning. Lee’s three-run homer exploded when he had a chance to hit the first and third bases with two outs, which led to Lee’s hit to the right field. Ko Young-pyo’s low second pitch sent a 116-km changeup, which flew well beyond the fence in the right-center field. The ball flew so far that it had a flying distance of 130 meters. It was impressive that he hit the ball, not the actual pitch, to make the home run.
Except for allowing a home run, Ko has pitched flawless pitches. He allowed three hits (one homer) in five innings, six strikeouts and three runs with no outs. With a total of 56 pitches, Ko has pitched up to 141km fastballs (24 pitches), changeups (16 pitches), curves (14) and sliders (2).
After Ko Young-pyo went down, Hanwha’s batters exploded. In the sixth inning, he hit two homers, and four consecutive long-distance relays to garner four runs and a big inning. In the face of Son Dong-hyun, a must-win team for the KT bullpen, Jung Eun-won, the leadoff hitter, hit a solo home run to the left after seven games. He hit a fastball of 143 kilometers, which went up to the outside, and decorated it with a solo home run of 105 meters in distance. It was Jung’s first home run in an exhibition game.
With two outs, Hanwha continued its long hit relay. Kim Tae-yeon pulled a low 130-km slider outside Son’s first pitch and sent it out of the left-center fence. Kim’s 115-meter solo shot. Kim Tae-yeon’s first homer in an exhibition game was his first. Ha Joo-seok and Choi In-ho hit a double to the left-center field, and Im Jong-chan hit a center fielder’s height. He hit four batters in a row, widening the score to 7-3.
KT didn’t yield as easily as possible. Soon after, the team hit three runs in its counterattack in the seventh inning. Park added a run with a sacrifice fly to the center field, with runners on the first and third bases with one out, which was created by consecutive hits by Bae Jeong-dae and Kim Min-hyuk for Hanwha relief pitcher Kim Gyu-yeon. Park added two RBIs with just a sacrifice fly. Then, LOHAS’ two-run homerun exploded. After a six-ball game with Kim Gyu-yeon, he pushed a 147-kilometer fastball to decorate the home with a two-run shot to the left-center wall. It was his third homerun at an exhibition game with a 120-meter flying distance. He garnered multi-homerun at left and right at bat in the seventh inning after right at-bat in the first inning. He has become the most valuable player in the KBO League in 2020.
BY: 토토사이트