The Hanwha Eagles, who marked their first game at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon with a comeback victory, are looking to continue their winning streak. Two players who had not appeared as starters in the first six games of the season were included in the lineup.

On the 29th, Hanwha faced KIA in Daejeon, matching up against left-handed starter Yang Hyun-jong. The lineup included Hwang Young-mook (second baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Estevan Florial (center fielder), No Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-sung (designated hitter), Lee Jin-young (left fielder), Lee Won-seok (right fielder), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Ryan Weiss.

Amidst managing his condition due to abdominal pain, Ahn Chi-hong was excluded from the starting lineup for the second consecutive game, while Hwang Young-mook stepped up as the leadoff for the second game in a row. Kim Tae-yeon, who performed well with two hits, including a crucial home run the previous day (28th), moved up from the sixth to the second spot in the batting order. The 3-5 spots, featuring Florial, No Si-hwan, and Chae Eun-sung, will remain intact.

A noticeable change was that two players in the outfield received their first starting opportunities of the season. Lee Jin-young was positioned at left field batting sixth, and Lee Won-seok was in right field batting seventh. Lim Jong-chan, who had started all six games, and Choi In-ho, who had batted second the previous day, were excluded.

In response to KIA's left-handed starter Yang Hyun-jong, right-handed hitters Lee Jin-young and Lee Won-seok were both utilized instead of left-handers Lim Jong-chan and Choi In-ho. However, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon was not simply thinking of a left-right matchup.

Prior to the game, manager Kim Kyung-moon commented on the lineup changes, stating, “(Lee Jin-young and Lee Won-seok) have not been starters at all. They have worked hard since camp, and there might be things they have built up inside. I want to see how they perform today.” He hoped that the earnestness of the two players waiting for their opportunity would reflect in their performance.

For Hanwha, winning their first game at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon is significant, but it is also fortunate that they broke a four-game losing streak. Manager Kim noted, “I’m glad we could break the losing streak at our first home game. The longer a losing streak goes, the more difficult it becomes for everyone, from players to the front office. I believe we started off well at home.”

Building on this momentum, they aim to pursue a winning streak today. Manager Kim expressed, “The bullpen will be prepared overall (including Kim Seo-hyun), but I hope starting pitcher Weiss can pitch deep into the game. Yang Hyun-jong is not an easy pitcher, but I expect Weiss to throw until at least the sixth inning, and we need to work through the game with our offense. The players who need to contribute must do so for the team to generate scoring power. Ahn Chi-hong is also recovering almost completely. I believe our core batters will perform better.”

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