For the Hanwha Eagles, mired in several setbacks and controversies, it is timely relief from the heavens.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) decided on the 17th to cancel the game between Hanwha and Lotte scheduled to be held at Busan Sajik Stadium due to rain. With the spring rain soaking the field, it became impossible to play the game. A rain cancellation decision was made at 5:15 p.m.
Both teams could only welcome the rain cancellation that day. Lotte had, for now, played a six-game series in the Seoul metropolitan area against Kiwoom and LG and arrived in the early morning. Long-distance travel is familiar to Lotte players, but it is still better to get even a little more rest. Manager Kim Tae-hyoung also said "let nature take its course."
From Hanwha's perspective, the rain cancellation that day was all the more welcome. They are currently stuck in a six-game losing streak. They conceded the three-game series to KIA last weekend and the three-game series to Samsung this week. The process was particularly poor. In the April 15 game against Samsung they produced a disgraceful performance, giving up as many as 18 walks and hit-by-pitches and suffering a come-from-behind loss, and in the April 16 game starter Wilkel Hernandez was pulled early after 1/3 inning, surrendering 7 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout and 7 runs. Hwang Jun-seo, Lee Sang-gyu and Kang Geon-woo had no choice but to serve long-relief roles.
In the previous day's (16th) game, the team's most reliable starter at the time, Wang Yan-cheng, also wobbled, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit batter and 3 runs (nonearned) over five innings with six strikeouts. With the defense also shaky, they repeated poor performances and fell into a six-game losing streak.
In this situation, a replacement starter needed to be deployed for the game on the 17th. Originally, Jack Cushing, Owen White's injury replacement, was supposed to start on the 17th. But with closer Kim Seo-hyeon showing poor form, the team decided to assign the closer role to Cushing. A replacement starter had to take the mound, and Park Jun-young was chosen. Park Jun-young, who joined after being selected first overall in the first round of the second 2022 rookie draft, has appeared in seven games this year with no decisions, pitching 4 2/3 innings with a 7.71 earned run average.
Also, to prepare for bullpen usage by the replacement starter that day, they optioned out Lee Gyo-hoon, who joined in the trade for Son Ah-seop, and prepared Park as a starter, and called up Kwon Min-gyu, who can throw long innings. Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "If Park Jun-young can hold on for a long time that would be good, but if he comes out early we will have to use the bullpen. That's why we called Min-gyu to pitch long innings. He's a pitcher who can take a high pitch count, so we called him," he said. In addition, the team's main slugger Kang Baek-ho was also expected to be left out of the starting lineup that day due to tightness in his leg.
However, the game was canceled due to rain. Hanwha was able to pass on the replacement starter's turn intact. And they announced Ryu Hyun-jin as the starter for the 18th. Ryu Hyun-jin became the winning pitcher on the 7th against SSG after a strong performance of six innings, four hits (one home run), two walks, 10 strikeouts and two runs. The next day, on the 8th, he was taken off the first-team roster. Although it is still early in the season, the move was to give Ryu, who prepared earlier for the season due to participation in the World Baseball Classic, some rest.
And he returns to match the date on the 18th. On the 19th Moon Dong-ju will start. Coincidentally, during the time Ryu Hyun-jin was absent, Hanwha fell into a six-game losing streak. Can Hanwha achieve the dream of escaping the six-game losing streak with Ryu Hyun-jin's return?<
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