Hanwha’s ‘boy wonder’ Ryu Hyun-jin to Moon Dong-joo, ‘home run king’ Kim Tae-gyun to Noh Shi-hwan, breaks 5-game losing streak with proven lineage

The Korean Baseball Organization’s top-ranked LG Twins reached 60 wins in a season for the first time in a decade, improving their chances of qualifying for the Korean Series to 75.8 percent.

Second-place SSG Landers defeated the Samsung Lions, led by Han Yoo-seom’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning, to stay within six games of LG.

KT Wiz reclaimed third place a day after sweeping the NC Dinos. NC dropped to fourth place.

At the bottom of the standings, the Hanwha Eagles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Doosan Bears behind the combined batting of Moon Dong-ju, the “second Ryu Hyun-jin,” and Noh Si-hwan, the “second Kim Tae-gyun.

Hanwha starter Moon Dong-ju shared the win with Roh Si-hwan, who allowed just one run over six innings with five strikeouts in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park on Wednesday.

The game drew a sold-out crowd for the fourth time this season, thanks to the performances of Hanwha’s future youngsters Moon Dong-ju and Noh Shi-hwan.

Moon Dong-ju added a win to his tally for the first time in exactly one month, making it seven wins (seven losses).

He also won the return match against Doosan’s Kwak Bin, who lost a decision in the first game. Kwak Bin, who dominated Moon Dong-ju in the first game with seven innings of 10 strikeouts and one run in five innings, was held to four runs in 6⅓ innings.

Moon dominated Doosan hitters with a 102-pitch fastball that topped out at 155 mph and averaged 151 mph, reminiscent of the struggling “Boy Wonder” Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays) during his time with Hanwha.

On offense, Noh Si-hwan’s 2-for-4 performance, including a two-run home run, was the difference in the game.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning and the score 0-0, Noh scooped a 148-kilometer-per-hour fastball down the middle from Doosan starter Kwak Bin for a two-run shot that traveled 125 meters into the right-center field stands.

It was Noh’s 27th home run of the season, three days after his three-run blast against the KT Wiz on May 9.

Noh extended his lead over second-place Choi Jung (SSG Landers-21) to six and is poised to take over the category.

If Noh, who was named the KBO Monthly Player of the Month (MVP) in July, becomes the titleholder, he will join Jang Jong-hoon (1990-1992, Binggrae Eagles) and Kim Tae-gyun (2008, Hanwha) as the first Eagles players to win the home run title in 15 years. 토토사이트

After Doosan cut the deficit to 1-2 on Jose Rojas’ triple to right-center field, Hanwha scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead.

With runners on first and second, Lee Do-yoon hit a leadoff double to make it 3-1, and Kim In-hwan walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, and Noh hit a bases-loaded double that hit the top of the center field fence.

Noh increased his RBI total to 75 on the season, taking over the top spot in that category as well. Hanwha’s No. 9 hitter, Lee Do-yoon, added a run-scoring single to left field in the eighth inning. Lee finished with three hits and two RBIs, while Kim Tae-yeon also had a multi-hit game.