The All-Star Game festivities are over. Now, the second half is more intense than ever. The first half ended with a weak composition of 2 out of 7, but as the last digit changed, a typhoon hit the mid-table. As Hanwha, which had been fixed at the bottom for the past three years, rose to the top, everyone was aiming for the postseason.바카라
It is no longer a ‘victory vending machine’. As in the past, 2 wins and 1 loss in 3 consecutive matches is of course expected to be wiped out in 3 consecutive matches. The record for the first half was 34 wins, 40 losses and 4 draws. Since May 12, when coach Choi Won-ho took the helm, they have recorded more than 50% win rate with 23 wins, 21 losses and 3 draws.
More than anyone else, I felt the power of Hanwha, who had a different manager of the opposing team facing Hanwha. LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop and KT coach Kang-cheol Lee said as if they had kissed each other, “It’s really difficult. First of all, it is difficult to score points because the pitchers are good,” he said.
Hanwha Eagles coach Choi Won-ho (left) is having a high-five with Moon Dong-ju, who won the match with 1 run in 7.1 innings after winning LG 2-1 in the 2023 KBO League LG Twins match held at Jamsil Stadium on the 12th. 2023. 7. 12. Jamsil | Reporter Park Jin-up upandup@sportsseoul.com
In fact, after taking over as manager Choi, Hanwha has only two teams, Doosan (0 wins, 2 losses) and Kiwoom (2 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw), and is at a disadvantage in their opponents. In the second round, they faced LG with 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw, and SSG with 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. KT (2-0), NC (3-1), and KIA (4-2) had a win-loss margin of plus 2.
But in the second half, it gets stronger. During the first half, Felix Pena, Ricardo Sanchez, and Moon Dong-ju established the top starting line, and in the second half, another 150km pitcher joins the starting lineup. Super rookie Kim Seo-hyun is waiting to join the first team starting lineup after digesting more than 90 pitches in the Futures League.
The basis of baseball is a selection match. If a strong starting pitcher continues to take responsibility until the 6th inning, the number of victories naturally increases. Hanwha ranked 4th in this category with a starting average ERA of 3.90 after the appointment of coach Choi. The 4th and 5th selection was unstable, but the top selection line led the entire starting lineup.
Hanwha starting pitcher Pena sends a sign that he will throw two more practice balls in the 2023 KBO League match against LG held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 21st. 2023. 5. 21. Jamsil | Reporter Choi Seung-seop thunder@sportsseoul.com com
In addition, if Kim Seo-hyun, as a midway pitcher at the beginning of the season, reproduces the appearance of 8 consecutive games without a run as a starter, the big button will be hit. Pitchers who throw 150km from Pena to Sanchez, Moon Dong-ju, and Kim Seo-hyun come as a heavy burden to their opponents just by starting for four consecutive days.
If Kim Seo-hyun makes a soft landing in the starting lineup, there will be room for the remaining spot. Han Seung-hyuk is in the rotation, but Jang Min-jae is also on standby in the second team. One of them is in charge of the last five starting positions, and if both struggle, they invest in prospects such as Jeong Yi-hwang, Park Joon-young, and Nam Ji-min who are rotating in the Futures League.
At the end of the first half, there was a difference of 2.5 games from 5th place, the last post season. In the first half the season used to be virtually over, but this year I’m still racing. And everyone is afraid of Hanwha. Hanwha foreshadows a new era ahead of the 2025 season, the starting point of the new stadium era.