Foreign pitchers 1st and 2nd selection also collapsed. No starting pitcher had a quality start (less than 3 earned runs in 6 or more innings). The result was a 3-game losing streak. The title of first place in the demonstration game was colorless.

A situation where you have to break a losing streak. Second-year pitcher Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha Eagles) took on the heavy responsibility. Moon Dong-ju started in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League visiting game against the Samsung Lions held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 6th, and pitched well with 1 hit and 4 strikeouts in 5 innings.

The batting line also contributed to the good pitching of the first-class starters. Hanwha ended their losing streak with a 8-1 victory, and Moon Dong-ju picked up his first win of the season.

Moon Dong-joo, who graduated from Gwangju Jinheung High School and received the first nomination by Hanwha last year, thrilled Hanwha fans as a right-handed pitcher who easily sprayed balls in the mid-to-late 150 km/h range. After Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) left for the United States in 2013, expectations were high that a new monster would be born in Hanwha, which had not been able to develop a clear native starter.

However, his performance last season, his first year, was 1 win, 3 losses and 2 holds in 13 games, and his earned run average (ERA) was 5.65. It was a great regret. Clearly there was a reason. I couldn’t properly participate in the spring camp because I was sick, and as a result, preparations for the season were hampered from the beginning. As he gained experience, he got better, and at the end of the season, he received starting classes and played 5 or more innings in 3 consecutive games, leaving a possibility.

He was one of the most anticipated pitchers in the field training this season. He was notable for not only distributing a ball that was so large that he confidently sprayed his fastball against the Dutch baseball team, but also managing the game cleverly without collapsing even in a crisis situation. Hanwha coach Carlos Subero praised “mental maturity beyond his actual age as a great strength and weapon.”

Hanwha ranked first in this year’s demonstration game, but as soon as they entered the regular season, they suffered three consecutive losses, and already began to criticize. In a situation where even the confidence the players gained through field training and demonstration games could be waning, Moon Dong-ju was entrusted with the heavy responsibility.

The previous day’s game was canceled due to rain and Jang Min-jae could have been pitched, but coach Subero placed Moon Dong-ju on the starting mound as planned. It was only his second year, but it was also a proof that he was gaining a lot of trust from the command tower.

He returned the trust with a confident pitch. He was powerful enough to reach the top speed of 159km, and the bats of the Samsung batters were constantly spinning. The mid-to-late 140km slider and changeup also made hitters more confused.

Samsung batters prepared for a fast ball, but at that moment, they had no choice but to be hit by a waterfall curve showing a speed limit of nearly 30km. Moon Dong-ju caught three strikeouts on the day with a curve. Samsung’s Koo Ja-wook tilted his head after striking out with a swing against this curve, realizing how difficult it was to capture. At the end of the 4th inning, he threw a high fastball at 155 km/h against Samsung’s giant, Oh Jae-il, and overpowered him, ending the inning. It was the highlight of the pitching that day.

It can still be premature, but it was a game in which Ryu Hyun-jin overlapped. Fastballs and sharp breaking balls that are not like rookies, and even aggressive pitches with the idea that no walks will be given. In addition, it was a game that resembled Ryu Hyun-jin even with the instinct of a solver to save the team from a losing streak. In the past, Hanwha had often lost in a row except for games involving Ryu Hyun-jin. 먹튀검증

Moon Dong-ju also had poor starting pitchers. Even Birch Smith, who started in the opening game, voluntarily failed to complete the third inning and was excluded from the first team entry. Moon Dong-ju, who pitched in admiration for coach Subero, who was difficult to play starting baseball with a calculation, can’t help but feel like a thousand forces.