The Hanwha Eagles have surged ahead with a three-game winning streak, setting the stage to challenge the league leaders thanks to a standout performance from Ryu Hyun-jin, a game-winning home run by Moon Hyun-bin, and a stroke of luck involving Noh Si-hwan’s unusual ceiling-bouncing hit.

On August 26 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Hanwha clinched a 3-1 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, marking their third consecutive win. With a season record now at 68 wins, 3 draws, and 48 losses, Hanwha maintained their hold on second place and narrowed the gap with the first-place LG Twins to just five games.

Prior to the game, manager Kim Kyung-moon expressed confidence in the team’s ability to turn things around, saying, “Nothing says we can't go on a 10-game winning streak.” Although Hanwha had stumbled recently after an early lead in the second half of the season, the latest string of victories has reignited their momentum. Manager Kim also left the door open for an early return, stating, “It was a strategic move with a long-term view.”

Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin dazzled on the mound, tossing six innings with four hits allowed, no walks, seven strikeouts, and just one earned run. During the game, he struck out Song Seong-mun to tally his ninth consecutive season with more than 100 strikeouts—a feat achieved by just three others in KBO League history.

Despite manager Kim’s remarks that “luck wasn’t entirely on our side,” Ryu’s seasoned control played a decisive role in securing the win for Hanwha.

The nail-biting contest was settled in the ninth inning. Leading off, Moon Hyun-bin smashed his 12th solo home run of the season off Cho Young-geon, giving Hanwha the lead. Moments later, Noh Si-hwan’s hit created a rare spectacle as the ball lodged itself in the Gocheok Dome ceiling structure.

Umpires, applying the local rule, declared it a ground-rule double. With Son Ah-seop’s sacrifice bunt and a subsequent wild pitch, Noh Si-hwan safely reached home, extending Hanwha’s lead to 3-1.

Noh Si-hwan starred throughout the game, notching three hits, one RBI, and one run from four at-bats.

In the bottom of the ninth, closer Kim Seo-hyun displayed composure under pressure, retiring three successive batters after facing a no-out, runners-on-first-and-second situation to seal the victory.

Hanwha’s dominance over Kiwoom has been particularly pronounced this season. With this win, the Eagles improved their season record against the Heroes to 10 victories and just one defeat, extending their winning streak against Kiwoom to nine and their run at Gocheok Dome to seven consecutive games.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, Hanwha Eagles