Ryu was originally scheduled to start at a home game against the Lotte Giants at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Wednesday. However, the game was postponed by one day due to rain on the previous day. Moon, who was originally scheduled to start on Thursday, will continue to play on Wednesday. Instead, Ryu will start at the match against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome on Saturday.
This is the first time that Ryu Hyun-jin has stepped on the mound of Gocheok Sky Dome. In 2012, when Ryu Hyun-jin advanced to the U.S., Gocheok Sky Dome was still before it was built. Gocheok Sky Dome opened in 2015, when Ryu Hyun-jin was active in the U.S.
Of course, I have visited Gocheok Sky Dome. At the opening game of the U.S.
professional baseball league held at Gocheok Sky Dome from April 20 to 21, I met with LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and presented him with a famous fried bread from Daejeon. However, I have never been on the mound.
Ryu has failed to display satisfactory performance in his two official appearances since his return to the KBO. Due to difficulties in controlling his ball control, he lost the game against the LG Twins on March 23 by allowing six hits, three walks, and five runs (two earned runs) in three ⅔ innings. In the opening game at home to the KT Wiz on March 29, he pitched well, striking out nine and allowing two runs in six innings, but gave up as many as eight hits.
Ryu was originally on the mound after taking five days off as planned. However, as Ryu himself expressed his desire to take another day off, the order of his pitching has not changed with Moon.
"Ryu himself expressed his desire to recover one more day," coach Choi Won-ho said. "Ryu Hyun-jin also took into account that he is old and it is the first full-time season after elbow surgery. His resilience may be a little slower than when he was young."
In his first game of the season on April 28, Moon became a winning pitcher by allowing six hits and two runs in five innings. After taking six rest, he will take the mound again. If you are a team's ace, you must be able to adapt well and maintain your condition even if your pitching schedule changes suddenly due to weather conditions and other factors. In that sense, the Lotte match on the day could serve as a stage to test Moon's potential.
Coach Choi Won-ho jokingly said, "Moon Dong-ju is going to be tested as the first starter today," and then said, "My physical condition has risen to about 100 pitches, but since the weather is not very good yet, I plan to reduce damage by controlling the number of pitches."
In addition, manager Choi Won-ho emphasized that bullpen pitchers should be in better condition. "If bullpen pitchers are in poor condition, they are burdened to use them in a tight race," Choi said. "Since it is difficult for players to feel anxious about pitchers, we are more cautious about using pitchers in winning games."
He also announced a plan to utilize Hwang Joon-seo, a "luxury rookie." Hwang made his debut as a surprise starter at a game against the KT Wiz on April 31, and became a winning pitcher by pitching three hits and one run in five innings.
Coach Choi Won-ho said, "As Kim Min-woo returns as a starter, Hwang Joon-seo will wait for the bullpen against Kiwoom on Saturday and Sunday," adding, "We will decide whether to send him to the Futures to use him as a starter or continue to use him in the first division."
The Hanwha Eagles is the hottest team in the early days of the 2024 professional baseball season. As of Tuesday, Hanwha has won seven games and lost two, leading the league among the 10 teams. It is still in its infancy, but considering its recent pace, the team is poised to go beyond the dark horse and jump into the championship race.
However, Hanwha is still cautious. As the saying goes, players are carefully checking their conditions one by one. In particular, since the team lost 0-1 to the Lotte Giants on Tuesday and the game was canceled due to rain on Tuesday, they are apparently taking care not to let their sense of play slow down.
Hanwha Eagles coach Choi Won-ho met with reporters ahead of the home game against Lotte at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 4th
BY: 안전놀이터