Home > Sports > Baseball

Hanwha Eagles notch eight in a row with 3-1 win over Samsung Lions

Published: 07 May. 2025, 09:51 Updated: 07 May. 2025, 18:41

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin pitches during a KBO game against the Samsung Lions at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on May 6. [YONHAP]

The Hanwha Eagles kept flying high on Tuesday with their eighth win in a row, beating the Samsung Lions 3-1 in front of another sellout crowd in Daejeon and maintaining their ranking in a first-place tie atop the KBO.

A sellout crowd of 17,000 packed Hanwha Life Eagles Park for the 11th straight home game, witnessing a composed comeback and another solid outing from Ryu Hyun-jin.

The veteran left-hander gave up one run over five innings, striking out six while allowing four hits and four walks. The win improved Ryu’s record to 4-1 and brought his career total to 190 across the KBO and MLB.

“Ryu did a great job limiting the damage and giving us a chance to win,” manager Kim Kyung-moon said. “I’m proud of the bullpen for holding strong with our closer resting. Most of all, I’m grateful we could deliver another win to our fans.”

The Eagles' record now stands at 23-13 with a .639 winning percentage. The club has won 19 of its last 22 games, transforming from early-season stragglers to serious contenders.

The team sat in last place with a 5-10 record on April 9, but the Eagles are now tied for the top spot with the LG Twins.

This is the Eagles’ second eight-game winning streak of the 2025 season. During the first, from April 13 to 23, the starting rotation picked up a win in every game — a franchise record.

After a brief two-game skid, the team quickly regrouped to beat KT Wiz, Twins, Kia Tigers and now the Lions in succession.

The Hanwha Eagles celebrate after a KBO game against the Samsung Lions at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on May 6. [NEWS1]

The rotation has anchored the run, with Cody Ponce, Ryan Weiss, Ryu, Eom Sang-baek and Moon Dong-ju delivering consistent starts.

Seven of the eight recent wins have been credited to starters. The exception came on May 2, when rookie Jung Woo-joo earned his first win in relief after an 11-inning game against the Tigers.

The Eagles' bullpen has also played a critical role. Four of Eagles' last eight wins came by a single run, with three decided by two runs and one by three.

Closer Kim Seo-hyun recorded five saves during that stretch, while the bullpen as a whole kept opponents quiet in tight moments.

The Eagles were due to face the Lions at home on Wednesday, aiming to match a nine-game winning streak they last achieved in June 2005.

Elsewhere in the league, the Twins kept pace at the top of the KBO standings with a 5-1 win over the Doosan Bears in the Jamsil rivalry game.

Starter Yonny Chirinos delivered seven innings of one-run ball to earn his fifth win of the season. Austin Dean broke the game open with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, his 10th of the season.

Over in Busan, the Lotte Giants snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-0 shutout of the SSG Landers.

Starter Park Se-woong threw seven scoreless innings to improve to 7-1, moving into sole possession of the league lead in wins.

The Tigers picked up a 5-3 win over the Kiwoom Heroes in western Seoul, while the NC Dinos grabbed a 6-3 win over the Wiz in Suwon, Gyeonggi, extending their winning streak to four for the first time this season.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]