Hanwha Rises From the Brink

Nov 19, 2025

Junhwi Lee

asiatimes.com

Hanwha has emerged from the brink of collapse. At Game 3 of the "2025 Shinhan Sol Bank KBO League Postseason" Korean Series held at Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark in Daejeon on Sunday, the team beat LG 7-3 to secure a come-from-behind victory. It was the first KS win at its new home stadium, 19 years after the second round in 2006, and the first KS win at home since 1999. Given the first and second games, the loss represented a watershed moment for Hanwha.

Unlike the two games held in Jamsil, the game showed solid pitching. Cody Ponce, the starting pitcher of the Hanwha Eagles, pitched well, allowing three hits (one homer) and two runs in six innings as the team's "strongest ace." Although he had walks, he overcame the crisis by striking out six, and played a key role in sustaining the tight race. Before the game, Lee Jin-young said, "Everyone will think that we have to catch him today even if no one says anything."

The batters didn't give up until the end. It was frustrating until the seventh inning. He had only four hits off starting pitcher Son Joo-young, and he had no RBI due to the opponent team's error in the second inning. However, the mood completely changed at the bottom of the eighth inning when his team was trailing 1-3. He combined five hits, including two doubles, and two walks to score six points at once, and reversed the trend by targeting Song Seung-ki, Yoo Young-chan and Kim Young-woo, LG's must-win groups.

Shim Woo-joon was the hero of the critical moment. Entering the eighth inning as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded with two outs, he hit Yoo Young-chan's third ball, a 151 km/h fastball, to make a double with the score tied 3-3. Although the bat was broken, the course of hitting was exquisite. Choi Jae-hoon's timely hit also made Hanwha to completely win the game. It was a match where Hanwha's tenacity to change the mood shone.

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