No Si-hwan's Comeback: How the Hanwha Eagles Stunned LG Twins with a 3-Run Performance

[SPOTV News=Jamsil, Reporter Park Seunghwan] Finally, the “307 hundred million KRW (approximately 23,025,000 USD)” power hitter Noh Si-hwan of the Hanwha Eagles is back. He made a statement in his return, reaching base three times and delivering a home run in the comeback game.

Hanwha topped the LG Twins 8-4 on April 23 at Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium in the third meeting between the clubs this season, handing LG a loss and avoiding a series sweep.

# LG lineup: Park Hae-min (CF) – Moon Sung-joo (LF) – Austin Dean (1B) – Moon Bo-kyung (DH) – Oh Ji-hwan (SS) – Chun Sung-ho (3B) – Park Dong-won (C) – Song Chan-eui (RF) – Shin Min-jae (2B). Starting pitcher: Lee Jung-yong.

# Hanwha lineup:

Hwang Young-muk (2B) – Yonathan Peraza (RF) – Moon Hyun-bin (LF) – Noh Si-hwan (3B) – Kang Baek-ho (DH) – Chae Eun-seong (1B) – Lee Won-seok (CF) – Heo In-seo (C) – Shim Woo-jun (SS). Starting pitcher: Hwang Joon-seo.

The game was tight early, and LG struck first. In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Park Hae-min dropped an infield hit toward second. A misplay by Hanwha’s Hwang Young-muk turned the situation into an easy 1st-and-3rd with one out, and Austin Dean ripped another infield hit to drive in the opening run.

LG pushed the edge further in the bottom of the third. After Park reached on a grounder and stole second, Austin drew a walk to keep the rally alive. Moon Bo-kyung then delivered off Hanwha reliever Kim Seo-hyun, giving LG another run.

Hanwha answered in the top of the fourth. Yonathan Peraza launched a solo shot off starter Lee Jung-yong to spark the comeback, and Noh Si-hwan — back after a stint in the minors — followed with a solo homer off Ham Deok-ju to tie the game. It was Noh’s first homer of the season and his first in 217 days. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Heo In-seo lifted a sacrifice fly to put Hanwha ahead.

Hanwha kept the pressure on. In the top of the fifth, with two outs and the bases empty, the Eagles hit another solo homer off Kim Jin-seong. The ball’s exit velocity registered 170.7 km/h (about 106.1 mph) and it carried an estimated 130.8 meters (about 429 feet). In the sixth, a walk to Chae Eun-seong, a Heo In-seo hit and an opponent wild pitch created a two-on opportunity that Hwang Young-muk capitalized on, driving in two more and stretching the lead to 6-2.

LG climbed back with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the deficit proved tough to erase. Hanwha put the game away in the top of the ninth, taking advantage of an error by LG left fielder Moon Sung-joo to add two insurance runs. Austin’s solo homer in the bottom of the ninth was too little, too late.

Hanwha used a heavy mix of arms, even more than LG, which had signaled a bullpen day. The Eagles deployed Hwang Joon-seo (2 2/3 innings, 2 earned runs) to start, followed by Kim Seo-hyun (1/3), Jo Dong-wook (1/3), Park Sang-won (2/3), Jeong Woo-joo (1, 1 earned run), Lee Min-woo (1 2/3), Kim Jong-soo (1/3) and Jack Cushing (2, 1 earned run) to lock down the win and avoid the sweep.