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NC-Hanhwa draws 5-5 in extra innings in nail-biter

NC and Hanwha were unable to settle the score.

The NC Dinos and Hanwha Eagles played their 2024 KBO regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Thursday. The game ended in a 5-5 draw after a tense extra innings.

With the win, NC improved to 23 wins, one draw, and 17 losses, while Hanwha improved to 16 wins, one draw, and 24 losses.

The game was also highly anticipated because it was Ryu Hyun-jin’s first start. With a 98-52 record and a 2.80 ERA in the KBO from 2006 to 2012, and a 78-48 record and a 3.27 ERA in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2013 to 2023, Ryu is arguably the best left-handed ace in Korean baseball.

However, he has struggled a bit this year. Prior to the NC, he was 2-4 with a 5.65 ERA, and in his last start against the Busan Lotte Giants on Aug. 8, he gave up five runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts in five innings. He faced the NC once before on March 17 in Changwon, giving up three runs on seven hits, one walk, two home runs, eight strikeouts and three walks in a no-decision.

Ryu threw 110 pitches in six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts and two strikeouts, but cried into the bullpen fire, leaving his third win of the season and 101st win of his KBO career on the line.

NC’s lineup was Son Asub (designated hitter), Seo Ho-cheol (third base), Park Gun-woo (right field), Matt Davidson (first base), Kwon Hee-dong (left field), Kim Sung-wook (center field), Kim Hyung-joon (catcher), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), and Do Tae-hoon (second base). The starting pitcher is Daniel Castano.

Hanwha countered with Ryu Hyun-jin in the starting lineup of Kim Tae-yeon (first base), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Jonathan Peraza (right field), Noh Si-hwan (third base), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), Lee Do-yoon (second base), Kim Kang-min (center field), Hwang Young-mook (shortstop), and Choi In-ho (left field).

In a tight pitching battle in the early innings, Hanwha struck first. In the bottom of the second inning, Lee Do-yoon and Kim Kang-min hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third. However, Hwang Young-mook struck out to end the inning.

NC also missed their chances. In the top of the third inning, Do Tae-hoon singled and Seo Ho-cheol flied out to 바카라사이트 right field to put runners on second and third, but Park Gun-woo grounded out to shortstop.

NC was the first to break the long streak of zeroes. In the top of the fifth, Kim Joo-won singled to center field and Do Tae-hoon followed with a sacrifice bunt to load the bases for Seo Ho-chul.

Hanwha didn’t sit idly by. In the bottom of the fifth, Lee Do-yoon and Kim Kang-min singled to put runners on first and third with no outs. Hwang Young-mook (grounder to third base) and Choi In-ho (strikeout) were then retired, but Kim Tae-yeon launched a three-run shot over the left field fence with a distance of 115 meters. Kim’s second home run of the season.

After suffering a blow, NC started to rally in the top of the sixth inning. With runners on first and second after singles by Kwon Hee-dong and Kim Hyung-joon, Do Tae-hoon hit an RBI single to center field.

After settling down, NC quickly turned the game around in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded after a Davidson walk and singles by Kwon Hee-dong and Kim Sung-wook, Kim hit a three-run double over the left field fence.

But Hanwha wasn’t about to let the game slip away. Two batters later in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ahn Chi-hong launched a 115-meter solo shot over the left field fence. His third of the season. After Peraza followed with a double to left-center, Noh Si-hwan tied the game with an RBI single down the right-field line, and the game headed into extra innings.

NC struck in the top of the 10th inning. Do Tae-hoon walked and Seo Ho-chul singled to left to put runners on first and second, but Seo was stranded.

Hanwha also failed to capitalize on a potential game-ending situation. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Choi Jae-hoon drew a walk, and after Lee Do-yoon’s bunt attempt was thrown out at second base, Choi’s pinch-hitter, Park Sang-un, stole second base to put runners on first and second. However, Lee Won-seok and Moon Hyun-bin struck out in succession.

NC failed to capitalize on its chances in the top of the 12th. An infield single by Kim Sung-wook, a sacrifice bunt by Kim Hyung-joon, a walk by Kim Joo-won, and a single by Do Tae-hoon loaded the bases, but Son As-seob and Seo Ho-chul grounded out to first base back-to-back.

Hanwha also failed to score in the bottom of the 12th inning, and the four-and-a-half-hour game ended in a tie.

In addition to Castano (seven innings, three runs), NC used Ryu Jin-wook (0.2 innings, two runs), Lee Yong-chan (1.1 innings, no runs), Han Jae-seung (1 inning, no runs), Kim Young-gyu (1 inning, no runs), and Kim Jae-yeol (1 inning, no runs) on the mound. Kim Hyung-joon (5-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Seo Ho-chul (6-for-6, 2 HR, 1 RBI), and Kwon Hee-dong (5-for-3) made their presence felt at the plate.

After Ryu, Hanwha used Kim Kyu-yeon (0.2 innings, three runs), Lee Min-woo (0.1 innings, no runs), Jang Si-hwan (1 inning, no runs), Joo Hyun-sang (1 inning, no runs), Kim Bum-soo (1 inning, no runs), Jang Min-jae (1 inning, no runs), Han Seung-ju (1 inning, no runs), and Kim Ki-jung (1 inning, no runs). Kim Tae-yeon (5-for-3, 1 home run, 3 RBI) and Noh Si-hwan (1-for-6, 1 RBI) had good at-bats.