Daegu: Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon expressed pride in his young pitcher Moon Dong-ju’s performance following their team’s crucial postseason victory over the Samsung Lions.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Moon’s four shutout innings in relief contributed significantly to the Eagles’ 5-4 win, giving them a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. With this victory, the Eagles are now positioned to reach the Korean Series with a win in the upcoming game.

During the regular season, Moon served as the Eagles’ No. 4 starter, but he has transitioned to a relief role in this series. Over two relief appearances, Moon has struck out 10 batters in six innings, including six during Tuesday night’s game before a sellout crowd of 23,680 in Daegu.

Manager Kim remarked on Moon’s performance, stating, “From my vantage point in the dugout, I was really proud of Dong-ju for the way he pitched so well. We thought this was going to be the pivotal game of the series, and we wanted to go all-in.”

Moon stepped in after starter Ryu Hyun-jin pitched four innings and reliever Kim Beom-su covered one more inning. Although the initial plan was to assess Moon’s condition after two innings, his dominant performance prompted Kim to allow Moon to complete the final four innings for the win.

Moon expressed readiness to finish the game, and Kim noted, “Dong-ju told me that he was ready to go all the way. He sounded pretty confident, too. The Lions hitters were swinging the bat well, and we wanted Dong-ju to finish them off on this night.”

This decision left closer Kim Seo-hyeon on the sidelines. Seo-hyeon faced challenges closing games towards the end of the regular season and struggled in Game 1, allowing a home run and an RBI double.

Manager Kim acknowledged Seo-hyeon’s disappointment but suggested he might have an opportunity in the next game, depending on its progression.

Lions manager Park Jin-man expressed regret over his team’s inability to counter Moon’s pitching. With the series at a critical point, Park emphasized the need for a comprehensive effort in the upcoming game, stating, “After giving up some early runs, we were able to rally and grab the lead. We should have been able to build on that momentum. For tomorrow, we will have every pitcher available in the bullpen.”