Dong-ju Moon (Hanwha Eagles) will make his first appearance at Busan’s Sajik Stadium since his professional debut.
Moon will start the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League away game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium on March 13.
It will be the first game for Moon, who is considered the next ace of Korean baseball, after being named to the national baseball team for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Moon, who has a 3-4 record with 45 strikeouts and a 3.53 ERA in 10 appearances this season, was named to the senior national team for the first time on Sept. 9.
He joins Na Kyun-ahn, Park Se-woong (Lotte), Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears), Lee Yi-ri (KIA Tigers), and Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions) as pitchers who have previously pitched in the Asian Games. It will be interesting to see if Moon Dong-ju will show his ‘national dignity’ in this game.
The game is also crucial for Hanwha’s rebound after falling to the bottom of the standings in the last seven days. Lotte has been struggling lately 토토사이트 with a 1-6 record, so Hanwha will need to put in a good performance in this series. However, Hanwha has been weak lately, losing three straight away from Sajik, and is just 1-4 against Lotte this year.
Ranked seventh in team starting ERA (4.17), Hanwha will need to win the starting battle to have a chance. That’s why they’re leaning heavily on Moon Dong-ju, who has been pitching well of late.
Moon had an up-and-down start to the year, but rebounded in June. In his two June starts, he went at least six innings in both, posting a 0.00 ERA (13 innings, 1 run, 1 walk). This is in stark contrast to May, when he was knocked out early in three of his four games and posted an 8.22 monthly ERA.
Moon has also been strong against Lotte. In three appearances against Lotte, he went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA (one run in seven innings).
However, the fact that Moon has never taken the mound at Sajik Stadium since his professional debut could be a factor. All of his previous appearances against Lotte have been at the Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon.
Sajik Stadium, known as “Sajik Karaoke,” is known for its passionate Lotte fans. Even on weekday evenings, over 10,000 spectators gather to show their one-sided support. The inexperienced players of the visiting team were overwhelmed by the atmosphere and were unable to showcase their skills. As a second-year pitcher, Moon Dong-ju is no stranger to this environment.
However, Sajik Stadium is not necessarily a graveyard for the away team. Lotte is 16-12 at home this season, but they have lost four straight home games recently. In those four games, opposing starting pitchers have shut down the Lotte offense with a 0.00 ERA (24⅔ innings, one run, no walks).
Lotte, meanwhile, will start Charlie Barnes on the mound. Barnes is 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 10 games this season.
He has been up and down, but in his most recent start against KT on July 7, he pitched seven innings with eight strikeouts and two runs (one earned). He has made one appearance against Hanwha this season, striking out eight in seven innings and allowing one run.
