Hanwha's first win at the new stadium, the leadership of 'Monster Foreign Pitcher' who gathered batters, said, "I trust you guys, if you score one point..."

The Hanwha Eagles marked their first game at Daejeon New Stadium with an unforgettable twist. At the center of the game was new foreign pitcher Cody Ponce (31). Showing his outstanding pitching and amazing leadership, he was honored as the first winning pitcher at Daejeon New Stadium.카지노사이트

Hanwha came from behind to win 7-2 in the opening and opening game of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League KIA Tigers at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 28th. The lineup remained scoreless until the sixth inning, continuing the frustrating trend, but starting with Kim Tae-yeon's home run in the seventh inning, he drove in five big innings to end the first game at the new stadium with a thrilling upset.

It would have been impossible had it not been for Ponce's fighting spirit of 105 pitches in seven innings. Ponce, who beat Ryu to become the first starting pitcher at a new stadium following the opening game, silenced Kia's batters by allowing seven hits (one homer) and one walk, eight strikeouts and two runs in seven innings on the day, marking its first win since its debut in the KBO League. After its victory in the opening game, Hanwha also ended its four-game losing streak and set a turning point.

It was a pitch that showed why he was evaluated as the best foreign pitcher. On the day, Ponce evenly mixed six pitches, namely curve (26), change-up (16), two-seam (6), and cutter (2), centering on fastballs (49) with maximum speed of 156 kilometers per hour and average speed of 153 kilometers per hour from 198 centimeters tall. Basically, he has good ball power, but he added power curves of 131 kilometers per hour to change-up that falls vertically like a fork ball, robbing batters of their timing. He also displayed command that allows him to control wherever he wants, regardless of fastball or breaking ball.

What shone most was his mental strength. As Hanwha's batting lineup was blocked until the sixth inning, the frustrating game continued, but Ponce did not falter. Rather, he brought fielders to the dugout after the inning was over in the top of the fifth inning to cheer him up. "I trust you guys. If we score just one point, we can make things better, so let's cheer up," he said. His leadership was nothing new to that of a foreign player who joined the team this year.

However, the Hanwha Eagles' lineup, which was blocked by KIA starter James Nail, failed to score a point until the sixth inning, and Ponce allowed Patrick Wisdom to hit his first homer at the new stadium in the seventh inning. The situation could have collapsed, but Ponce remained solid. With the two outs and runners on the first and third bases, Yang Sang-moon, the team's pitching coach, took the mound with 101 pitches, but there was no substitute signing.

Ponce, who remained on the mound, struck out Byun Woo-hyuk in four pitches and finished the inning on his own. His 105th fastball was recorded at the speed of 151 km per hour. Even after 100 pitches, he threw 150 km-range balls, showing off his amazing stamina.

Hanwha batters finally responded to Ponce's fighting spirit. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kim Tae-yeon hit a solo home run to the left to KIA's Pilseungjo Jeon Sang-hyun, penetrating his blood. He then scored four consecutive walks to push the ball to tie the game at 2-2. Choi In-ho was hit again by pitcher Kwak Do-gyu's ball, which has been changed in the meantime, resulting in another pushback score. 3-2 come-from-behind. KIA changed the pitcher to Lee Joon-young, but Esteban Floral's miss resulted in a double to the left, leading the team to a 5-2 victory. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Hanwha, which added two runs due to opponent's error and Lee Do-yoon's RBI triple, came from behind to win the game 7-2.

Ponce, who became the first winning pitcher at Daejeon's new stadium, said after the game, "It's an honor to be able to throw in the opening game at home, but I'm really happy that I became a winning pitcher in the first official game at the new stadium. It's the strength of my teammates who all wanted to win in one mind," adding, "After the fifth inning, I told the fielders, 'I trust you guys. Let's cheer up because we can work out well if we score just one point,' but I was able to become a winning pitcher because I gave up a lot of points after the last inning."

"More than anything, it was a game that confirmed the tremendous passion of the Hanwha Eagles fans. Our fans have tremendous energy. I will do my best on the mound to receive this roar," Ponce said.

Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon also said, "The team was in a difficult situation because it was losing consecutive games, and there must have been a lot of tension because it was the opening game at the new stadium, but it was a game where I was able to overcome the cold and tension with the cheering and shouting of the fans who filled the stadium," adding, "I would like to thank the fans once again and say that all the players worked hard."

The Hanwha Eagles will challenge to win its second consecutive title by displaying Ryan Weiss at the match against Kia on Wednesday. Yang will make his starting pitcher at Kia, which has lost three consecutive games.