Seoul: The Hanwha Eagles made history by securing their 10th consecutive victory in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the first time in the 21st century. The Eagles triumphed over the Kiwoom Heroes with a 7-5 victory at the Gocheok Sky Dome after overcoming a 4-1 deficit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Eagles broke a 4-4 tie by scoring three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. This rally began with a solo home run by Moon Hyun-bin, followed by an RBI triple from Chae Eun-seong, and a run-scoring double by Lee Sang-hyuck, which provided crucial insurance runs for the Eagles.
Previously, the Eagles won 10 games in a row in October 1999, a streak that culminated in a Korean Series title. Their franchise record remains a 14-game winning streak set in 1992 when they were known as the Binggrae Eagles.
With this victory, the Eagles improved their record to 25-13-0 and extended their lead over the idle LG Twins to 1.5 games. Meanwhile, the Heroes remained at the bottom of the standings with a 13-28-0 record.
The Heroes scored all five of their runs through solo home runs. Song Sung-mun initiated the scoring with a home run on the first pitch of the game, followed by Lee Ju-hyoung’s solo shot, giving the Heroes an early 2-0 lead.
The Eagles responded by reducing the deficit in the third inning with three consecutive singles off Heroes’ starter Ha Yeong-min, culminating in an RBI single by Moon. However, Eagles’ power hitters Roh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-seong were unable to continue the momentum, striking out against Ha.
The Heroes extended their lead with two more home runs in the fourth inning. Kim Tae-jin and Yasiel Puig each hit solo shots, pushing the Heroes’ lead to 4-1.
Estevan Florial’s solo homer in the fifth inning helped the Eagles close the gap to two runs. The Eagles then tied the game with two runs in the seventh inning off new pitcher Oh Seok-joo. Hwang Young-mook’s infield single and Moon’s sacrifice fly brought the score to 4-4.
Both teams missed opportunities to take the lead in the subsequent innings before Moon’s decisive home run in the ninth inning gave the Eagles a 5-4 lead. Chae’s triple and Lee’s double extended the Eagles’ lead to 7-4.
Despite Lee Ju-hyoung’s second solo home run of the game in the ninth inning, the Heroes were unable to mount a comeback.
Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon refrained from discussing the winning streak, stating before the game that he preferred not to use the phrase to avoid putting pressure on his players. Postgame, he praised the team’s resilience and the support from fans.
The Eagles will look to continue their winning momentum with ace Cody Ponce, who has a 6-0 record and a 1.70 ERA, set to start Saturday’s game against the Heroes.