Hanwha Eagles high school rookie left-handed pitcher Cho Dong-wook (20) earned the win in his professional debut. It is the 11th time in history that a high school rookie has won his debut.
Cho started the game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2024 Shinhan Solar Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Wednesday and pitched six innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run (unearned).
While he didn’t strike out any batters, he walked just one and gave up just one hit.
After giving way to Lee Min-woo in the top of the seventh inning with his team leading 7-1, Cho earned the win as Hanwha went on to win 8-3.
Drafted by Hanwha with the 11th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Cho made his first start in a first-team game after playing exclusively in the Futures (Second Division) League since joining the organization.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder with a variety of pitches has appeared in five games in the Futures League, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.74 ERA.
It is the 11th time in history that a high school rookie pitcher has won his debut.
It has happened twice this year for Hanwha. Hwang Jun-seo pitched five innings of one-run ball against the KT Wiz in Daejeon on March 31 this year, tying him for the 10th most in history.
He is only the third player in Hanwha history to do so, after Ryu Hyun-jin and Hwang Jun-seo in 2006.
It was the first time in six years that a high school rookie pitcher recorded a quality start (six or more innings pitched and three or fewer earned runs allowed) in his debut since Samsung Lions’ Yang Chang-seop tossed six scoreless innings against the Gwangju Kia Tigers on March 28, 2018.
Throwing a mix of fastballs, sliders and changeups up to 145 kilometers per hour, Cho was efficient as he lasted six innings on 70 pitches.
After giving up a leadoff single and a walk to put runners on first and second in the top of the first, Cho got Lee Joo-hyung to hit a pitcher’s choice, 스포츠토토 but Kiwoom’s Ronnie Dawson was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
After striking out the side in the top of the second, Cho Dong-wook led off the top of the third with a single to right off Lim Ji-yeol. A throwing error by the right fielder sent Lim to third base.
With runners on first and third, Cho gave up a sacrifice fly to Lee Yong-kyu. The error was not recorded as an earned run.
After retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings, Cho gave up a leadoff single to Lee Yong-gyu in the top of the sixth, but Dawson and Kim Hye-sung induced infield grounders to end the inning.
Cho was replaced in the top of the seventh to end the inning.
While Cho was on the mound, Hanwha’s bats were hot.
After giving up the lead, the Hanwha offense came right back.
In the bottom of the third inning, a wild pitch put runners on first and third, scoring Choi Jae-hoon from third base. Later, Jonathan Peraza’s infield grounder to second base was misplayed by the second baseman, allowing Choi, who was at second, to come home.
Hanwha added a run in the bottom of the fourth after Kim Tae-yeon doubled, Moon Hyun-bin singled and Choi Jae-hoon was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
With the bases loaded, Choi In-ho grounded out to shortstop and Ahn Chi-hong hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 5-1.
Hanwha added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning after back-to-back singles by Noh Si-hwan and Hwang Young-mook put runners on second and third, but Kim Tae-yeon hit a double to left field and Moon Hyun-bin followed with an infield grounder.
In the bottom of the seventh, Choi Jae-hoon hit a two-run double to right-center to make it 8-1.
Hanwha got two runs back in the top of the eighth when Kim Kyu-yeon hit a two-run homer to center off Lim Ji-yeol, but Kiwoom would get no closer. Cho Dong-wook also secured the win in his debut.
Hanwha and Kiwoom are now tied for eighth place with 16 wins and 24 losses.