The 22-year-old pitcher, who reached 162 km/h in playoffs, struggled with fatigue in crucial Game 1

Moon Dong-ju started Game 1 of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League postseason Korean Series (KS·best-of-seven) against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 26th. He recorded 4⅓ innings, allowing four hits (including one home run), three walks, three strikeouts, and four earned runs.

After securing a hold in Game 1 of the playoffs against Samsung (2 innings, one hit, no walks, four strikeouts, no runs) and a relief win in Game 3 (4 innings, two hits, one walk, six strikeouts, no runs), earning MVP honors, Moon returned as a starter in the Korean Series for the crucial Game 1.

Moon, who threw 58 pitches in the playoff Game 3 in Daegu on the 21st, could have pitched again in Game 5 in Daejeon on the 23rd after two days of rest, but Manager Kim Kyung-moon opted to preserve him for the Korean Series. With Hanwha's Game 5 victory, Moon was selected as the starting pitcher for Game 1. Ahead of the game, Manager Kim said, "If Dong-ju pitches well, he can go deep into the game. I expect him to pitch until at least the fifth inning, where he can secure a win or loss. His rhythm is good."

However, he wobbled from the first inning against LG's powerful lineup. After falling into a favorable two-strike count against leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki, he issued a walk on the seventh pitch. Shin Min-jae followed with an infield single, loading the bases with no outs. Moon struck out Austin Dean with a 152 km/h fastball just outside the zone, but a wild pitch on a third-strike forkball to Kim Hyun-soo sailed over the catcher's head. With one out and runners on second and third, Kim Hyun-soo's groundout to second allowed the runner from third to score, giving LG the lead.

In a continued one-out, two-run situation, Moon allowed a two-run double to the left-center gap to Moon Bo-kyung. A 154 km/h fastball high in the center of the zone was driven for a hit. After surrendering two runs, Moon struck out Oh Ji-hwan with a forkball to end the inning.

In the second inning, Moon retired Park Dong-won on a flyout to left, Gu Bon-hyuk on a groundout to first, and Park Hae-min on a called third strike with a forkball outside the zone. He completed the inning in three batters. In the third, he also retired the side in three: Hong Chang-ki on a groundout to first, Shin Min-jae on a groundout to shortstop, and Dean on a popout to first.

Moon appeared to regain composure but faced a one-out, first-and-second situation in the fourth after walking Kim Hyun-soo and Oh Ji-hwan. He escaped without additional runs, retiring Park Dong-won on a flyout to center and Gu Bon-hyuk on a groundout to second.

In the fifth, Moon allowed a solo home run to leadoff hitter Park Hae-min. Park pulled a 125 km/h curveball inside the body for a 105-meter shot down the right-field pole. Moon then induced a groundout to shortstop against Hong Chang-ki but surrendered a triple to Shin Min-jae on a 150 km/h fastball high in the center of the zone. Although No Si-hwan fielded Oswalt's hard grounder cleanly, his throw home sailed past catcher Choi Jae-hoon, allowing Shin to score.

LG extended its lead to 4-0, and Moon was replaced by left-hander Kim Beom-su with one out and a runner on first. Kim walked Kim Hyun-soo but prevented further damage, ending Moon's outing with four earned runs.

Moon threw 81 pitches, relying on fastballs averaging 151 km/h (45 pitches), forkballs (18), curveballs (14), and sliders (4). His fastball velocity peaked at 154 km/h, down from his playoff highs of 162 km/h (161.6 km/h rounded) in Game 1 and 157 km/h in Game 3, reflecting diminished stamina after four days of rest.

/waw@osen.co.kr

[OSEN=Jamsil, Reporter Lee Sang-hak] Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju (22) failed to reach the fifth inning in his debut Korean Series appearance. Though he pitched six scoreless innings in the playoffs, he struggled with four earned runs in this game. His fastball velocity, which reached up to 162 km/h and 157 km/h in the playoffs, dropped to 154 km/h, clearly showing signs of fatigue.

Moon Dong-ju's Velocity Drops to 154 km/h, Exits Early in Korean Series