Moon Dong-ju expressed his gratitude to Choi Won-ho for stepping down as manager.

The Hanwha Eagles won 12-3 against the Lotte Giants in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, South Korea, on Monday. Acting manager Jung Kyung-bae reported the win in his first game in charge.

Starting pitcher Moon Dong-joo pitched six innings of eight-hit ball, striking out four and walking three. His fastball topped out at 156 mph and averaged 152 mph. He threw 101 pitches, including 47 fastballs, 31 curveballs, nine changeups, eight cutters, and six sliders.

Speaking to the media after the game, Moon said, “The no-hitter was the most decisive,” adding, “Being aggressive with the ball count in the first and second innings helped me reduce the number of pitches I had to throw.”

He continued, “I was weak against Lotte. However, I pitched with the mindset of winning unconditionally,” he said. Prior to this day, Moon had pitched one game against Lotte, giving up four runs in five innings.

It was his first Quality Start (QS) of the season, pitching at least six innings and allowing three runs or 토토사이트 less. Moon admitted that it was “too late,” but vowed to make more quality starts in the remaining games.

One pitch that stood out in his pitching today was his cutter. Moon hasn't used the cutter much in the past. “Today, the ball was winding up. I haven't thrown a lot of sliders (cutters) lately,” he said. ”In the first and second innings, I felt like I read the pattern, and from the fourth inning on, (Choi) Jae-hoon made a lot of slider signs. I had the same idea, so I threw it without hesitation. I threw a lot of (cutters) to change my pitches and it worked well,” he explained.

Moon's cutter teacher is former NC Dinos foreign pitcher Eric Peddie. “He taught me last year. I threw it a little bit last year, and I changed my grip for left-handed hitters, and it's working well,” he said.

He also shared his feelings for Choi Won-ho. “In April, as everyone knows, I didn't have a good performance. I feel sorry for him. I'm finally helping (the team), but that moment should have come sooner. I could have contributed, even if it wasn't much, and I'm sorry for that. I learned a lot from coach Choi Won-ho. I want to remember it well and finish this season well.”