Wang Yen-cheng's stellar start ends Hanwha Eagles' losing streak; Korean media asks, 'What would we do without him?'

Central News Agency, Seoul, May 23. Hanwha Eagles left-hander Wang Yen-cheng delivered a stellar performance yesterday, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 2 runs to secure his 5th win of the season, tying for the KBO lead in wins. His performance, which ended the team's losing streak, prompted Korean media to run headlines such as "What would we do without Wang Yen-cheng?" and "The Taiwanese Ryu Hyun-jin." The "Taiwanese Prince" started in the home game against the Doosan Bears in Daejeon, throwing 87 pitches over 7 innings, allowing only 5 hits, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts, marking a quality start and a career-high in innings pitched in the KBO. The Hanwha Eagles eventually won 5-3, giving Wang his 5th win of the season, tying him with four other players for the league lead. Wang's performance stopped the team's three-game losing streak and impressed Korean media. Sports Chosun headlined, "I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't brought in Wang Yen-cheng. The Asian foreign pitcher with a salary of 150 million KRW (approx. 3.3 million NTD) has now become the ace of Hanwha." SPOTV NEWS headlined, "Did Hanwha find the Taiwanese Ryu Hyun-jin?" Sports Chosun reported that Wang rescued the struggling Hanwha Eagles, not only ending the opponent's five-game winning streak but also helping Hanwha break its own three-game losing streak, narrowing the gap to one game and laying the foundation for a climb in the standings. The report also mentioned that the Asian foreign player Wang can almost be called the team's true ace this season. According to the Daejeon Ilbo, Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon said after the game, "Wang Yen-cheng perfectly completed his duties as a starting pitcher within 7 innings." Wang admitted, "I hesitated whether to tell the manager that I could keep pitching, but I didn't say it in the end, which is a bit regrettable." However, he said he has sought advice from senior Ryu Hyun-jin, adding, "Next time I encounter this situation, I will try to speak up."