The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory

Oct 25, 2025

The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
Thank you for holding up the equipment of Choi Jae-hoon, who finished the inning by catching Kim Tae-hoon's ground ball in the top of the third inning in Game 5 of the PO match between Samsung and Hanwha at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.10.24/



The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
Hanwha Ponce is interviewing after becoming Daily MVP as a winning pitcher in Game 5 with one run (non-earned) in five innings. Daejeon = Reporter Kwon In-ha
The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
The 5th PO match between Samsung and Hanwha held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th. Hanwha won against Samsung and succeeded in advancing to the Korean Series. Hanwha Ponce, who won the MVP of Game 5 of the playoffs. Daejeon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.10.24/
Let's get rid of the disappointment of Game 1 and head to the Korean Series.

Kody Ponce, the best pitcher in the KBO League, led the Hanwha Eagles to the Korean Series. Ponce started Game 5 of the playoffs against the Samsung Lions at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th, and cheered for an 11-2 victory with five hits, two walks, nine strikeouts and one run (non-earned) in five innings. Ponce, who became the winning pitcher with the help of the batters in the first game with six runs (five earned) in six innings, defended his ace's pride by clearly showing his capabilities this time.

Ponce, who struck out Kim Tae-hoon, who hit a home run against him in Game 1 and started the game scoreless after two consecutive hits and walks in the bottom of the first inning, gave up one run due to a disappointing mistake in the top of the second inning with a 2-0 lead.




However, he stopped until the fifth inning without losing a point, giving Hanwha a clear chance to win. Diaz's ball in the top of the third inning caused a dizzying situation that hit his left chest, but fortunately, he continued to pitch without any major problems. From the sixth inning, Ryan Weiss took the mound and gave up only one run until the ninth inning, and the batters continued to explode, ultimately winning 11-2.

Ponce, who was named the Daily MVP of Game 5, entered the interview room with a bright expression. Regarding the Korean Series, Ponce said, `If catcher Choi Jae-hoon believes in the pitch to throw, I think it will lead to a good result"He showed infinite trust in Choi Jae-hoon.

-How did you feel about pitching well today.




▶Three points are important. Aggressive pitching, trust in catcher Choi Jae-hoon, and good execution of catcher Choi Jae-hoon's pitches seem to have led to good results.

-What was it like when you got hit by a ball.

▶When I was hit by the ball, I just thought I should get the batter out. And when I got hit, I was a little sick, but I tried to play as much of my role as a starting pitcher as possible because I had my role.




-As I pitched the last pitch in the top of the fifth inning and went down, I responded to the fans' support with a big gesture.

▶I made a big gesture and roared after the inning because I didn't think Moon Dong-joo knew how to roar, so I tried to show him as an example, but I think I did it a little big.

-My father, wife, mother-in-law and other family members came.

▶I was able to pitch while gaining great strength on the mound because I had a family who came from the U.S. thousands of miles away to support me. It would have been nice if there was a mother who was very meaningful and very happy, but I always pitched with the mindset that she was next to me every time I went to the mound, and I think that was very good.

-I'm meeting LG in the Korean Series.

▶My answer is simple. I think it will lead to better results if Choi Jae-hoon believes in the pitch and throws it.

The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
The 5th PO match between Samsung and Hanwha held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th. Hanwha won against Samsung and succeeded in advancing to the Korean Series. Hanwha Weiss-Ponce, who is sharing the joy of victory after the game. Daejeon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.10.24/
The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
The match between Samsung and Hanwha in the fifth round of the PO held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th, and Ponce struck out Diaz in the top of the fifth inning and cheered for fans in the stands. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.10.24/
The four gold medals, who regained their 9K self-esteem in five innings, did not win against LG. I'm throwing it for the team's victory, not my victory
The 5th PO match between Samsung and Hanwha held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 24th. Hanwha Ponce, who is pitching as a starter. Daejeon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.10.24/
-Before the game, Ponce's father and brother-in-law were watching Samsung batters practice hard, did you give any advice.

▶(Smiling) He didn't talk about baseball. Just enjoy it on the mound. He told me to enjoy it as much as possible because there are good results if I enjoy it.

-After being hit by Diaz's ball, Diaz came and gave him a hug.

▶Diaz came and asked if it was okay. There are no players who want to hurt them on purpose. Diaz was also worried because he was worried about injury due to the training hit. We had a spirit of partnership, so we respected each other and encouraged each other.

-He was the only one in the regular league that didn't win against LG, but he was motivated in the Korean Series.

▶My victory doesn't really matter. My role is to be a player who helps the team win, and helps the team win further and further. So I'll focus on the team.

-I was disappointed when Kim Young-woong got an automatic four-pitch sign.

▶ As an athlete and a pitcher, of course, I have a desire to compete with the other. Whether the opponent does well or not, he is obligated to do his best to catch him on the mound, and although there was a regret in that regard, I respect the decision of the coach and the coaching staff.

-Experts evaluated that LG is advantageous if Ponce takes the mound just once in the Korean Series.

▶The goal of this playoff was to advance to the Korean Series. I don't mind that much because I'm now in the Korean Series and I trust other starting pitchers.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.