CHANGWON-SI (Interstat) — Toda Natsuki threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Kim Hyung-jun homered and drove in a run, and the NC Dinos held off the Hanwha Eagles 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Masan Baseball Stadium in South Korea.

Toda allowed three hits, walked four and struck out two. The NC right-hander set the tone early by retiring Hanwha in order in the first on a groundout to short, a groundout to the pitcher and a popout to short. Hanwha put a runner on in the second when Kang Baek-ho singled to left-center, but Yonathan Perlaza grounded into a double play and Chang Kyu-hyun grounded out. Toda worked around a leadoff double by Kwon Kwang-min in the fourth and a two-out walk to Hwang Young-mook in the fifth. He gave up a single to Sim Woo-jun in the sixth, but Kim Tae-yean grounded into a double play and Kwon Kwang-min grounded out. Toda left after 6 2/3 innings having kept the Eagles off the scoreboard. In his previous outing, Toda had thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bae Jae-whan followed with 1 1/3 hitless innings and two strikeouts. Kang Jae-min worked 1 2/3 hitless innings for Hanwha. Hwang Jun-seo allowed two runs on two hits with six walks and five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Son Ju-hwan recorded two outs without allowing a hit. Jang Yoo-ho pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Kim Hyung-jun went 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. Cho Dong-uk tossed a scoreless inning. Kim Seo-hyeon gave up one earned run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one inning. Shin Yeong-woo recorded one out, allowed one hit and walked two.

NC scored one run in the second, one in the third and one in the seventh. Hanwha scored two runs in the eighth, but the Dinos kept the Eagles from tying the game. Hanwha finished with four hits to NC’s three. The Dinos’ pitchers combined to keep Hanwha off balance for much of the game, though the visitors made the finish tense with their late rally. NC’s bullpen did just enough to preserve the one-run margin.

The Dinos’ first run came in the second, and they doubled the lead in the third. Shin Jae-in walked, stole second and scored on Park Min-woo’s single to center. Park Min-woo also stole second later in the inning, and Blaine Crim flied out to right to end the threat. NC added its final run in the seventh. Kim Hyung-jun’s home run was the biggest swing of the game, and his two hits accounted for a large share of NC’s three-hit attack. Kim Hyung-jun also singled earlier in the game, and he finished as the only NC batter with multiple hits.

Hanwha’s best chances came through walks and a few timely hits. Kwon Kwang-min doubled in the fourth, and Sim Woo-jun singled in the sixth. But double plays and strikeouts repeatedly cut short rallies. Hanwha left multiple runners on base and could not string together enough hits against Toda and the NC bullpen. NC’s defense turned a double play in the second and another in the sixth. Kim Tae-yean grounded into that double play after Sim Woo-jun’s single. The Dinos also used a stolen base in the third to set up a run. The sequence gave NC a cushion it protected the rest of the way.

NC put pressure on Hanwha pitching throughout the afternoon. Park Min-woo walked in the first and stole second, and Blaine Crim also walked before Kim Whee-jip struck out to end the inning. In the fourth, Kim Hyung-jun singled and Han Jae-hwan, Yun Jun-hyeok and Oh Tae-yang drew walks, but the Dinos could not add to their lead. In the fifth, Park Min-woo reached on an error by the first baseman and stole second, but Kim Whee-jip grounded out and Kim Hyung-jun popped out. NC’s running game kept Hanwha’s defense occupied, even when the Dinos did not score.

Hanwha’s pitchers battled through traffic all afternoon. Hwang Jun-seo issued six walks and struck out five over 3 1/3 innings, but he limited the damage to two runs. Kang Jae-min and Jang Yoo-ho each contributed hitless relief. Cho Dong-uk also tossed a scoreless inning. Kim Seo-hyeon allowed one earned run in his inning, and Shin Yeong-woo worked through a difficult stretch. The Eagles stayed within reach until their two-run eighth. Hanwha’s bullpen kept the game close enough for the lineup to make a late push.

After Hanwha scored twice in the eighth, NC turned to its bullpen. Bae Jae-whan and Son Ju-hwan combined for hitless relief, and Shin Yeong-woo navigated a difficult final stretch. The Dinos’ relievers held the Eagles without another run over the final inning and a third, preserving the one-run win. The victory gave NC a measure of momentum in the head-to-head series.

The Dinos had beaten Hanwha 8-7 in the previous meeting between the teams. Hanwha has now lost six consecutive games, while NC has won two straight. The Eagles dropped to 52-72-5. The Dinos improved to 58-67-2. Attendance at Masan Baseball Stadium was 14,302. The game was played during the afternoon.

Hanwha will next visit Lotte. NC will host Kiwoom. Both teams continue their schedules as the season winds down. The Dinos’ victory gave them a second consecutive win over the Eagles and a measure of momentum in the head-to-head series. Hanwha will look to end its slide in its next game, while NC will try to build on the win. The Eagles will try to snap the skid, while the Dinos will aim to keep their winning streak alive.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hanwha Eagles 0, NC Dinos 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected NC with a 52 percent probability to win.