Returning Yang ties career start wins with first win of second half
After returning from a 10-day layoff, KIA Tigers pitcher Yang Hyun-jong (35) tied the record for most starts in KBO history.
Yang started against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on April 26.
It was his first start in 11 days since his last appearance against the Kiwoom Heroes on May 15.
Yang Hyun-jong struggled in the second half of the season, going 2-2 with a 7.71 ERA in three games without a win, including giving up seven runs in 5⅔ innings against Kiwoom. He was eventually removed from the roster and decided to take a break.
After returning from the break, Yang held the Hanwha bats in check for six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 91 pitches.
With his team’s 12-4 victory, Yang improved to 6-7 on the season.
He also earned 165 career wins, 163 of which came as a starter, tying the KBO record for most starts held by Song Jin-woo (retired). Song Jin-woo, who also holds the KBO’s all-time record of 210 wins, won 163 of his starts.
Yang Hyun-jong pitched a scoreless second inning before giving up a run in the third inning with the score tied at 0-0.
He gave up a leadoff single to Lee Jin-young and was later put on second base on a sacrifice bunt by Lee Do-yoon. With the bases loaded, Moon gave up a timely double down the center field line to Hyun Bin Moon. In the second inning, Noh Si-hwan singled to left-center field, plating another run.
However, in the next at-bat, Chae Eun-sung grounded out to the second baseman.
No more runs were scored.
The fourth inning ended with a triple play, and in the fifth, Lee Do-yoon singled up the middle and retired the next two batters.
In the top of the sixth, Yang gave up his first hit of the day to Chae Eun-sung, but struck out Choi Jae-hoon on three pitches and got Nick Williams to ground out to second base.
The offense responded to Yang’s pitching.
Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the third, KIA scored a run on a groundout by Kim Do-young with runners on first and second.
In the fourth inning, they scored five runs to take the pressure off Yang’s shoulders.
Choi Hyung-woo, Socrates Brito, and Kim Sun-bin hit three consecutive singles to tie the game. With runners on first and second, Choi Won-jun and Park Chan-ho hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it 6-2.
Unable to shake Yang Hyun-jong, Hanwha loaded the bases with one hit and two walks in the top of the seventh inning after a pitching change, but Moon Hyun-bin grounded out to shortstop to save a run.토토사이트
KIA poured it on in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five more runs to take a 6-3 lead.
Sixth-ranked KIA (51-2-50) extended its winning streak to three games, while ninth-ranked Hanwha (42-6-58) dropped its fifth straight.