Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) ace Yang Hyun-jong (35) of the KIA Tigers is one win away from tying the KBO’s record for most career starts in his fifth attempt.
On June 26, Yang started a home game against the Hanwha Eagles at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, giving up two runs on five hits over six innings.
With a 6-2 lead in the seventh inning, Yang handed the mound over to Lim Ki-young with the game-winning run. If KIA wins without allowing the tying or winning runs to score, Yang will be the winning pitcher.
Yang, who has 164 career wins, will have 163 of his 165 wins as a starter if he adds the win. That would move him into a tie for first place on the all-time wins list with Song Jin-woo (formerly of the Hanwha Eagles).
Since winning his 162nd start against the SSG Landers on March 6, Yang has lost three of his last four starts.
In particular, he has struggled in that span, giving up 17 runs (16 earned) in 21⅓ innings, so he was sent to the second team for an adjustment on April 16 and returned to the first team for the first time in 10 days.
Yang Hyun-jong gave up two runs in the top of the third inning when he doubled to center field to Moon Hyun-bin and singled to left-center to Noh Si-hwan.
Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the inning, KIA got a run back when Choi Won-jun singled to right, Park Chan-ho walked to put runners on second and third, and Kim Do-young grounded out to shortstop.
The team then scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to help Yang set the record.
After back-to-back singles by Choi Hyung-woo and Socrates Brito put runners on first and second with no outs, Kim Sun-bin, who had bunted, switched to a hard hitter and lined a single to left to tie the game at 2-2.
Kim Tae-gun followed with a single to left, Choi Won-joon doubled to right-center and Park Chan-ho followed with a single to center to score four runs in quick succession. 토토사이트