For a pitcher, elbow or shoulder surgery is like fate. This is especially true if you are a veteran with a career. One day, he faces his physical limitations and gets on the operating table. And after rehabilitation, he resumes his career. This is something that almost all pitchers experience, regardless of whether they are Korean, American or Japanese.
KIA franchise star and ace Yang Hyeon-jong (35) is an exception. During his 17-year professional career, he never got on the operating table. There are no surgical scars on his elbows or shoulders, including his amateur days. And with the body of an iron man, he was more steady than anyone else.
He has been on the mound every year without a break. He pitched 100 or more innings in every season from 2013 to 2022, except for 2021, when he entered the United States. In this way, he has been ranked second in the history of the most wins division with extreme durability and consistency.
Yang Hyeon-jong started against LG in Gwangju on the 27th and threw 102 pitches, scoring 162 wins in his personal career with 7 hits, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts and 3 runs in 6.2 innings. KIA won LG 6-3, and now Hyeon-jong Yang is looking at Jin-woo Song (210 wins).
In terms of starting wins, the top is closer. Yang Hyeon-jong approached Song Jin-woo, who had 163 wins, by 3 wins with 160 wins in the starting game. It is possible to have the most starts in history this season. In the innings category, Yang Hyeon-jong is in third place with 2212.2 innings.
A starting pitcher alone cannot make a win. On this day, KIA also recorded a hold by Choi Ji-min, who took the mound as pitcher after Yang Hyeon-jong, overcame a crisis situation in the 7th inning. Choi Ji-min was followed by Jung Hae-young, who completed the victory.
In the batting lineup, leadoff Park Chan-ho went 2-for-5 with 1 RBI, Socrates went 5-for-3 with 3 hits, Kim Sun-bin went 4 at-bats with 2 hits and 1 walk, and Choi Hyung-woo also contributed to the victory with 1 RBI and 2 walks on a sacrifice fly.
With this victory, KIA took the season record to 20 wins and 21 losses.
From the first point, KIA was selected. In the first inning, KIA went on base with Lee Woo-sung’s hit ball, and Socrates hit right-handed to make it 1 out, 1st and 3rd base. Choi Hyung-woo made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly to left field.
LG counterattacked in the top of the second inning. Leading batter Kim Hyun-soo hit a heavy hit, and Park Dong-won hit a double from 1 out 1 base, leading to 1 out 2 and 3 base. Third base runner Kim Hyeon-soo was tagged out by Kim Min-sung’s ground ball from third base, but Park Hae-min hit a double at the right time to tie the game 1-1. In the continued 2nd and 3rd base, LG ran away 3-1 with Hong Chang-ki’s 2 RBIs and heavy hits.
At the end of the 4th inning, KIA also turned around with a pinch hit card and scored 3 points. After lead hitter Choi Hyung-woo went on base with a walk, Kim Seon-bin hit right-handed, and Byeon Woo-hyuk hit right-handedly on first and second bases with one out. And instead of Han Seung-taek, Lee Chang-jin was appointed, and Lee Chang-jin fired a double with two RBIs.
KIA, which turned 4-3, ran away little by little through an extra point. In the bottom of the 5th, lead batter Socrates went to base with a right-handed hit, and Kim Seon-bin’s timely double hit from 1 out and 2nd base made it 5-3, pulling opposing starting pitcher Kim Yun-shik off the mound. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Lee Chang-jin went on base with a walk, and Kim Ho-ryeong made a sacrifice bunt with 1 out and 2 base. In the chance, Park Chan-ho made a timely hit to make it 6-3.
The beginning of the 7th was also the point of the game. Yang Hyeon-jong hit Joo-Hyun Jung with a heavy hit and Hae-Min Park walked to become 1st, 1st and 2nd base. However, second base runner Jung Joo-hyun tried to steal third base and was out. It was a play that seemed to have come out of a miss in the process of delivering the sign, but this changed the flow.
Yang Hyeon-jong also walked Hong Chang-ki and finished pitching on the day at 2nd 1st and 2nd base. And Choi Ji-min took the mound and avoided a run. Choi Ji-min walked the first batter, Moon Seong-joo, and got the second out base, but caught Oh Ji-hwan with a center fielder fly and kept Yang Hyeon-jong’s victory requirement.먹튀검증
Afterwards, KIA Choi Ji-min blocked until the beginning of the 8th inning, and Jeong Hae-young took the mound in the 9th inning, recording his 6th save of the season after a long struggle.
On the other hand, starting pitcher Kim Yun-sik suffered 2 losses with 5 runs in 4.1 innings. He was pushed back in the starting matchup and failed to win 3 consecutive times in the 7th and 9th innings by not being able to save the last chance. The season record is 29 wins, 16 losses and 1 draw. With a win rate of 0.644, he maintained first place alone.