Kia’s Yang Hyun-jong (35) won the decision against SSG’s Kim Kwang-hyun (35), a left-handed ace.
Yang Hyun-jong pitched five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts and two walks against SSG in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on June 6. He earned his fifth win of the season (4-0) in the team’s 7-6 victory.
He also won a battle of pride with his 1988-born rival, Kim Kwang-hyun. The two met for the eighth time in their careers, with Yang winning four straight. Yang Hyun-jong is 4-2, while Kim Kwang-hyun is 2-5.
The battery chemistry was also steady with catcher Kim Tae-gun (34), who joined the team via trade the previous day (June 6). It was the first time in six years that the two players, who traded batting titles at the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), were reunited.
Kia manager Kim Jong-kook hinted that Kim would start the game. “We need to see the situation, but there is a high probability that (Kim) Tae-gun will be paired with (Yang) Hyun-jong,” he said, emphasizing that “batters will target (Kim) Kwang-hyun well, and we need to prepare well for Hyun-jong and Tae-gun.”토토사이트
Despite the lack of time to familiarize himself with the signing, KIA head coach Kim Jong-guk believes in Tae-gun’s wealth of experience: “He’s an experienced player. Our catchers lack experience, and we expect him to fill that gap,” he said, adding, “He has the ability to make pitchers comfortable, whether it’s pitchers’ league or defense.”
The duo lived up to Kim’s expectations. Yang held SSG to just one run through the fifth inning. Kim Tae-gun
It was their first time working together in six years, but it was smooth sailing.
In the bottom of the first inning, Yang gave up three consecutive singles to Park Sung-ho. However, the bats came alive in the second inning, taking the pressure off Yang’s shoulders, and he came off the mound with no further runs allowed until the bottom of the fifth inning with a 7-1 lead.
SSG scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away. With the bases loaded, Choi Joo-hwan’s grounder was misplayed by second baseman Kim Kyu-sung, allowing two runs to score. With the bases loaded, KIA gave up a walk to Choi Ji-hoon and an RBI single to Heredia to cut the deficit to one run.
With Yang Hyun-jong’s win in jeopardy, Jang Hyun-sik was brought in to close the game. He got Choi Jun-woo to fly out to end the eighth inning without allowing another run, and held SSG scoreless until the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win. KIA continued its winning streak with a one-run victory over SSG.