KIA Tigers ace Yang Hyun-jong (35) took the mound against his ‘rival’ Kim Kwang-hyun (34) in a decisive win in Incheon against SSG Landers on June 6.
Yang pitched five innings of one-run ball, while Kwang gave up seven runs in four and one-third innings. Yang picked up his fifth win of the season (4-0) as KIA won 7-6. He continued his dominance over Kim Kwang-hyun, who he has faced eight times in his career, with a 4-2 record.
After the match, Yang Hyun-jong said, “I wasn’t thinking about the match against (Kim) Kwang-hyun. The team’s batting lineup has been revitalized lately, so I thought I could win if I could get through as many innings as possible with the least amount of runs.” Overall, he was reticent.
Yang Hyun-jong couldn’t smile. The unexpected breakup made it difficult for him to control his emotions. KIA, which was in ninth place until last week, signed two new foreign pitchers today (June 6) in a bid to rebound. After Adonis Medina, who had already been released, Shawn Anderson, who pitched against the LG Twins on the previous two days, packed his bags.
Yang Hyun-jong said, “My heart was heavy as I said goodbye to Anderson, who left today (June 6). I’ve been playing in the professional league for 17 seasons, but when a teammate leaves in a moment like this, I think about a lot of things,” he said with a somber expression. Yang continued, “Both Anderson and Medina have been working together since spring training and have gotten along very well. They worked hard to integrate into the team. This reality sometimes feels cruel,” he said.
After starting the opening game (April 2 against SSG), Anderson seemed to have landed on his feet in the KBO, winning three of his six April starts. However, he struggled in May, posting a 7.71 ERA in four games. After a brief stint on the disabled list to balance his pitches, he returned and rebounded with three quality starts (6+ innings – 3 earned runs or less) in his last three outings.
However, it was precipitation that parted ways with Anderson for KIA. His replacement, Thomas Pannoni, was seen as a more reliable pitcher. “Anderson was a good pitcher in terms of technique and work ethic. However, his game management was a bit lacking.”
Yang Hyun-jong is familiar with this background. When I say “cruel,” I don’t mean to criticize the club’s choice. He’s just expressing his skepticism about the harsh reality of the professional game, where the only thing that matters is performing well. “Now that I’m a little older, I think my sensitivity has become more sensitive than before,” he said, explaining his stronger-than-usual language.
Yang Hyun-jong is the leader of the KIA pitching staff. He reaches out to young and foreign pitchers and gives them advice. Even when he is in a bad situation, such as when a teammate suddenly leaves. He plans to show a responsible side to help the team become stronger. “As always, I will welcome my new teammates with a smile. I will try to help them adapt quickly,” he said.
On the fifth, KIA acquired catcher Kim Tae-gun via trade to bolster its infield, which has been a weakness. The team has been on a roll since then. New foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez made a strong first impression against the KT Wiz on Sept. 9, allowing just one run in six and one-third innings and striking out 10.온라인카지노
Yang Hyun-jong said, “We will have synergy with our new teammates. We don’t get many wins against top teams. My goal is to play baseball at a higher level for longer than I am now.”