By Oh Sang-jin Reporter= Kia Tigers’ ‘big pitcher’ Yang Hyun-jong (35) will be hunting two birds with one stone.

Yang Hyun-jong will make his first appearance of the second half of the season as the starting pitcher against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on April 27.

Yang will attempt to break two records in the game. The first is the record for most career starts. Since making his KBO debut in 2007, Yang has amassed 164 wins in 16 seasons, excluding 2021, when he tried out for the major leagues. Of those wins, 162 came in starts, which ranks second all-time behind Song Jin-woo (210 career wins, 163 starts). He needs just one more win as a starter to move into a tie for first place on the all-time list, and two more to move into sole possession.

The second milestone is 1,900 career strikeouts, second all-time. With 1,896 career strikeouts going into the last game, Yang needs just four more to become the second player in KBO history to reach the 1,900-strikeout plateau, joining Song Jin-woo (2,048).

In his last start of the first half, Yang took the loss against the Samsung Lions on April 13, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits, one home run, one walk and six strikeouts in five innings. After skipping the second half of his start due to a rain delay, Yang will return to the mound 14 days later with plenty of rest and a chance to reclaim his starting spot.

His opponent will not be easy. His opponent is the league’s most dominant ace, Eric Pedroia, who leads the league in wins (13) and ERA (1.87). Yang Hyun-jong will be looking for his sixth win of the season and 163rd career start against the league’s most potent starter.카지노사이트

Meanwhile, KIA will be looking for their second straight win with a lineup of Choi Won-joon (1B), Kim Do-young (3B), Na Sung-beom (R), Choi Hyung-woo (LF), Socrates (CF), Kim Sun-bin (2B), Ko Jong-wook (designated hitter), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Chan-ho (shortstop). NC will try to win the series at home with the following lineup: Son Asub (designated hitter)-Park Min-woo (second base)-Park Geon-woo (right field)-Martin (center field)-Kwon Hee-dong (left field)-Yoon Hyung-jun (first base)-Do Tae-hoon (third base)-Park Se-hyuk (catcher)-Kim Han-byul (shortstop).