Kia Tigers' Yang Hyeon-jong breaks 15-year-old KBO strikeout record

Baseball

Kia Tigers' Yang Hyeon-jong breaks 15-year-old KBO strikeout record

Published: 22 Aug. 2024, 10:37 Updated: 22 Aug. 2024, 11:16

Kia Tigers' Yang Hyeon-jong pitches during a game against the Lotte Giants at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju Wednesday, when he broke the all-time KBO strikeout record. [YONHAP]

The Kia Tigers’ Yang Hyeon-jong etched his name into KBO history in a 6-5 win over the Lotte Giants Wednesday, pitching his 2,049th strikeout to become the league’s all-time leader and unseat former Hanwha Eagles ace Song Jin-woo from the top.

Yang, 36, came on during the first inning at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju and struck out Giants hitter Hwang Seong-bin for his 100th strikeout of the year, reaching three digits for the 10th consecutive KBO season — not counting his brief stint with the Texas Rangers.

He is now the third KBO pitcher to achieve the feat, following former Tigers ace Lee Kang-chul, who retired in 2005, and Jang Won-jun, who ended his career at the Doosan Bears after the 2023 season.

Yang, who is posting a 3.75 ERA with nine wins and three losses so far this season, was back on the mound in the second inning and struck out Giants hitter Na Seung-yeop to match Song’s all-time strikeout record, at 2,048.

And it was at the top of the third inning, with Yoon Dong-hee at bat, that Yang got No. 2,049 to become the new all-time career strikeout leader.

Yang's all-time KBO record comes despite his year in the United States in 2021, which he spent bouncing between the majors and the minors with the Texas Rangers organization. The 2024 KBO season marks Yang's 16th year in Gwangju, where he made his debut in 2007.

The big screen celebrates Kia Tigers' Yang Hyeong-jong setting the new all-time KBO strikeout record. [YONHAP]

It ended a 15-year reign for Song, who set the previous record in 2009 after 21 years in the KBO. He played for the Eagles from 1989 to 2009 and is now the Daejeon club’s pitching coach.

The Tigers were up 3-0 after a big second inning, but the Giants responded with four runs at the top of the fifth. The Tigers tied things up in the bottom of the fifth before the Busan team retook the lead to put the scoreboard at 5-4.

Yang stepped off the mound after that, adding four more strikeouts before exiting the game to put the standing all-time record at 2,053.

But the Tigers came back with a run each in the next two innings and the Giants failed to add another at the top of the ninth as the Tigers won 6-5.

Teammates douse Kia Tigers' Yang Hyeong-jong with water after the game against the Lotte Giants Wednesday when he set the new all-time strikeout record. [YONHAP]

The Giants are set to play their final game of the series against the Tigers in Gwangju Thursday evening as of press time. Their first game Tuesday was canceled due to rain.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]