(MLB) Oh Seung-hwan, Kang Jung-ho have first pitching and hitting showdown

The very first pitching and hitting showdown of the season between Korean major leaguers has finally been made. Oh Seung-hwan (aged 34) of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kang Jung-ho (aged 29) of the Pittsburgh Pirates met at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when the game was two outs and men at second in the bottom of the 8th inning. As King hit a line-drive shot of Oh’s fourth ball, the ball was caught by a center fielder, bringing the victory for Oh. The face-to-face showdown, and the first confrontation in the American baseball stage between Korean major leaguers, which was made three years after July 2013 when Ryu Hyun-jin (aged 29, Los Angeles Dodgers) took on Choo Shin-Soo (aged 34, Texas Rangers), was closed with four balls.

With this game, the face-to-face confrontation of pitching and hitting appears to continue between Korean players. St. Louis Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan will have three games against the Texas Rangers from June 18 and three away games against the Seattle Mariners from June 25. The big match between Choo Shin-Soo (Texas Rangers) and Lee Dae-ho (Seattle Mariners), both of who were born in 1982, is expected.

When Oh Seung-hwan and Lee Dae-ho meet in the game this time, the two would make a unique record of having games in three countries of Korea, America and Japan. Another interesting point to watch will be how Lee Dae-ho who made the second consecutive homers (9th and 10th of the season) and Oh Seung-hwan who has lost no points for nine consecutive games would fight in a game against Texas in June 11.

Prior to the game against the St. Louis, Choo Shin-soo who had been on the disable list twice after opening the season is expected to return the game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. He has 11 more games left with the Pittsburgh Pirates in National League’s Central Division including the one that will be held on Monday.

강홍구기자 windup@donga.com