Baseball’s KIA Tigers ace Yang Hyun-jong, 35, struggled in his debut, giving up the most runs in a single game. Yang started the game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Feb. 2, but was pulled early after giving up nine runs on nine hits (one home run) in two innings.
KIA Tigers ace Yang Hyun-jong in relief.
This is the first time메이저놀이터 Yang has given up more than nine earned runs in a game since his professional debut in 2017. Prior to that, he had eight eight-run games and five eight-run games. It’s also been four years since Yang Hyun-jong lasted just two innings in a start against the Samsung Lions on April 4, 2019. Back then, he was pulled after giving up seven runs.
Yang struggled from the first inning, giving up seven runs on six hits. After Hwang Sung-bin singled up the middle and Yoon Dong-hee singled to left to put runners on first and third, Jeon Jun-woo lined a single to right-center to give the Lions the lead. In the next 1-3 at-bats, Ahn Chi-hong’s line drive was misplayed by first baseman Kim Seok-hwan, allowing Yoon Dong-hee to score from third.
Yang Hyun-jong walked Han Dong-hee to load the bases on a sacrifice bunt by Jeong Hoon, then gave up another RBI single to left to rookie Kim Min-seok. The next batter, Lee Hak-joo, was hit by a four-pitch curveball on a 1B-2S count for a grand slam over the right field fence.
Yang returned to the mound in the second inning with a 0-7 lead. However, he was unable to regain his pitching balance. He walked Jeon Jun-woo in the first and Jung Hoon in the second, and then gave up a double to Han Dong-hee up the middle for two more runs. Yang Hyun-jong, who got Jung-hoon to ground out to third base to end the inning, was eventually replaced by Hwang Dong-ha from the bullpen in the third inning. His total pitch count was 47.
Yang had been steady in his previous eight appearances this season, going at least five innings and allowing three earned runs or less in all of them. However, his unexpected struggles with his pitches on this day led to a large number of unearned runs and ruined the homegrown ace’s reputation. Yang’s season ERA skyrocketed from 2.29 to 3.74.