‘Fifteen runs in two games’ is the crumpled ego of pitcher Yang Hyun-jong…the most he’s pitched this season.

Pitcher Yang Hyun-jong was left shaking his head after giving up massive runs in two consecutive games.

After a two-inning, eight-run rainout against the LG Electronics on the 8th, Yang took the mound again on the 15th after a six-day break. Starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong gave up seven runs for the second straight game. After throwing 112 pitches in 5.2 innings, his highest pitch count of the season, Yang walked off the mound with a stern look on his face.

The game was declared a no-game due to the heavy rain that fell during the game on Aug. 8, but it was a day of personal pride for starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong. In two innings, he threw 40 pitches, nine hits, one walk, eight runs and six earned runs against the LG bats.

Yang Hyun-jong is the undisputed ace of the Kia Tigers, having pitched more than 170 innings in eight consecutive seasons and won 10 or more games since 2014.

Against the LG Electronics Kia Tigers at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on April 8, Yang gave up five runs in the first inning and three runs in the second, giving up eight runs in two innings. His lack of velocity and uncharacteristic ball movement up the middle led to the early runs. Luckily, the game was called a no-game due to heavy rain at the end of the second inning, but the ace’s poor performance left coach Kim Jong-kook in a quandary.

Yang took the mound against Kiwoom on the 15th after a six-day break. In the first inning, Yang Hyun-jong threw only three fastballs against Kim Jun-wan, the leadoff hitter, and struck out three. After the first inning, left fielder Choi Hyung-woo chased down Kim Hye-sung’s fly ball and stretched out his arm, but it sailed just over his glove, allowing a double.

It was a hit, but if the left fielder had made the catch, Yang’s shoulders would have been lighter on the mound. With runners on first and second, Yang got himself out of the jam by striking out batters Dawson and Kim Hwi Jip in consecutive at-bats for all three outs in the first inning.

In the second inning, the defense came up short. Third baseman Kim Do-young, who was making a defensive shift on a routine infield grounder by leadoff hitter Song Sung-moon, made a throwing error that allowed a run to score. 먹튀검증

After Lee Won-seok singled and Lee Ju-hyung flied out to center field to put runners on first and third, Yang Hyun-jong focused on battling the batters. He got Jeon Byung-woo to fly out to center and Kim Dong-hyun to fly out to right to end the threat of another run.

With his excellent crisis management skills, Yang Hyun-jong pitched two consecutive scoreless innings in the first two innings of the game, focusing on each pitch.

In the third inning, the offense came up short. On an infield single by Park Chan-ho with two outs, second baseman Choi Jeong-yong was tagged by third baseman Song Sung-moon on his way home after passing the third base, wasting a scoring opportunity.

Unsupported on offense and defense, Yang Hyun-jong pitched cautiously against the Kiwoom lineup of Han Joon-soo, a 12-year junior at Dongseong High.

In the fourth inning, with runners on second and third, Yang gave up a straight ball to Kim Dong-heon. Catcher Han Jun-soo found the mound in time.

After giving up a full-count walk to Kim Jun-wan with the bases loaded, Yang was unable to get over the hump as the next batter, Kim Hye-sung, gave up a grand slam. After giving up five runs in the fourth inning alone, Yang headed to the dugout with a determined look on his face.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, after giving up a walk to Kim Dong-heon and a single to Kim Jun-wan, the KIA bench had no choice but to remove Yang Hyun-jong from the mound, who had thrown a season-high 112 pitches.

Kim Ki-hoon, who took the mound after Yang Hyun-jong, gave up back-to-back singles to Kim Hye-sung and Dawson, allowing both Kim Dong-hun and Kim Jun-wan, who were Yang Hyun-jong’s pinch-hitters, to score, increasing the deficit to seven runs.

After accepting a disappointing report card for the second consecutive game, Yang Hyun-jong walked off the field with a stern expression.