Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong roughed up by Angels for 2nd straight loss

유지호 / 2021-05-26 13:52:13

MLB-pitcher

▲ In this Getty Images photo, Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on May 25, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this Associated Press photo, Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on May 25, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this USA Today Sports photo via Reuters, Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on May 25, 2021. (Yonhap)

MLB-pitcher

Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong roughed up by Angels for 2nd straight loss

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- Wild and ineffective, Texas Rangers' South Korean starter Yang Hyeon-jong got saddled with the worst loss of his young major league career.

The left-hander was charged with a season-high seven earned runs on five hits and three walks in only 3 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels, as the Rangers fell 11-5 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Tuesday (local time).

Yang, who surrendered two home runs, dropped to 0-2 for the year and his ERA ballooned from 3.38 to 5.47.

This was the third big league start and sixth appearance overall for Yang, who went over to the United States in February after 14 years in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

With injuries piling up for the Rangers' staff, Yang has a chance to remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future, though an outing like Tuesday's will not help his case.

Yang is occupying a spot vacated by right-hander Kohei Arihara, who was initially placed on the injured list (IL) with finger problems. The club then announced earlier this week Arihara will undergo surgery for an aneurysm in his pitching shoulder and will miss at least 12 weeks.

Earlier Tuesday, the Rangers put starter Kyle Gibson on the 10-day IL with a right groin strain.

The game began inauspiciously for Yang, as he served up a leadoff home run to Justin Upton. Yang then walked two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, designated hitter in this game, on four pitches.

Yang helped his own cause with a key defensive play, grabbing a line drive comebacker by Anthony Rendon and then doubling up Ohtani at first base for two quick outs.

A flyout got Yang off the hook in the first, but the left-hander gave up another home run in the second inning, this time a two-run blast by Jared Walsh that put the Angels up 3-0.

Yang appeared to settle down in the third inning. He struck out Upton and Ohtani, getting them to fan on a fastball and a slider, respectively. Rendon grounded out to second to end the inning, and Yang needed only nine pitches for his first clean inning of the game.

The Rangers cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top fourth on a wild pitch by Angels starter Andrew Heaney, but the Angels responded with six runs in the bottom half of that frame, chasing Yang from the game in the process.

Yang gave up a single to Juan Lagares and walked Jose Iglesias to open that fateful inning. With Walsh at the plate, both runners advanced on Yang's wild pitch, and Walsh then cashed in a run with a single to right.

Taylor Ward's bunt single made it 5-1 Angels. Yang got Kurt Suzuki to fly out, but Texas manager Chris Woodward had seen enough.

Reliever Brett de Geus allowed both inherited runners to score and then some, and Yang ended up getting charged with four runs in that inning alone and seven for the game.

With three free passes against the Angels, Yang has now walked 11 batters in his past four outings, covering 16 innings.

(END)