Maybe it was the short 10-day break, but Kia Tigers pitcher Lee Yi-ri didn’t quite have the performance he was hoping for in his return from injury.

Lee started against the SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on March 3 and gave up four runs on four hits and three walks in three innings. He left the game in the top of the fourth inning with the score tied 4-4, but did not record a decision.

Lee left the mound after throwing just four innings (two runs) against the KT Wiz in Suwon on April 22. The reason: discomfort in his shoulder. A medical examination revealed inflammation in the shoulder, so he avoided any major injuries. KIA, which is battling for fifth place, was relieved that Lee’s injury wasn’t serious and immediately removed him from the first team roster to give him 10 days of rest. Lee threw 20 pitches out of the bullpen on the first day and came through without incident.

Before the game, KIA manager Kim Jong-kook said, “(Lee) pitched well in the bullpen without any pain. He finished his examination. I want him to go on the mound and throw without pressure. I think he needs to overcome his anxiety.”메이저놀이터

Lee took the mound with a light shoulder in the early going with the support of the bats, but faltered. In the bottom of the first inning with a 2-0 lead, he was hit by a 144-kilometer-per-hour four-seam fastball to leadoff hitter Choo Shin-soo, allowing Choo to hit a solo home run. Two batters later, he gave up an RBI double to Choi Jeong, but Park Sung-ho struck out the side in a nine-pitch battle to put out the flames.

KIA took a 4-1 lead in the top of the second on Hwang Dae-in’s two-run homer, but Lee tied the game in the bottom of the inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Kim Sung-hyun and a walk to Oh Tae-gon with the bases loaded. The next batter, Cho Hyung-woo, who is batting .165 for the season, was robbed of a three-run home run when his 133-kilometer-per-hour changeup was thrown high.

Lee gave up a leadoff walk to Choi Jeong in the bottom of the third inning, the third straight inning he allowed a leadoff hitter to reach base. He retired the next three batters in a row, but his pitch count had risen to 85 (50 strikes).

Eventually, Kim Jong-kook brought up Park Jun-pyo in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Lee, who is now 10-6 on the season, raised his ERA from 3.87 to 4.11.

Despite Lee’s early exit from the mound, KIA came from behind to win the game 8-6 and extend their winning streak to eight games in 751 days.