Wang Chien-Ming goes four innings in MLB return

Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-Ming got a rough welcome in his return to Major League baseball, lasting just four innings and giving up six runs for Washington against the New York Mets. Two years to the day after he underwent shoulder surgery, Wang on Friday returned to the mound for his first start since July 4, 2009, when he was with the New York Yankees. Wang walked Jose Reyes to lead off the contest and the Mets followed with four singles in a row, piling up four runs in the first inning. He threw 60 pitches, walked one and struck out two before being removed from the game. After the four pitch walk to Reyes, the Mets shortstop moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on Justin Turner's single to center. He scored on Daniel Murphy's hit to left. David Wright belted a 1-2 pitch from Wang off the right-field wall for a single to load the bases and Angel Pagan hit a two-run single on the next pitch. Wang got his first out on Jason Bay's ground ball before Lucas Duda's sacrifice fly scored Wright. After retiring eight of nine batters, Wang allowed the Mets to put up two runs in the fourth inning before he was taken out. Even so, Nationals manager Davey Johnson was satisfied with what he saw. "I was actually impressed," Johnson said of Wang. "His delivery looked really easy. He had some good velocity on the ball. I was pleased. I really didn't think I was going to see that much." Wang was a 19-game winner in 2006 and 2007 with the Yankees. He injured his right foot while running the bases in June of 2008 and missed the last three months of that season. He returned and made three starts in 2009, then went on the disabled list before returning in May to make three appearances in relief and six starts. His 2009 season was then cut short by shoulder surgery and the Yankees opted not to renew his contract. The Nationals first signed Wang as a free agent in February of 2010 and re-signed him to a one-year contract in December.