After 444 days of patience, the victory tasted sweet.
Ryu Hyun-jin ( Toronto Blue Jays) started the 2023 MLB (US Professional Baseball) home game against the Chicago Cubs on the 14th and allowed two runs in five innings (two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts without charges). Ryu Hyun-jin became a winning pitcher as the Blue Jays won 11-4. It was his first win since his victory over the Los Angeles Angels on May 27 last year. After undergoing a left elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June last year, he returned to the Major League stage after a long rehabilitation and laughed in the third game. After the game, Ryu Hyun-jin said, “I’m so happy. I rehabilitated myself after seeing this. Everything went smoothly from the rehabilitation process,” he said with confidence
Ryu Hyun-jin woke up after suffering severe pain after being hit by an assault ball against the Cleveland Guardians (four scoreless innings) on the 8th, his second appearance since his return. Blue Jays coach John Schneider said, “I’m showing my pre-operative appearance three games after returning,” adding, “It’s amazing considering my age.” “It makes things that are never easy seem easy,” he explained
Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance this year is 1 win and 1 loss (3 games), and his ERA is 2.57. He has increased his career winning streak to 76 wins (46 losses and 1 save). At the age of 36 years and 4 months, he also set the record for the oldest Korean starting pitcher in the Major League. Park Chan-ho was six months older than when he started the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 13, 2009, when he played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Park Chan-ho won six more games (98 losses and two saves) from the start in May 2009 to the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010.
Ryu Hyun-jin is expected to take the mound eight more times until the end of the 2023 regular season. The four-year, $80 million (about 106.5 billion won) contract with the Blue Jays will also end this year. If you prove your competitiveness in the rest of the mound, you are more likely to survive in the Major League next year.
Ryu Hyun-jin got off to a shaky start against the Cubs. He struck out leadoff hitter Christopher Morrell in the first inning and gave up a walk to Nico Horner in the second inning. No. 3 Ian Happ led the infield grounder, but Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt couldn’t hit the ball and threw it back to 1 out and 1st and 2nd bases. The next batter is fellow Dodgers No. 4 hitter Cody Bellinger. He seemed to catch his breath after catching Bellinger with a fly ball to left field, but he allowed two runs after being hit by a double by Dancebee Swanson in the fifth inning. It wasn’t an earned run because it was a score that I wouldn’t have given up if it wasn’t for a mistake.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who finished the first inning with 31 balls, gave up only one hit and one walk from the second to the fifth inning to keep him scoreless. The team passed the mound in the top of the sixth inning with an 8-2 lead and met the winning pitcher requirements. His highest fastball (40) was 91 miles (146 kilometers per hour) and his average was 88.4 miles (142 kilometers per hour). All three strikeouts were caught with a changeup (24), the main weapon. Cutters (12) and curves (10) were also used effectively.
The Blue Jays batters supported Ryu Hyun-jin by scoring eight points until the fifth inning, and scored five points in turn at the end of the second inning, trailing 0-2. No. 7 Dalton Basho hit a hit by Cubs starter Jamison Tyon (32) and hit a come-from-behind three-run home run to solve five RBIs alone. The Blue Jays remained in third place (66-54) in the American League East, breaking away from three consecutive losses.
Cubs manager David Ross, who ranks second in the National League Central (61 wins and 57 losses), said of Ryu Hyun-jin, “The speed did not rise as much as I wanted, but the changeup was amazing,” adding, “I cruised when I took the lead.” Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to start against the Cincinnati Reds on the 21st.
BY: 토토사이트