Ryu Hyun-jin to take a stab at his 10th win in season against Padres

When reporters asked Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts, who will be the National League skipper at the All-Star Game, on Tuesday (local time) about his plan for the NL All-Star starting lineup ahead of a match against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he replied with confidence, "It's an easy decision. Ryu Hyun-jin has been the best pitcher in the National League through this season."

Ryu, the Dodgers' South Korean starter, is set to pitch his last game in the first half of the season against the San Diego Padres on Friday. Although he lost his face by allowing seven scores in four innings against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, his outlooks are bright, as the upcoming game will take place in his home turf where he has won six games without any loss with an earned run average of 0.94. Ryu records seven wins and one loss with ERAs of 2.26 in 10 games in his career, playing far better than his performance against the San Francisco Giants (six wins and six losses with ERAs of 2.79 in 17 games) and the Diamondbacks (five wins and three losses with ERAs of 3.30 in 15 games).

The Dodgers' concentration is higher than ever. The club won a 5-4 coming-from-behind victory against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, getting five consecutive walks in two outs at the bottom of the ninth. Ryu's wife, Bae Ji-hyun, instilled the Dodgers with the spirit of victory by tossing the ceremonial first pitch.

If Ryu wins another victory, he will be able to get on the mound at the All-Star Game with greater confidence, as it will be his first time to win 10 victories in the first half of a season since his Major League debut.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com