Ryu Hyun-jin scores 10th win of the season

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Ryu Hyun-jin has reached 50 wins for his career in the Major League Baseball (MLB) by scoring his 10th win of the season Thursday (local time).

The South Korean pitcher held the San Diego Padres to three singles while striking out five over six innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on the day. The Dodgers beat the Padres 5-1. Ryu improved to 10-2 with a 1.73 ERA, the lowest in the entire MLB, and is tied for third for wins. The Dodgers has also kept its top place in the National League West, reaching 60 wins (with 29 losses) this season.

The lefthander’s fastball recorded the highest speed of 151 kilometers per hour during the game, and changeup was also powerful enough to induce swings and misses from right-handed batters. Most of his pitches went toward the corners of the strike zone rather than its center. Ryu said that he was able to pitch with more confidence as he had good memories of competing against the Padres.

Still, Ryu allowed a season-high three walks in the game, which is a rarity for him as he had issued only seven walks across 16 starts. This was the first time he walked three batters in a single game in 14 months since April 22 last year. “Ryu did not execute with the remarkable command he displayed for much of the first half,” the Los Angeles Times said. Ryu said that the first walk to Wil Myers was somewhat planned because of Myers’ past success against him, but that he would try to reduce the number of walks next time because it can lead to a crisis.

Having spent the best first half of the season with 10 wins since 2014 (10-5), Ryu will start for the National League All-Star team in the Midsummer Classic, which is scheduled to be held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, next Wednesday, becoming the first South Korean to start the All-Star game.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com