Ryu Hyun-jin (32), the Los Angeles Dodgers, failed to win 11 games this season amid a chaotic atmosphere, but he remained solid in various indicators, including his ERA.
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Ryu pitched in an away game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday (Korea time) and pitched eight hits, one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings.
Boston starter Price, who had a starting showdown in the second game of the World Series last year, also said in an interview with ESPN, "I've seen a lot of Ryu's work this year. There is nothing in the middle. A respectable pitcher," he said in rave reviews of his pitching.
In the World Series nine months ago, Ryu pitched only 4.2 innings and became a losing pitcher, but on that day, he had more innings than Price (four hits, three walks, four runs, and seven strikeouts), putting the winning pitcher on the brink of victory. He deserved to be proud of his stature, which has changed with a desire for revenge.
But he didn't win. Ryu came down with the requirement for a winning pitcher with a 4-2 lead, but was tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth because bullpen pitcher Vaz hit a back-to-back home run by Zander Bogartz-J.D. Martinez. Local media including MLB.com also voiced one voice, saying that Ryu lost the victory because of the bullpen.
It is not the first time that a bullpen blew a victory. However, the reason Ryu had to endure this day was because he kept up with two runs and lasted seven innings despite the shaky field defense.
The Dodgers infield had Ryu's shoulders heavy with shaky defense from the first inning. Ryu induced Zander Bogartz to shoot a shortstop with one out in the bottom of the first inning, 3-0 ahead, but second baseman Kike Hernandez's base cover was late, giving up an infield hit.
With two outs, Ryu was hit by a shortstop infield single to Benintenier. Taylor, who caught Benignendi's RBI single, made a throwing error, and two runners homered while first baseman David Freese also failed to pitch.
Against Boston, which holds the second-highest batting average for the AL team, he continued his 12-hit streak from two batters in the first inning to two in the fifth. He also blocked the sixth and seventh innings neatly with a three-way exit. Although he missed his 11th win of the season due to the bullpen's arson, he responded, "I'm satisfied because the team won." The Dodgers overwhelmed Boston 7-4 after a blood feud in the 12th inning.
Ryu didn't collapse despite the bullpen's arson and unstable defense. It is also shown in various indicators.
His ERA edged up to 1.78, but he still remains at the top of the MLB overall. It is also ranked first in the NL in the WHIP (0.93), K/BB (9.55), and C245 categories. He had a quality start in the 15th inning of the season, and trailed his Cy Young rival Max Shrede (16th) by one margin.
After the game, "CBS Sports" said that although he failed to add a win, Ryu still remains at the top of the Cy Young race. He is still far behind Schwarzer (2.30) in his ERA, which is considered more important than multiple wins in the Cy Young. Schwarzer has been listed on the 10-day IL, complaining of back pain ahead of his first start in the second half.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports held a vote on the MVP of the two major leagues, the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year Award on Wednesday, before the All-Star Game and announced the results. At that time, Ryu received four first-place votes and one second-place ticket in the NL Cy Young category, beating Schwarzer, who earned 10 points with a total of 14 points.