Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who was hit hard by the New York Yankees' batting average, said, "The ball didn't turn out well."
Ryu pitched for the 2019 Major League Baseball Yankees' home game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, and collapsed with 41⁄3 innings, nine hits (three homers), one walk, seven strikeouts and seven runs.
With the Dodgers losing the game 2-10, Ryu lost his fourth game (12 wins), and his ERA in the season soared from 1.64 to 2.00.
According to the official U.S. Major League Baseball website(MLB.com) after the game, Ryu said after the game, "Je-gu is the most important part of my game, but I don't think I've done that right today."
"When I see the homerun I hit today, it's all gone where I don't want to be," he said.
Ryu hit back-to-back solo home runs by Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the top of the third inning and allowed Didi Gregorius to load the bases in the top of the fifth.
In the fifth inning, when the team lost 2-1, Ryu allowed a hit by D.J. Le Mei-hue and Jersey, and then caught Glaver Torres on an infield groundout to greet the second and third bases with one out.
The Dodgers then floated a penalty that would send Sanchez to four pitches on purpose.
With one out, Ryu threw a fast ball at Didi, but he was beaten and the ball went over the fence in the right-center field.
It is the first time Ryu has allowed a grand slam since his Major League debut in 2013.
Ryu said it was a good choice to send Sanchez to four pitches on purpose, but added, "The ball he threw at Didi was a mistake and Diddy hit the ball without missing it. I should have played it carefully," he said.
Ryu has pitched 1,522⁄3 innings so far. He has recorded the most innings since he pitched 152 innings in 2014.
Some raised concerns that he may have been sluggish in the past two games due to physical problems caused by excessive innings pitched. Ryu lost the game against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday with four runs in 52⁄3 innings.
Ryu said, "There are no physical problems. I just didn't do well on the plate," he stressed.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said, "I'm not sure if fatigue is the cause of the slump," adding, "I've kept my arrest, but I've been inconsistent with the plate."