Ryu Hyun-jin started the away game against Colorado at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on the 2nd and recorded four hits (one home run), two walks, three strikeouts and two runs in five innings. He retired in the bottom of the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead with 76 pitches. After that, Ryu Hyun-jin failed to record a victory, but pitched well, and Toronto eventually won 13-9.
Ryu Hyun-jin rehabilitated for about a year after undergoing elbow ligament surgery and returned from the game against Baltimore on August 2. He won his first game against the Chicago Cubs on August 14, his third game, and won three consecutive games against Cleveland on August 27. On the day of his sixth appearance, he received praise comparable to victory even though he failed to win four consecutive games. 안전놀이터 추천
After the game, the Toronto club described Ryu Hyun-jin as a "living legend" through SNS, and Canadian media SportsNet stressed that Ryu Hyun-jin's two runs in five innings at Coors Field are the same as seven scoreless innings (at other stadiums).
Ryu Hyun-jin's praise after his return has actually not much to do with the "victory." He pitches differently depending on his opponent and environment in each game, drawing admiration that he is "smart." This time, he put a cut fastball (cutter) ahead for the first time since his return.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who quickly began to find stability in two games after his return, started to revive his main weapon change-up and won his first victory, and then played with a curve against Cincinnati on August 21. As right-handed batters responded quickly and aggressively to the changeup, they threw curves at every important moment and won a complete victory with speed control that sometimes dropped their speed to the 100km range.
But Coorsfield is a dangerous stadium to throw a curve. In Coors Field, where the ball is less resistant to air due to low oxygen due to the high ground, the ball flies further and the angle of change is smaller. Ryu Hyun-jin's curve game, which had fun with curves for two consecutive games, was the center of attention recently.
Ryu Hyun-jin threw the least cutter among the four pitches he has usually thrown. It is the second pitch after a changeup and curve with less than 10 pitches in a game. However, he threw 17 cutters on the day. With 22% of the total number of pitches, it was used the second most after fastballs (37). In Coors Field, where one has to be careful of long hits and minimize runs, the cutter was used as a decisive ball, especially at the beginning of the game.
When he struck out Ezekiel Toba and Elias Dias in a row in the first inning, both the decisive balls were cutters. In particular, Toba struck out by throwing three consecutive cutters after a fastball on the first pitch. After giving up a two-run home run to Elifuris Montero in the bottom of the third inning, he also used a cutter when he was driven to second and third bases with one out. He induced Diaz to ground ball with an outer cutter and handled it himself, and after showing left-handed batter Ryan McMahon a first-ball cutter and a two-ball fastball, he lured him to three consecutive curves and struck out swinging.
Ryu Hyun-jin hit eight home runs in the past six games he threw at Coors Field and gave up more than seven points on average. This time, he returned to Korea after four years, and allowed two runs in one home run, but he minimized his long hits with one double and one home run. In the game, both teams poured out long hits with eight doubles, two triples and five home runs.
What Ryu Hyun-jin has been receiving favorable reviews since his return is that he is pitching stably as soon as he returns from surgery and long rehabilitation. The fact that he is a veteran who has been playing for 11 years in the Major League alone makes it difficult to explain. Ryu Hyun-jin shows how hard he has been preparing for more than a year every time he takes the mound with the judgment to set the direction for each game and full control to make the most of the pitches he has.