Ryu Hyun-jin has become the ‘savior’ of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ryu Hyun-jin started the 2023 Major League Colorado Rockies game held at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, USA on the 2nd (Korean time) and pitched well with 4 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 5 innings. Ryu Hyun-jin’s fourth win failed because the bullpen was unable to protect the lead, but Toronto won 13-9 and won two games in a row.
Coors Field, located at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, is called the ‘pitcher’s graveyard.’ It is an environment where the air density is low, so the batted ball experiences less resistance and can fly farther. Ryu Hyun-jin also struggled with a slugging average of 0.667 at Coors Field during his time with the LA Dodgers, but this day was different. Except for the third inning, Ryu Hyun-jin did not allow a long hit to the opponent’s batting lineup. All he had was a two-run shot by Eloris Montero and a double by Ezequiel Tovar that hit the left fence directly. Ryu Hyun-jin kept the mound by inducing ground balls and eliminating strikeouts.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery) last year, came back healthy. And he pitched 29 innings in 6 games and achieved 3 wins and 1 loss. His earned run average is only 2.48. The one-year gap does not seem to be felt at all.
The game in which Ryu Hyun-jin takes the mound leads to Toronto’s victory. In his comeback game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 2nd of last month, Ryu Hyun-jin allowed 9 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk, and 4 runs in 5 innings, but suffered a defeat as he did not receive help from the batting line and the bullpen gave up a large number of runs. Except for this game, Toronto won every game on the day Ryu Hyun-jin appeared. Ryu Hyun-jin’s appearance on the mound became Toronto’s winning formula.
With Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance, Toronto recorded 74 wins, 61 losses, and a winning percentage of 0.548 as of the 2nd. Ranked 3rd in the American League East Division. He ranked 4th in the Wild Card Series. To advance to the postseason, you must place at least in third place, and Toronto is 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers (75 wins, 59 losses, 0.560 winning percentage).
Although it is still unclear whether the team will advance to the postseason, Toronto can have a brighter future with Ryu Hyun-jin. As Alec Manoa left the starting rotation after a poor performance, her presence as Ryu Hyun-jin is felt even more greatly. Toronto, which has built a solid mound, is expected to be able to compete for a ticket to the postseason until the last minute of the season if its batting lineup works harder.
After this season, Ryu Hyun-jin will qualify as a free agent. The four-year contract worth a total of $80 million signed in 2020 is coming to an end. It is unclear whether Ryu Hyun-jin will be able to continue his association with Toronto, but Ryu Hyun-jin has a great desire to make more memories wearing the Toronto uniform. Ryu Hyun-jin, who met with SPOTV News at spring camp ahead of this season, expressed his desire to play in the postseason with Toronto, saying, “I want to play with my teammates until October after returning.” Attention is focused on whether Ryu Hyun-jin’s wish can become a reality.
By: 안전놀이터