The Los Angeles Dodgers got their season back on track this past weekend, earning a three-game sweep over the San Diego Padres that was completed with a 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon. As a result, they now are just 2.5 games out of first place in the National League West.
Hyun-Jin Ryu was moved up in the rotation to start the game so that he could then take the ball this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Ryu did allow plenty of hits to the Padres, he managed to pitch around traffic and turn in a solid outing.
After the game, Ryu explained pleased with his ability to do just that and give the Dodgers an opportunity to earn the comeback victory, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I did give up a lot of hits, but I was able to control the damage,” said Ryu. “I wish I could have gone six or seven innings, which is what is expected from a starter. I couldn’t do that, but I kept the game close and gave us a chance to win.”
Ryu lasted 5.2 innings, giving up 11 hits and two earned runs while striking out eight and walking one. He also did some damage at the plate, going 2-for-2 and sparking a four-run rally in the fifth inning that gave the Dodgers their decided lead.
Prior to that, Ryu got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth. With Sunday’s victory, he improved to 4-1 on the season to go along with a 2.38 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across nine starts.
