The combination of Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching at Dodger Stadium has proven to be a winning combination this season, and while that continued Friday night, it wasn’t easy for the southpaw and Los Angeles Dodgers against the lowly Miami Marlins.
Ryu uncharacteristically issued a pair of walks in the second inning, and it allowed the Marlins to load the bases as they were sandwiched around a single. Fortune was on Ryu’s side, however, as rookie starter Zac Gallen failed to help his cause.
Ryu finished with a season-high-tying three walks in seven innings. He also faced a deficit after the fourth inning, as a single and RBI double gave Miami a 1-0 lead.
That was all Ryu allowed, as he punctuated what was another strong outing even if he labored at times, by striking out the side in the seventh inning. Following the Dodgers’ the 32-year-old readily admitted his command was lacking, via SportsNet LA:
“Especially early in the game, I had trouble commanding my pitches. Today’s outing was by far the worst in terms of commanding my pitches, but I was able to get back on track more towards the middle part of the game and be more aggressive. Limiting my pitch count definitely helped going into the seventh inning.”
Even though Ryu did not pitch to his standards, he lowered his MLB-best ERA to 1.76 and improved to 8-0 at Dodger Stadium this season. Overall, the 2019 All-Star is 11-2 to go along with a 0.93 WHIP.
He’s completed at least six innings in 16 of 19 starts this season. One case in which he fell short came April 8, when Ryu was removed due to a strained groin after recording just five outs. Then in a return from the 10-day injured list, he completed 5.2 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Having already made history by becoming the first South Korean pitcher to start an All-Star Game, Ryu remains in the thick of the conversation for the National League Cy Young Award.
