Hyun-Jin Ryu tosses 4.2 scoreless innings vs. Boston on Aug. 18
“Substitutions, no regrets” in Toronto’s 3-2 win
The fifth inning, when the winning pitcher is called upon. One more out and you’re looking at a win. But he had to come off the mound for his team, and while they won, he couldn’t add to the win. Still, he’s not disappointed. He pitched his heart out to help his team win, which is all that matters at this point.
The “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB), started a home game against the Boston Red Sox on April 18. He was in trouble several times. In the second and third innings, he had runners on second and third with no outs, and in the fourth inning, he had runners on first and third with no outs, but he didn’t give up a run. It was a jaw-dropping display of crisis management.
In the top of the fifth, with Toronto up 1-0, he faced a tough moment. A single and a walk put runners on first and second with two outs. He had gotten out of three previous jams, but this time he didn’t have a chance. Reliever Yimi Garcia handed the ball over to him. Luckily, Garcia got the next batter out and Ryu didn’t allow an earned run.
One more out and he would have gotten the win. However, Ryu didn’t feel bad about the substitution at all. In his postgame interview, Ryu said, “Every game is very important for the team to advance to the postseason. The players have to accept that (the timing of the substitutions). We have to trust the judgment of the bench.”메이저놀이터
Rather than focusing on what cost them the win, he offered a diagnosis of their performance. “We tried to make their bats weaker,” he said, “and we’ll focus more on the rest of the games to help the team win.” It’s a mature way to analyze your performance and move on to the next pitch, rather than dwell on what cost you the win.
Toronto scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth after Ryu was pulled. However, they tied the game in the seventh and ninth innings with one run apiece, which could have cost them the win even if Ryu had gone five innings. Luckily, the final offense in the bottom of the ninth sealed the deal. In a way, Ryu had the right idea. What’s done is done.