“I was sharp and efficient”

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Hyun-jin Ryu earned his third win of the season, throwing 70 pitches over five innings, allowing four hits (two home runs) and three runs (two earned) with five strikeouts and no walks in a complete-game start against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Sunday. His ERA increased slightly from 1.89 to 2.25.

Up until his return to the mound the past two days after more than a year off due to Tommy John surgery, Ryu hadn’t looked like his old self, but he was flowing. He’s proving that even if he doesn’t have the velocity, he can cook hitters with his precise delivery and command.

The first sign of his resurgence came on April 8. He threw a four-inning no-hitter against Cleveland. He then pitched five innings of two-run (non-hit) ball against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, despite being unable to get any help from his defense in back-to-back games, and played the role of “savior” as his team fell into a three-game losing streak.

It was a great performance in the end, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Ryu started the game by giving up a solo home run to Jose Ramirez in the first inning. However, Ryu recorded his first strikeout of the game in the second inning, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, and kept the Cleveland offense in check through the fourth inning. Then, in the fifth inning, he gave up another solo home run. Despite the two walks, he didn’t pitch badly until the fifth inning.

Ryu hadn’t pitched past the sixth inning since the previous two days in Baltimore. Even with the score and pitch count in hand, the Toronto bench didn’t give him the sixth inning. But he’s been pitching well lately, and on this day he lived up to the “vintage Ryu” moniker, so he was once again given the opportunity to take the mound in the sixth inning. But it almost turned into a nightmare.

Ryu led off the sixth inning with a single to Cole Calhoun, who then induced a grounder to Ramirez at third base. That seemed to lead to a double play and two outs. However, a throwing error by third baseman Matt Chapman put runners on first and second. The problem was that the mistakes didn’t stop there.

Ryu induced grounders to Oscar Gonzalez at first and second base, which should have been another out. This time, however, shortstop Santiago Espinal made an error, leaving Ryu with the bases loaded and forcing the Toronto bench, which had been mired in a three-game losing streak, to make a move.

After taking over the baton from Ryu, Imi Garcia gave up a hard-hit ball to first baseman Ramon Loriano, extending Ryu’s “own run” to three. However, Garcia retired the next three batters, and when the inning was replayed, the third run was changed to unearned, as Ryu would have gotten out of the inning unscathed if not for the error.

So, while Ryu was not allowed to record a quality start (six innings or less), he was allowed to walk off the mound with the win after allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings, and with full support from the offense, he pitched his first personal three-game winning streak in 842 days, since May 7, 2021, against Oakland, the Atlanta Braves, and the Boston Red Sox, and rescued Toronto from a three-game losing streak.

Despite the two walks, he did enough to get his team to victory, and the praise came with it. MLB.com’s Keegan Mathieson, covering Toronto, wrote, “Ryu threw 70 pitches and finished the game. The last two ground balls should have been outs,” lamenting the defensive lapses, but giving a thumbs-up to Ryu, saying, “Giving up two homers was tough on him, but he was sharp and efficient throughout.”메이저놀이터

Mathieson also praised Garcia for his ability to limit Ryu’s earned runs and save the day. “After giving up a hard-hit ball with the bases loaded, Garcia completely hacked away at the Cleveland lineup to get out of the jam,” Mathieson said, adding, “The bullpen once again bailed Toronto out.”