Ryu Hyun-jin became the “savior” for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The right-hander pitched five innings of four-hit ball, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The bullpen failed to protect the lead and Ryu’s four wins were negated, but Toronto won 13-9 and extended its winning streak to two games.
Located at an elevation of 1600 meters above sea level, Coors Field is known as the “Pitcher’s Graveyard”. The low air density allows balls to travel farther with less resistance. Ryu struggled at Coors Field with a .667 OPS during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but this day was different. Aside from the third inning, Ryu didn’t allow a long ball to the opposition. He gave up a two-run single to Eloy Montero and a double off the left field fence to Ezequiel Toba. Ryu stayed on the mound, inducing grounders and striking out the side.
After undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) last year, Ryu came back healthy. He pitched 29 innings in six games and went 3-1. His ERA is just 2.48. He hasn’t looked like he took a year off at all.
Whenever Ryu starts, Toronto wins. In his comeback game against the Baltimore Orioles on March 2, Ryu allowed four runs on five hits and nine walks over five innings, but he was unable to get any help from his offense and his bullpen took the loss. Other than this game, Toronto has won every game on Ryu’s day. Ryu’s starts have become a winning formula for Toronto.토스카지노
With Ryu on the mound, Toronto is 74-61 with a .548 two-day winning percentage. They are in third place in the American League East. They are fourth in the Wild Card Series. They need to finish at least third to make the postseason, and they are 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers (75-59, .560 winning percentage).
While their postseason hopes are still up in the air, Toronto has a brighter future with Ryu Hyun-jin. With Alec Manoa out of the starting rotation after struggling, Ryu’s presence is felt even more. With a solid mound, Toronto could be in contention for a postseason berth down the stretch if the bats step up.
After this season, Ryu will be eligible for free agency. The four-year, $80 million deal he signed in 2020 is coming to an end. While it’s unclear if Ryu will be able to continue his journey with Toronto, he’s eager to make more memories in a Jays uniform. “I want to play with my teammates until October after I come back,” he told Sporting News at spring training, and he’d love to play in the postseason with Toronto. It will be interesting to see if Ryu’s hopes can be realized.