Ryu Hyun-jin (37), the ace pitcher of the Hanwha Eagles, threw his teeth into the game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on the 25th. It was the first game in 7020 days where the team swept three consecutive games against Doosan and the Hanwha Eagles challenged to the semifinals. Ryu took the mound with the determination to lead his team to victory, and accomplished his duty as an ace. He pitched seven innings of good pitching by allowing five hits (one homer) with five strikeouts and four strikeouts, earning his eighth win (seven losses) of the season. It is his second consecutive start following the game against the Incheon SSG Landers (one run in six ⅓ innings) on the 18th.먹튀검증
Hanwha solved its long-cherished dream by winning 3-1. Hanwha won all three consecutive games against Doosan until this day, following a 7-4 victory on the 23rd and a 7-6 come-from-behind victory in the 10th inning of extra time on the 24th. It was the first three-game series sweep against Doosan in 7020 days since the three-game sweep against Doosan in Cheongju from June 4-6, 2005. It was before Ryu Hyun-jin joined the team in 2006, so I can guess how long it has been.
He showed off his ball control as Ryu did. Out of 97 pitches, 73 were strikes. He threw fastballs (28), sinkers (25), and changeups (20) at similar ratios, mixing cutters (10), curves (8), and sliders (4). The maximum speed of fastballs and sinkers was 149 kilometers, and the maximum speed of cutters was 141 kilometers.
Ryu failed to keep his lead as he was hit by Kim Jae-hwan in the bottom of the fourth inning when his team was leading 1-0. Kim was a tough opponent, as he had three hits and one walk from five times at bat this year before the game. Kim did not miss the fourth pitch with the ball count 1-2, leading to an equalizer in the right-center field. The flying distance of this season’s 14th homer reached 130 meters.
Fortunately, the batters gave Ryu another chance to lead the game. With Jonathan Peraza on base with a walk after one out in the top of the sixth inning, the next batter, Jang Jin-hyuk, hit a timely double to the right-center. The first baseman’s aggressive base running stood out. Right fielder Cho Soo-ha caught the ball before it completely cut through the right-center, and continued the relay play, but Peraza sprinted home without stopping. At this time, second baseman Kang Seung-ho’s home throw, which was playing a relay, was far off the home plate, allowing Peraza to live comfortably at home. Hanwha led 2-1.
As Ryu threw 76 pitches through the sixth inning, he took the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game with leadoff hitter Kim Jae-hwan was important, but he handled it with a strikeout to shake off the regret of giving up a home run earlier. When Kang Seung-ho hit the third baseman’s left infield after one out, and Kim Ki-yeon hit the left field with two outs and two outs, he ended his duties by striking out pinch hitter Yang Eui-ji with a swing and miss.
Starting in the eighth inning, Park Sang-won took over the ball and pitched two scoreless innings to secure his second save of the season. In the top of the ninth inning, Choi Jae-hoon scored an additional run with a sacrifice fly, sealing the victory 3-1.
“I didn’t expect to win three consecutive games, but the result was unexpectedly good. Ryu’s superb defense of seven innings contributed to the victory,” Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said. “All the players worked hard for the past week.”
Regarding his pitch in the seventh inning after the game, Ryu said, “[Kim Jae-hwan] was the leadoff hitter, and we turned the tables again. I think I took the mound with the determination that I should take revenge because I had a home run in my previous at-bat. (I) just threw the ball according to the catcher’s signature. At that time, (Choi) Jae-hoon threw the ball according to the signature, but I think the best ball went in.”
With the victory, Hanwha posted its season record of 56 wins, 60 losses, two draws and a 0.483 win rate. The team is still ranked seventh, but now the semifinals are coming true, not a dream. The team has narrowed the gap to one game with the fifth-ranked KT Wiz, and is no longer in line with the sixth-ranked SSG Landers. If the team continues its recent three-game winning streak to Sajik, Hanwha’s bid to advance to the semifinals is expected to continue.
Regarding the team’s recent atmosphere, Ryu Hyun-jin said, “It’s really good that our players seem to be joining forces again and continue to win consecutive games in the absence of (Chae) Eun-sung and (An) Chi-hong. Rather than a ranking fight, I think we’re doing what we haven’t been able to do so far. It’s good to see that the players seem to be focusing on every game, and every game, every inning, and every moment, from young players to veterans.”
Hanwha has continued to win all three consecutive games with fifth-ranked SSG in Incheon from the 16th to the 18th. It has recorded one win and one loss in two consecutive games against the NC Dinos in Cheongju on the 20th and 21st, and has won all three consecutive games against Doosan and Jamsil from the 23rd to the 25th, recording seven wins and one loss in the last eight games. This is why it was able to eliminate the distance that had been widened to 5.5 games with SSG until the 15th at once.
Ryu Hyun-jin said, “Looking at the atmosphere of the dugout these days, players seem to be concentrating on one pitch at a time. That’s how much energy they are giving off the bench. I think the players will do well on their own because they know that there is not much time left and that this is an important moment.”
As the fifth place was approaching, I wanted the players to be more faithful to the basics.