Ryu Hyun-jin's unusual slump?

 It was no longer the ‘Korean Monster’ we knew. Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles), who returned to Korea, went through a 'nightmare 5th inning' and played his worst game, allowing the most runs in a game since his professional debut.

 

Ryu Hyun-jin, who started on the mound in the away game against Kiwoom Heroes held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 5, threw 81 pitches in 4.1 innings, allowing 9 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 9 runs, becoming the losing pitcher.

 

Ryu Hyun-jin aimed for his first win on his return to the KBO League and the 99th win of his personal career against Kiwoom on this day. The team atmosphere was very good as Hanwha had won 8 games in the opening 10 games prior to today's game, and the batting lineup lightened Ryu Hyun-jin's shoulders by scoring 4 runs in the 4th inning. Ryu Hyun-jin pitched well until the 4th inning, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and no runs, and it looked like he would easily be the winning pitcher if he lasted just one more inning.

 

But as we entered the bottom of the fifth inning, the situation suddenly changed. Starting with Kim Jae-hyun's 2-RBI, timely double with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd bases, Kiwoom attacked Ryu Hyun-jin with as many as seven batters, including Lee Hyeong-jong, hitting consecutive hits. Hanwha's bench ended up forcing Ryu Hyun-jin and putting in Kim Seo-hyun at 1st and 3rd bases with one out and the score 4-7. As Ryu Hyun-jin went down the mound, he couldn't hide his dejected expression, as if he himself couldn't believe it.

 

Relief pitcher Seo-Hyun Kim sent in both runners left by Ryu Hyun-jin with one hit and two walks and walks, increasing Ryu Hyun-jin's earned runs to 9. In addition, one point was added due to a mistake, and the score gap widened to 4-10. Kiwoom's batting lineup showed off their power, scoring 10 runs in one inning.

 

Hanwha started to catch up by making up for 3 points in the 7th inning, but was unable to add any more points and ended up giving up 1 more point in the 8th inning. Hanwha, which failed to win in a row, lost its lead with 8 wins and 3 losses to the KIA Tigers (8 wins, 2 losses) and fell to second place. Kiwoom, who was considered a last-place candidate, went on a 5-game winning streak after losing 4 games in a row in the opening game, rising to 5th place.

This is the first time since his debut in the KBO League that Ryu Hyun-jin has given up 9 points in one game. The previous record was 8 goals allowed against the Samsung Lions on July 18, 2012, during the final season of Hanwha's first season before advancing to the Major League. Additionally, this season's ERA soared from 3.72 to 8.36. Since returning to the KBO League, Ryu Hyun-jin has not won three games this season and has only lost two.

Although it is still early in the season, the slump of Ryu Hyun-jin, who everyone naturally expected to be an ace, is not unusual. During his first season with Hanwha, Ryu Hyun-jin achieved outstanding results in the KBO League with a total of 98 wins, 52 losses, 1 save, 1,238 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.80, and when he was in good condition, he was truly 'impregnable' to batters.

 

However, in the KBO League, which returned after 11 years, Ryu Hyun-jin allowed 16 runs in just 3 games, the most allowed among all pitchers in professional baseball this year. Even in terms of pure earned runs, he ranks second with 13 points after KT Wes Benjamin (15 points). So far, only 14 innings have been played, and more runs have been conceded than innings.

 

Upon his return to the KBO league, Ryu Hyun-jin is recording a series of disgraceful records. On March 23, in the opening game against the LG Twins in Jamsil, he allowed 5 runs (2 earned runs) in 3.2 innings, becoming his first losing pitcher. In particular, it has been 17 years since the Samsung game in September 2007 that he failed to record a single strikeout in a KBO League game.

 

In his second appearance, the home opener against KT on March 29, although he was pitched no-ditch, he seemed to be back on track with a quality start of 6 innings, 2 runs, and 9 strikeouts. Even the match against Kiwoom was canceled due to rain and additional rest, so he took the mound after 6 days of rest. However, he threw well again in the match against Kiwoom, but then collapsed completely, similar to the match against LG.

 

His pitch and stamina are not normal. Originally, Ryu Hyun-jin was a pitcher who stood out for his precise control and control of speed in the major leagues, and during the first period of the KBO league when there was a difference in level, his inning pitching and strikeout ability were also top-notch. However, the current 37-year-old Ryu Hyun-jin cannot be considered to have the ability to overwhelm even KBO League hitters.

 

Ryu Hyun-jin was greatly shaken in the 4th inning against LG and the 5th inning against Kiwoom. Even if the game was played stably before, the common point that velocity and control began to noticeably dull after the batting order took one or two turns and the number of pitches exceeded 50 to 60 seems to be unrelated to the physical strength problem.

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