Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who won an impressive first win of the season against the Chicago Cubs, will make his fourth start of the season. The opponent is the Cincinnati Reds, who are in third place in the Central Division of the National League with 64 wins and 60 losses.
Ryu Hyun-jin recorded 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts and 2 runs in 5 innings in a home game against the Chicago Cubs on the 14th (Korean time)온라인바카라, and the team won 11-4 and became the winning pitcher. It was the first win of the season and the first since Tommy John surgery. He threw 31 pitches with bad contents such as a walk in the 1st inning and a defensive error, but after that, he found stability and contributed to the team’s victory. In an interview after completing his mound, Ryu Hyun-jin conveyed his impressions of his first victory, saying, “I only looked at this and suffered and rehabilitated for 13 months.” There was an overwhelming feeling in his expression that is difficult to describe in words.
His pitching content is also getting better. His last game, his four-seam fastball average velocity stood at 88.4 mph, but he peaked at 91.1 mph. There remains room for improvement in his redemption. His changeup is still powerful, and his curve is good. Cutter is also gradually increasing his weight as if he has regained his confidence. In the last game, the Cubs hitters couldn’t hit Ryu Hyun-jin’s cutter properly.
It’s time to start again. Once the atmosphere got burnt. Following the previous 4 scoreless innings away from Cleveland, he showed a stable appearance by recording a non-book in 2 consecutive games. Even after returning to the 5-man rotation after 17 consecutive matches, he succeeded in remaining in the starting lineup. It would be great if it continued as it is now.
Team Toronto is currently fighting a tough battle for the rankings. 68-56, 4th in the American League wild card rankings. They are half a game behind the third-place Seattle Mariners. If the season ends like this, you can’t go to the postseason. Even if it’s a tie, it won’t go out. According to the tiebreaker regulations, the opponent’s record is tied at 3 wins and 3 losses, and it is significantly behind the opponent’s record in the same district. Now, every remaining game is important.
Bo Bisset, the team’s flagship hitter, has returned from a knee injury and regained the weight of his batting line. Director John Schneider said, “It has a presence. It’s good that he’s back in the lineup,” he said, explaining the meaning of Biset’s return. He predicted that Bisset will be the starting shortstop for Gyeonggi Province on this day. If George Springer, who is suffering from an ankle injury, returns, the batting line will be complete.
In an interview before the game on the 20th, Bisset said, “I think any team needs to get rid of fear to achieve something special. We must go without fear,” he said, leaving a message for his teammates. As if in response to his words, the teammates harmonized pitching in the game on the 20th and won a new 4-3 victory over Cincinnati.
Colleagues also responded to Bisset’s remarks. Starter Chris Bassett said, “I think our pitching staff is the best in the league.” Davis Schneider, the protagonist of the final home run, also said, “Every game is important. Everyone must be tired, but we still have to push on.”
Cincinnati and Great American Ballpark are not unfamiliar stadiums to Ryu Hyun-jin. He went 5-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 8 games against Cincinnati and 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in 4 appearances at Great American Ball Park. Against opponents at home last year, he pitched 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 strikeouts and no runs. It was the only scoreless appearance last year.
I had experience dealing with last year, but among the hitters I will meet this time, there are only a few hitters with experience. As much as that, the team called Cincinnati has changed in the meantime. Many young bloods were called up and reborn as a new team.
Cincinnati star hitter Joey Votto said in an interview with Canadian sports media ‘Sportsnet’, “We have a lot of amazing players on our team. There are so many that it’s hard to even name them. There are many players who will lead this team for a long time, which is really fun and full of potential,” he introduced the team atmosphere.
Eli de la Cruz is the batter to be most wary of. In the game the previous day, he hit the fence twice and showed off his long hitting power. Here, he also showed the appearance of making a goal at once with quick judgment and reckless breakthrough that does not miss any gaps in the defense. He is a dangerous hitter who can give off the atmosphere rather than getting tired if he allows on base.
Matt McLane is showing a strong appearance against lefties this season with a batting average of 0.329, 5 homers and 14 RBIs. Even in the last 6 games, the flow is good with 8 hits in 24 at-bats, 1 home run and 4 RBIs, so it is necessary to be vigilant. Spencer Steer is also showing a strong side with a batting average of 0.297 against left-handed opponents, 8 homers, and 28 RBIs. The 8 home runs is the most home run record against a left-hander on the team.
Even though Joey Votto, the hitter Ryu Hyun-jin faced the most, is a left-handed hitter, he has one shot against left-handed opponents, hitting three homers.
Opponent starter Hunter Green (24) will be on the big league mound for the first time since visiting Houston on June 18. He had been on the disabled list due to hip pain. He took a long break to the extent that he made four rehab appearances. He posted a 2.57 earned run average (four earned runs in 14 innings) with two homers, seven walks and 15 strikeouts in four appearances. He pitched once at the rookie level and played three times at Triple-A.
He made his big league debut last year as the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, and has 7 wins and 17 losses with an ERA of 4.25, throwing 199 innings in 38 games. He is effectively a ‘two-pitch’ pitcher with a four-seam fastball (55.7%) of 98.6 mph, a slider (38.8%) of 88.2 mph, and a changeup (5.4%) of 91.6 mph. He is overcoming the limit of monotony with his fast fastball. His fastball velocity is league-leading in the 97th percentile, and his miss-induction rate (86%) and strikeout rate (93%) are also league-leading. However, the average exit velocity (8%) and strong batting rate (8%) hover around the bottom of the league, making a contrast. 45.6% of the balls hit this season are hard balls with an exit velocity of 95 mph or more. The walk rate is also not very low at 9.7%.
He faced Ryu Hyun-jin once last year. It was a game between the two teams held at the Rogers Center on May 22, and he pitched 4 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts and 1 run in 6 innings. Withdrew without a win or loss, the team lost 1-3.