Eagles beat Bears behind Ryu Hyun-jin's excellent start to snap 5-game skid
Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin pitches against the Doosan Bears during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, April 11. Yonhap
Starter Ryu Hyun-jin tossed six innings of one-hit ball, and the bullpen locked things down the reset of the way, as the Hanwha Eagles defeated the Doosan Bears 3-0 on Thursday.
Ryu struck out eight batters while making a season-high 94 pitches, as he collected his first win in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) since Sept. 25, 2012.
By snapping their five-game losing streak, the Eagles improved to 9-7-0 (wins-losses-ties) for the season. The Bears saw their two-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 7-10-0.
The Eagles got on the board in the top of the first at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, with Roh Si-hwan's single plating Choi In-ho, who'd led off the game with a double off starter Brandon Waddell.
With Ryu cruising along while flashing his vintage stuff, the Eagles doubled their lead in the fourth inning. Chae Eun-seong drew a walk to begin the inning, and An Chi-hong's double to deep left-center field cashed in Chae.
That was enough run support for Ryu, who held the Bears without a hit through 4 2/3 innings. Kim Ki-yeon broke the no-hit bid with a single, but Ryu struck out the next batter, Kim Dae-han, to end that threat.
Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin, left, is greeted by teammates after completing the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, April 11. Yonhap
Ryu wiggled out of his only serious jam in the sixth inning. An error by right fielder Yonathan Perlaza and Ryu's wild pitch put a runner at second base with one out and the meat of the Bears order due up.
And Ryu killed that rally, with No. 3 hitter Yang Eui-ji and cleanup Kim Jae-hwan both flying out to Perlaza.
Against new pitcher Jang Si-hwan in the bottom seventh, the Bears couldn't capitalize on a leadoff walk, with Yang Suk-hwan bouncing into a deflating, 6-4-3 double play.
The Eagles got an insurance run in the top eighth, with An picking up his second RBI of the game with a two-out single. A trio of relievers, Jang, Han Seung-hyuk and Joo Hyun-sang, each threw a scoreless inning. (Yonhap)