Veteran starter Ryu Hyun-jin available in bullpen for Eagles in Korean Series game: manager
Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon speaks to reporters before Game 3 of the Korean Series at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, Wednesday. Courtesy of the Hanwha Eagles
With his Hanwha Eagles pushed to the brink in the Korean Series against the LG Twins, manager Kim Kyung-moon said even his veteran starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will be available to come in relief in Friday's do-or-die game.
The Eagles are trailing the Twins 3-1 in the best-of-seven Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship series, after losing a 7-4 heartbreaker Thursday night at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon.
After starter Ryan Weiss gave them 7 2/3 overpowering innings of one-run ball, the bullpen coughed up six runs in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Eagles will be right back at it Friday evening, trying to stay alive in the series with so little time to recover mentally and physically. And Kim, as expected, said every pitcher, save for Weiss and Cody Ponce, who started Wednesday, could come into the game.
That list includes Ryu, who was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits in three innings in his Game 2 loss Monday. He threw 62 pitches that day.
"He's told the staff he will be ready to pitch," Kim said in his pregame media availability. "We will see how the game plays out.
Ryu, a former major league All-Star has made nine relief outings in his career in nine KBO regular seasons, and two out of his eight postseason outings have come in relief.
That even Ryu is willing to pitch in relief speaks volumes about the state of the Eagles' bullpen at the moment. All of their high-leverage arms, including closer Kim Seo-hyeon, got hit around Thursday, leaving the manager with precious few options for Friday.