Ryu Hyun-jin achieves double-digit wins for 5th straight season

By Yoon Chul

Staff reporter

Hanwha Eagles lefty ace Ryu Hyun-jin achieved double-digit wins for a fifth straight season grabbing the 10th victory over the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Saturday.

The 23-year-old ace pitched eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts for a 7-2 win at Mokdong Stadium.

The bottom dog's lone solid starter could have achieved a third shutout win of the season, but as Eagles slugger Choi Jin-haeng hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for a 7-0 lead, the freshman manager Han Dae-hwa forced Ryu, who already threw 119 pitches to remain on the bench.

As the reigning starter affirmed his prowess again in the KBO, Ryu clinched the top in the ERA and most strikeouts standings with 1.74 and 125, as well as shares the top place in the most wins standings with 10.

Ryu had already snatched a triple crown - winner of most wins, strikeouts and ERA standings - in his debut year in 2006 with 18-6, a 2.23 ERA and 204 strikeouts.

Since then the inning eater won more than 10 times. Last season he stumbled a little but marked a 13-12 with a 3.57 ERA.

Before this season, the lefty mentioned that he would focus on his ERA rather than the number of wins and strikeouts.

One of the main reasons he should be acknowledged of his value to the KBO is his team, the Eagles.

The Daejeon based team, which started rebuilding this season after losing two sluggers Kim Tae-kyun and Lee bum-ho to the Japanese league, had a tough season seating at the lowest place.

Worse for the Eagles, there were very few pitchers to rely on.

But Ryu pitched 124 1/3 innings ― the most in the KBO ― in 16 appearances.

Keum Min-chul of the Heroes pitched second most in the KBO in 101 innings in 18 games.

LG Twins ace Bong Jung-keun, also pitched only 99 1/3 innings.

Many innings eaters in the KBO put in huge efforts, but all the records are humble in front of Ryu's.

Manager Han also doesn't want to overtax Ryu. But he also didn't have a choice.

"I also wanted to call Korea's representative pitcher to the dugout as soon as possible," Han said after the game.

"But as I couldn't trust the bullpen, there was no choice," added Han.

In the game Yang Hoon was tossed the ball to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth, but as the bases were loaded he allowed two runs.

The fans also expect the huge record cautiously from Ryu, lower than 2.00 ERA.

In the KBO history about 10 pitchers recorded less than a 2.00 ERA and the last record was set in 1998 by Jung Myung-won of the Hyundai Unicorns ― the predecessor of the Heroes ― with 1.86.

The lowest ERA belongs to present Samsung Lions manager Sun Dong-ryul's at 0.78 set in 1993.