Ryu Hyun-jin Collapses Due to Errors... Pulled After 3⅔ Innings and 5 Runs in Return Game

Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) was pulled from the mound before completing the 4th inning in his return to the KBO League after 12 years.

On the 23rd, Ryu struggled with control during the 2024 professional baseball season opener against LG at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, pitching 3⅔ innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, and 5 runs (2 earned runs). He did not record a single strikeout.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), this was only the second time in his career that Ryu started a KBO League game without recording a strikeout, the first being on September 25, 2007, against the Samsung Lions. In front of a full crowd of 23,750 spectators, Ryu retired the side in order in the bottom of the 1st inning with just 9 pitches.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, the opening game of the Korean Professional Baseball KBO League regular season between Hanwha and LG was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Hyun-jin is starting as a pitcher in the KBO League opening game for the first time in 12 years since 2012, just before his move to Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He induced a ground ball to the shortstop with a 144 km/h fastball on the 5th pitch in a 1 ball 2 strike count against the first batter, Park Hae-min. After recording the first out, Ryu also retired the next batter, Hong Chang-gi, on a ground ball to shortstop. This time, a 145 km/h fastball forced Hong Chang-gi into a grounder to shortstop. Although shortstop Ha Joo-seok’s throw was slightly high, first baseman Chae Eun-sung caught it well to record the second out. Ryu then finished the inning easily by getting Kim Hyun-soo to fly out to left field on just two pitches.

The problem came in the 2nd inning. Ryu’s control faltered. His first three pitches all missed the strike zone, and on the 7th pitch of the full count, his fastball was called a ball. Although he got the next batter, Moon Bo-kyung, to fly out to right field, he was hit hard afterward. He allowed a single to left field to Park Dong-won and an infield single to shortstop by Moon Sung-joo. Moon Sung-joo’s hit was barely kept from becoming an extra-base hit thanks to a sliding catch by shortstop Ha Joo-seok. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ryu threw a fastball down the middle to Shin Min-jae, who hit a two-run single to left field.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, trailing 1-2 with one out, Ryu again walked Kim Hyun-soo. He tried to disrupt Kim’s timing by throwing a slow curveball at 99 km/h, but his pitches repeatedly missed the strike zone. Despite the tough situation, Ryu managed to retire Austin Dean and Oh Ji-hwan consecutively without allowing any runs.

The 4th inning, tied 2-2, turned into a nightmare. Ryu induced consecutive outs from Moon Bo-kyung and Park Dong-won, seemingly wrapping up the inning easily. However, he then walked Moon Sung-joo. Although he induced a ground ball from Moon Sung-joo, second baseman Moon Hyun-bin committed a critical error, letting the ball slip between his legs. Shaken by the unexpected play, Ryu then gave up a single to center field to Park Hae-min, a two-run single to center field to Hong Chang-gi, and a single to left field to Kim Hyun-soo consecutively.

The Hanwha bench could wait no longer. With two outs and runners on first and third, Ryu was replaced by Lee Tae-yang. Ryu could not hide his disappointment. Hanwha fans applauded encouragingly as he headed to the dugout, but Ryu did not raise his head.

That day marked Ryu’s first time pitching in the KBO League in 4,188 days since the October 4, 2012 game against the Daejeon Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom). He threw a total of 86 pitches, mixing various pitches including 45 fastballs, 18 curveballs, 14 changeups, and 9 cut fastballs. His fastest fastball reached 150 km/h.