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| 2021-05-27 11:11:08
(News Focus) MLB-S Korean pitchers
(News Focus) Trio of S. Korean starters with mixed bag of performances in MLB
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- A little over a decade ago, Ryu Hyun-jin and Kim Kwang-hyun were the faces of South Korean baseball, the two dominant left-handers who won the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) MVP awards -- Ryu in 2006 and Kim in 2008 -- and fronted the national team rotation at the Olympics and World Baseball Classic. Another southpaw, Yang Hyeon-jong, came into his own later, winning the MVP in 2017 and ERA titles in 2015 and 2017.
That all three of them are starting for their respective clubs in Major League Baseball (MLB) this year is a huge source of pride for fans here. Ryu, now the staff ace for the Toronto Blue Jays, made the leap to the big leagues by signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in late 2012. Kim joined him seven years later with the St. Louis Cardinals and then Yang signed with the Texas Rangers this spring.
Ryu entered the season as the undisputed No. 1 starter for Toronto. Kim was looking to build on a strong rookie campaign in 2020. Yang didn't break camp with Texas but was called up by the Rangers in late April and began getting opportunities to start.
However, fans' excitement over seeing the trio at the same time has been tempered of late. While Ryu has been doing his thing, Kim and Yang have been off their games this month.
They started on three consecutive days this week. Ryu had a solid start in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, but neither Kim nor Yang matched that level of quality later in the week.
Ryu held the Rays to two runs while scattering eight hits over 6 2/3 innings. The Jays lost 6-4 but were heartened by the fact that Ryu pitched into the seventh inning for the third straight start.
Only one other Toronto starter, Robbie Ray, has pitched at least seven innings in a start, and Ray has done it just once. Ryu has accomplished that three times. Such a combination of efficiency and consistency from starting pitchers is especially at a premium for the Blue Jays this season, because they've had a patchwork rotation behind Ryu, Ray and Steven Matz and their bullpen has been taxed.
In that Rays game, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was ready to take Ryu out after six innings. But the 34-year-old pillar of the rotation took it upon himself to ease the burden for his relief corps.
"I had more gas left in my tank, and our bullpen had thrown a lot of innings lately," Ryu said after the game. "So I told (Montoyo) I could go another inning. We starters know what our bullpen guys have gone through. We should all try to pitch six to seven innings every time and do so with around 100 pitches."
At 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA, Ryu is as dependable as they come. He's fourth among American League pitchers in Baseball Reference's wins above replacement (WAR) with 2.1.
Kim too has also talked often about wanting to pitch deep into games. He hasn't lived up to those words.
Kim has not yet gone beyond the sixth inning. He came within an out of completing the sixth twice, including his most recent start Monday against the Chicago White Sox.
Kim gave up a two-run home run to Andrew Vaughn and walked Leury Garcia before getting yanked. But as Vaughn was stepping in, St. Louis manager Mike Shildt visited the mound to talk with Kim, all but ready to pull him with reliever Daniel Ponce de Leon ready to step out of the bullpen.
Kim convinced his manager he could take care of business but then hung a 2-0 changeup that Vaughn blasted over the left field for a go-ahead shot. The Cardinals lost 5-1.
"I am disappointed that I couldn't finish that sixth inning," Kim said. "I didn't like the way I finished the day with a home run and a walk."
Kim then repeated the tune that he's been singing all season.
"I'll try to go deeper into the game next time."
After posting a perfect 3-0 record last year and going 1-0 in his first five starts of 2021, Kim has now dropped two straight decisions. His ERA sits at 3.09.
Following the first loss, against the San Diego Padres on May 16, Kim spoke about the need to earn more of Shildt's trust. Up to that point, Kim hadn't thrown more than 88 pitches. He got the hook in the fourth inning of that game when a 2-0 Cardinals lead turned into a 4-2 deficit in a hurry. Kim walked three batters in that inning alone.
With five more innings to go, maybe Shildt could have let Kim work out of his own mess and saved the bullpen. But Kim insisted only he was to blame for the situation.
"I keep getting pulled with relatively low pitch counts, and it's my fault that I haven't earned the trust of my manager," Kim said. "I gave up three walks in the fourth inning alone. I would have made the pitching change if I were the manager myself."
Those walks have been problematic of late for Kim. He walked only one batter in his first three starts, a span of 13 2/3 innings. But in the four starts since, covering 18 1/3 innings, Kim has walked 10 batters.
For the season, Kim is walking 3.09 batters per nine innings, up from 2.77 last year. In his most recent KBO season in 2019, he walked only 1.8 batters per nine innings.
Yang has been victimized by walks too. In his latest start Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels, Yang walked three batters in 3 1/3 innings, while allowing a season-worst seven runs.
That gave him 11 walks in his 16 innings in May -- three starts and one relief appearance. Yang is 0-2 with a 5.47 ERA.
Yang, who opened the season in the bullpen, has temporarily moved into the starting rotation, after right-hander Kohei Arihara was sidelined with finger and shoulder injuries. Another starter, Kyle Gibson, is on the injured list with a groin strain.
But with other arms waiting in the wings, Yang's grip on the starting job is tenuous. He will have more opportunities for now, but a dismal start like Tuesday's clearly won't help.
"I made a lot of mistakes. I tried to stay away from the middle of the plate and ended up throwing too many balls," Yang said. "My pitches fell flat and didn't have zip on them. I think my catcher Jose Trevino had a rough day behind the plate, and I feel bad about that."
Kim and Yang will both make their next starts Sunday afternoon in the United States, or early Monday morning in South Korea.
Kim will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix at 1:10 p.m. Sunday (local time), or 5:10 a.m. Monday in Seoul.
Yang and the Rangers will be in Seattle to play the Mariners at the exact same starting time.
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