Hyun-Jin Ryu starts rough but finishes strong in Dodgers’ win

Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu delivers during the first inning of a 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

July 14, 2019 11:12 PM PT

Reporting from BOSTON — The throw that aided Hyun-Jin Ryu and the Dodgers in the fifth inning on Sunday was clocked at 97.1 mph. The left arm that made the throw did not belong to Ryu. It belonged to outfielder Alex Verdugo.

“It was all right,” Verdugo said. “It was OK.”

Verdugo chose to downplay the velocity of his outfield assist — which cut down a runner at the plate and helped preserve a Dodgers lead in an eventual 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 12 innings — because it did not reach triple digits. But he could settle for protecting the pitching line of Ryu, who recovered from a rocky first inning to stymie the Red Sox offense for seven innings of two-run baseball.

In the first inning, he gave up five hits, more than he has yielded in eight of his starts this season. The Red Sox scored twice — or more runs than Ryu has given up in nine of his starts. Ryu avoided further blemishes until the fifth, when Verdugo intervened.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts trusted Ryu to enter the seventh inning for the first time since June 16. Ryu scattered eight hits and struck out six in his first appearance since starting the All-Star game on Tuesday in Cleveland.

“For him to limit the damage, he pitched great,” Roberts said. “For him, against a very good club who plays well at home, he kept us in the ballgame and gave us a chance to win the game. It was a team win, and Hyun-Jin pitched really well.”

After an impeccable first two months of the season, Ryu looked closer to mortal as the All-Star break approached. The Colorado Rockies tagged him for seven runs in four innings on June 28 at Coors Field. Ryu answered with six scoreless innings in his first-half finale against San Diego. Roberts removed him after 89 pitches against the Padres, perhaps a nod to the organization’s second-half hopes for Ryu.

Ryu ended the first half with 109 innings on his ledger. He averaged 172 innings in his first two years as a Dodger before undergoing shoulder surgery in 2015. In the previous four seasons combined, he had tallied 2132/3 innings. Despite the workload, Roberts said there were no plans to taper Ryu’s appearances or expand to a six-man rotation, which would include Julio Urias.

“Right now, there’s no thought of that,” Roberts said. “It’s about going and continuing to pitch to help us win a baseball game. I think that conversation, with all of our starters, happens in the end of August, beginning of September, as we look forward. But right now, we’re just going like we always have.”

The first inning did not unfold as usual for Ryu. He inherited a three-run lead, courtesy of a well-placed home run struck by outfielder A.J. Pollock. Ryu proceeded to give a portion of the advantage back. Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts opened the inning with a single, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts followed with an infield single.

Bogaerts was credited with a hit, but he benefited from the Dodgers’ defensive positioning. After fielding a grounder hit by Bogaerts at shortstop, Chris Taylor turned to Enrique Hernandez at second base to start a potential double play. But Hernandez was on the far side of the bag, and unable to make a play. Taylor double-clutched and threw to first, where Bogaerts was safe.

Taylor would see more action in the inning. He knocked down an infield single by Boston catcher Christian Vazquez that loaded the bases. When another grounder wormed toward Taylor, he made an error on the throw. Two runs scored on the play.

“There was a lot of weak contact and groundballs, and a play we couldn’t make for him,” Roberts said.

The inning required 24 pitches from Ryu. From there, he buckled down. He flung a 92-mph fastball past Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers to end the second inning. He needed eight pitches to complete the third. Red Sox first baseman Michael Chavis swung through a changeup for a strikeout in the fourth, while outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., bit on a curveball.

In the fifth, Ryu stared down the top of the Boston lineup for the third time. It did not go well. Devers hit a groundball to third base, where Max Muncy made a wild throw. Bogaerts became the recipient of Ryu’s 11th walk of the season. With two outs and two on, designated hitter J.D. Martinez came to the plate.

Ryu had retired Martinez in their first two encounters. Now Ryu left a changeup over the middle of the plate. Martinez slashed it into left field, where Verdugo awaited. He scooped the baseball before Devers had reached third base. Verdugo pegged catcher Russell Martin, who placed the tag on Devers.

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“I just wanted to put something on it, behind it, and get it in as quick as I can,” Verdugo said. “I’m just waiting for the triple-digit throw one of these days. It’s going to come.”

Ryu logged two more innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The game lasted long enough to render Ryu an afterthought. But Roberts still appreciated the performance.

“I almost forgot he pitched tonight,” Roberts said. “But he was very good.”

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