Ryu Hyun-jin (38), a pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization, left a sense of disappointment in his first starting matchup against Kim Kwang-hyun (37, SSG Landers). It was the first game this season in which he allowed more than five runs, and the disappointment was compounded by the fact that it was a big match against Kim Kwang-hyun. He was pulled from the game after just one inning, leaving his future uncertain. This marked the first time in his career that he was replaced after just one inning as a starter, and the highly anticipated showdown with Kim Kwang-hyun ended in a lackluster fashion.
On the 26th, Ryu Hyun-jin, in his home game against SSG in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, pitched as a starter and collapsed with 4 hits, 2 walks, and 5 earned runs in just 1 inning.
Before this game, he recorded 6 wins, 4 losses, and an earned run average of 3.07 in 16 games (85 innings) this season, with the most runs allowed in a single game being 4 on four occasions. He had not experienced a game where he allowed more than 5 runs, but in this match, he gave up 5 runs starting from the first inning.
In the first inning, Ryu Hyun-jin allowed a hit to Choi Ji-hoon, the first batter from SSG, and sent him to first base. Following a full count battle with Ahn Sang-hyun, he issued a walk. The sixth pitch, a low fastball outside, barely missed the strike zone, resulting in a walk.
He started with a curveball on the first pitch against Choi Jeong, and after gaining a favorable count of two strikes with a changeup on the second pitch, he gave up a lead-off run with a fastball on the third pitch that was hit for a timely hit to left field. He also allowed a hit to the next batter, Guillermo Heredia. Heredia hit Ryu Hyun-jin's second pitch, an outside changeup, for a line drive double that struck the right-center fence.
With runners on second and third and no outs, he walked Go Myung-jun to fill the bases. On a full count, the sixth pitch, a fastball deep inside, missed the strike zone. With the bases loaded and no outs, he allowed a decisive blow to Kim Sung-wook. The third pitch, a changeup, was a mistake right down the middle, and Kim Sung-wook seized the opportunity, hitting a bases-clearing double to left-center, bringing all three runners home.
With no outs and a runner on second, he managed to get Lee Ji-young to ground out to the pitcher for his first out after facing seven batters. Then a well-hit line drive from Jung Joon-jae headed straight to the second baseman, resulting in a double play with Kim Sung-wook, the runner on second, as Ryu Hyun-jin struggled to finish the first inning.
As the second inning began, Hanwha brought Um Sang-baek in as a relief pitcher. Having thrown 32 pitches in the first inning, he was fatigued, prompting Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon to make the change. Um threw fastballs at a maximum speed of 145 km/h and an average of 141 km/h, along with 18 fastballs, 6 changeups, 5 cutters, and 3 curves.
Um's borderline pitches continuously missed the strike zone, resulting in 2 walks in one inning, and his primary weapon, the changeup, delivered mistakes that led to concentrated hits. Complications with pitch communication caused disruptions, including changing equipment, which contributed to Ryu Hyun-jin's early exit after just one inning.
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