Immediately upon returning, Ryu Hyun-jin snapped a six-game losing streak with the words: "It was tough for the position players because of the pitchers... I hope today will be a turning point." [Busan Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryu Hyun-jin (39), who snapped the losing streak immediately upon returning to the first team, expressed hope that Hanwha Eagles would change starting from this game.

On the 18th, at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium, Ryu Hyun-jin led Hanwha to a 5-0 victory against the Lotte Giants in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game attended by a total of 23,200 spectators. He pitched seven innings, allowing four hits, no walks, and three strikeouts, while surrendering zero earned runs.

With this performance, Ryu Hyun-jin achieved his second consecutive quality start (six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs), lowering his earned run average from 2.45 to 1.50. Thanks to Ryu's stable and dominant pitching and the team's offensive power, which produced 11 hits in total, Hanwha escaped the six-game losing streak and improved their record to 7 wins and 10 losses.

That day, Ryu Hyun-jin threw 86 pitches, including 42 fastballs clocked at a top speed of 149 km/h, 19 changeups, 10 cutters, 1 curveball, and 5 sweepers, inducing numerous groundouts. The only batter who troubled him was Victor Reyes, who went 3-for-4. His primary weapon, the changeup, along with his new weapon, the sweeper, used against left-handed hitters, delivered another solid performance.

After the game, when speaking with reporters, Ryu Hyun-jin shared his thoughts: "I had energy because I rested for about ten days. Throwing many fastballs and quickly getting into the rhythm likely allowed me to pitch up to the seventh inning with a relatively low pitch count."

His pitch count through six innings was only 71, putting him in a position to challenge for a dominant start (eight or more innings with one or fewer earned runs). Ryu Hyun-jin smiled and added, "(After the seventh inning) The manager told me I worked hard. I also made my debut after ten days and threw around 80 pitches, so it felt fine. I believe trusting my condition and the ball today and attacking the strike zone led to this good result."

Coincidentally, after Ryu Hyun-jin was removed from the first team on the 8th, Hanwha endured their worst ten-day stretch with a record of 1 win and 6 losses. To make matters worse, unnecessary controversy arose from a scene during the game, pushing the team's atmosphere to its lowest point.

However, with Ryu Hyun-jin's return to the first team and his leading the team to victory, Hanwha successfully turned the tide. Regarding this, Ryu Hyun-jin honestly admitted: "Recently, the players haven't been showing games that resemble proper baseball. Today, we focused from the first inning to avoid such performances. Once we took an early lead, we were able to focus on the game in a more relaxed state."

During the losing streak, the collapse of the starting rotation placed excessive strain on the bullpen. It is also true that the position players' defense showed a lack of concentration. Ryu Hyun-jin laughed and said, "I didn't say anything special to the players. But when the middle relievers were struggling, I jokingly told them, 'I'm throwing a 140 km/h fastball and getting strikes. Can't you handle a 150 km/h pitch?'"

He continued, "I told the pitchers, 'Your stuff is good, so just focus on attacking the strike zone.' The position players have been performing well up to now. I think the position players found it tough because we lost games that should have been won, largely due to the pitchers' struggles." He identified this as the reason for the losing streak.

Indeed, with the mound stabilized, the position players' defensive concentration was notably sharp. Several excellent defensive plays occurred that day, suppressing runs and leading to a shutout victory. In response, Ryu Hyun-jin wittily remarked, "We have skilled fielders on the roster. That's why, unlike before, I now always trust the position players and pitch with confidence."

He further added, "It's true that the atmosphere was down during the losing streak. As a result, the position players' concentration dropped for several games, and it was only natural that the pitchers also collapsed. Both the position players and pitchers understood this. I pray that today will be a turning point for the team's atmosphere."

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*This content was translated by AI.