'May Scoreless' Hanwha's Rinscom, 'Shock' BBBB→⅓ Inning, 3 Runs Allowed... Collapsed on the Very Day Ryu Hyun-jin's 200th Victory Was on the Line

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryu Hyun-jin's (39) 200th career victory in both Korea and the United States was foolishly lost due to a bullpen fire. The pitcher who blew the victory was Yoon San-heum (27, Hanwha Eagles), who had been stable without allowing an earned run throughout May, adding to the sense of regret.

On the 17th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, Ryu Hyun-jin started against the visiting team in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season game against KT Wiz, pitching 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, walking 1 batter, striking out 3, and giving up 2 earned runs before finishing the game without a decision.

This was a game where 200 career victories were on the line. After graduating from Dongsan High School, Ryu was selected by Hanwha with the 2nd pick of the 2nd round in the 2006 KBO Rookie Draft, reaching 199 career victories (121 in the KBO League and 78 in Major League Baseball) prior to this game.

As a 21-year veteran, Ryu Hyun-jin allowed 2 runs in the first inning but then stably shut out the next 4 innings without allowing any runs. The batting lineup also rallied, with Lee Jin-young hitting a sacrifice fly with 1 run in the bottom of the 4th with 1 out and runners on second base, Kim Tae-yeon hitting a double down the left-field line, and Choi Jae-hoon hitting a sacrifice fly with 2 runs down the right-field line, taking a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the 6th with 1 out and a runner on third base, Kim Tae-yeon's groundout scored a run, and in the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs and runners on second and third, Moon Hyun-bin's single to center field scored a run, combined with an opponent's error, adding 3 more runs, making Ryu Hyun-jin's 200th victory seem within reach.

At that moment, Yoon San-heum appeared. Before this game, Yoon had 8 consecutive scoreless outings, recording an ERA of 0.00 in 8 games in May, 10⅔ innings, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 2 runs allowed (0 earned runs), rising as a key reliever. In the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs and runners on first and second, Yoon, making his third appearance of the game for Hanwha, got Heo Kyung-min to ground out to first base, seemingly meeting expectations.

But hope vanished in an instant. Yoon San-heum, who came up in the bottom of the 7th, was a different person. He threw 8 balls in a row to Yoo Jun-gyu and Choi Won-jun. He also walked Kim Min-hyeok after a full count, instantly putting the bases loaded with no outs.

KT did not miss this opportunity. Kim Hyun-soo hit a sacrifice fly with 2 runs down the left-field line, sending Yoon San-heum off the mound. Even Jo Dong-wook, who came in as a reliever, was hit by a sacrifice fly with 1 run down the left-field line by Kim Sang-soo, tying the game at 6-6. The moment Yoon San-heum's earned run count increased, Ryu Hyun-jin's 200th victory also turned into a dream.

However, it was difficult to blame Yoon San-heum. A former Doosan Bears developmental player, he blossomed after being released, going through the independent league before joining Hanwha. With a pitching form reminiscent of the former Major League Cy Young Award winner Rinscom (retired), he gained attention as 'Hanwha's Rinscom.'

For a while, he was not heavily used due to inconsistent control, but this year he found stability and adjusted to rise as a key reliever. Thanks to Yoon San-heum's scoreless pitching, Hanwha recorded a .591 winning percentage (9 wins, 6 losses) in May, allowing them to climb to the middle of the pack. The only regret was that the game that collapsed was the one where Ryu Hyun-jin's 200th victory was on the line.

Meanwhile, the game was a high-scoring affair with both teams combining for 21 hits, and KT managed a narrow 8-7 victory. With this win, KT escaped a three-game losing streak, improving to 25 wins, 1 tie, and 16 losses, overtaking LG Twins (25 wins, 17 losses) for second place and reclaiming sole first place. On the other hand, Hanwha, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, fell to 20 wins and 22 losses, tying with Doosan Bears (20 wins, 1 tie, 22 losses) for sixth place.

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*This content was translated by AI.