‘코리안 몬스터’ 류현진, 야구계 꿈 월드시리즈 출격 내일 등판 VIDEO: Hyun-Jin Ryu could cap comeback by pitching Dodgers into World Series
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2018. 10. 19. 13:18
Hyun-Jin Ryu could cap comeback by pitching Dodgers into World Series
By BILL PLUNKETT | bplunkett@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: October 18, 2018 at 5:49 pm | UPDATED: October 18, 2018 at 8:07 pm
MILWAUKEE — When Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu made his first appearance in a Dodgers uniform, it was for a conditioning run with the rest of the pitchers on the first day of spring training in 2013.
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‘코리안 몬스터’ 류현진, 야구계 꿈 월드시리즈 출격 내일 등판
2018 미국프로야구(MLB) 내셔널리그 챔피언십시리즈(NLCS)
밀워키 브루어스와 6차전 선발 등판
다저스, NLCS 밀워키에 3승 2패
6차전서 이기면 월드시리즈 진출
야구계 꿈의 무대까지 단 한 걸음, LA 다저스의 ‘코리안 몬스터’ 류현진이 팀을 월드시리즈로 이끌기 위해 마운드에 오른다.
류현진은 20일 오전 9시39분(한국시간) 미국 위스콘신주 밀워키 밀러 파크에서 열릴 2018 미국프로야구(MLB) 내셔널리그 챔피언십시리즈(NLCS) 밀워키 브루어스와의 6차전에 선발 등판한다. 다저스는 18일 열린 5차전에서 에이스 클레이튼 커쇼를 내세워 5대 2로 승리하며 3승 2패로 유리한 고지를 점했다. 1승만 더 추가하면 지난해에 이어 2년 연속 월드시리즈에 진출한다. 류현진이 원정 경기라는 부담을 극복하고 NLCS의 피날레를 잘 마무리 지을 지 관심이다.
이번 시리즈에서 밀워키와는 두 번째 맞대결이다. 류현진은 지난 14일 시리즈 2차전 원정 경기에 선발 등판해 4⅓이닝을 소화했다. 팀은 타선의 활약에 힘입어 4대 3으로 승리했지만 류현진으로서는 홈런 하나를 포함해 6개의 안타를 내주며 2실점 해 아쉬움을 남겼다.
5차전에 선발로 나선 커쇼는 빛나는 호투로 팀 승리를 견인했다. 커쇼는 7이닝 동안 9개의 삼진을 잡아내며 3피안타 2볼넷 1실점만 기록했다. 타석에서도 볼넷 2개를 골라내 1득점을 기록하며 투타 고루 활약했다. 밀워키와의 1차전에서 3이닝 5실점으로 부진했던 커쇼는 설욕에 성공했다. 또 그동안 포스트시즌에서 유독 약한 모습을 보이며 붙여진 ‘빅게임 새가슴’이라는 오명도 떨쳐냈다.
이번 시리즈는 다저스의 주전포수 야스마니 그랜달의 유무에 따라 승부가 갈려 ‘그랜달 시리즈’로도 불린다. 포스트시즌 내내 수비와 타석에서 부진한 모습을 보인 그랜달은 4차전에 이어 5차전에서도 글러브를 끼지 못했다. 수비에서는 잇단 포일로, 공격에서는 찬스마다 병살타 혹은 삼진을 기록하며 팬들의 분노를 샀다. 공교롭게도 그랜달이 결장하거나 후반 대타로 출전한 경기에서 팀은 모두 승리했다. 반면 백업 오스틴 반스는 좋은 수비 및 투수 리드에다 이날 타석에서도 적시타를 때리며 알토란같은 활약을 펼치고 있다. 데이브 로버츠 다저스 감독도 “반스가 투수와의 호흡이 좋다. 포구와 타격에서도 두루 잘했다”며 칭찬했다. 반스는 6차전에도 류현진과 배터리를 이룰 가능성이 높다.
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edited by kcontents
한편 보스턴 레드삭스는 이날 휴스턴 애스트로스와의 아메리칸리그 챔피언십시리즈(ALCS) 4차전에서 8대 6으로 역전승을 거두며 3연승(3승 1패)을 기록, 월드시리즈 진출에 단 1승만을 남겼다. 전날 승부에 쐐기를 박는 만루홈런을 때려낸 보스턴의 재키 브래들리 주니어는 이날도 4-5로 밀리던 6회초 2사 2루 상황에서 투런 홈런을 터뜨리며 분위기를 반전시켰다. 챔피언십시리즈 4경기에서 9타점을 올리는 괴력을 뽐내고 있다.
휴스턴은 1회말 득점 기회를 무산시킨 관중의 방해에 땅을 쳤다. 호세 알투베는 1사 1루 상황에서 홈런성 타구를 날렸으나, 비디오 판독 결과 수비수 무키 베츠의 글러브가 관중의 손에 닿아 수비 방해가 있었다며 아웃 처리가 됐다.
Ryu finished well behind the group alongside Kenley Jansen – who was four months removed from ablation surgery to address an irregular heartbeat. Afterward, Ryu joked about the pace being much faster in America than Korea.
That was the least of the physical challenges Ryu would face with the Dodgers.
In the five years since, he has had surgery on his pitching shoulder and elbow, causing him to essentially sit out two seasons, and tore a groin muscle partially away from the bone earlier this year. And yet, he will take the ball for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night at Miller Park pitching the best he has since leaving Korea with a chance to pitch the Dodgers into a second consecutive World Series.
“It’s remarkable. It really is,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think you see guys who are a lot more emotional, vocal, but don’t have the same compete as Hyun-Jin. A lot of it is that inner drive and fire and compete. And so many teammates have told me that this guy has ice in his veins, and he’s a big-game pitcher. And the more I’ve gotten to see him execute pitches in big spots, it’s kind of come to fruition.
“This year, even with what he went through, he was determined to get back here. … He didn’t like not being a part of the (postseason) roster last year. And that hurt. I know it hurt him. So he was going to do everything he could to force our hand by performing to be in this position that he put himself in.”
edited by kcontents
“I feel like I’m a similar pitcher from my first couple of years than now,” Ryu said of his post-surgery repertoire. “I guess the only difference is I know more about the league and the players, and having that information and experience under my belt definitely helps me.”
That belt might be a little tighter as well. The thick-legged, closet smoker will never be a fitness model. But Roberts attributes Ryu’s stellar performance this year to better health and being “in as good of shape as I’ve ever seen him.”
“I think the health is the No. 1 component,” Roberts said. “This past winter, he had a regular offseason where he could prepare for spring training, and he showed that when he started the season, he came out throwing well.
“Talking to Hyun-Jin, it was the winter where he could kind of prepare for a season as a regular player instead of going through the rehab and coming into spring training, he was in good shape, was strong. And then it was just the buildup as a regular player, a starting pitcher.”
Ryu’s motivation might be two-pronged. He acknowledged his disappointment in being left off the roster for each of the three playoff rounds last October – his interpreter used the word “bummer” in his translation earlier this month.
But Ryu’s original six-year, $36 million contract also expires this year. His performance down the stretch and in the playoffs has done wonders for his market value this winter.
“I never doubted myself, whether I could come back the same way that I pitched from the past to now after the surgery,” Ryu said through his interpreter. “Throughout the rehab process, it was pretty much the same. Beginning of the rehab, middle of the rehab, and end of the rehab, I had no doubt in my mind that I could come back and pitch as well as I had in the past.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, believes oft-injured pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is in the best shape of his
career this season. He’ll hand the left-hander the ball to start Game 2 of the NLCS on Friday night in Milwaukee.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
He has actually pitched better than before. Although the two-month recovery from his groin injury limited him to 15 starts and 82-1/3 innings during the regular season, Ryu posted his lowest ERA (1.97), WHIP (1.01) and strikeout rate (9.7 per nine innings). He held batters to a .221 average and .622 OPS – career-bests by significant margins.
His two playoff starts have built on that – two runs allowed over 11-1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks. His fastball has enjoyed the playoff stage. Ryu averaged 92.11 mph on his fastball in his starts against the Braves and Brewers, his highest average since the 2014 playoffs.
