Major League Baseball left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, who has 78 career wins, also could not stop the Dominican Republic's star-studded lineup. The team suffered a cold-game loss in the seventh inning. It was a bitter farewell for the national team.
Ryu Ji-hyun's 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) South Korean national team faced the Dominican Republic on the 14th (Korean time) at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, fighting for a spot in the semifinals. Ryu Hyun-jin, who took the mound as the starter, left with his head down after 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, two walks, one strikeout and three runs.
Ryu Hyun-jin faced the Dominican Republic's star-studded lineup of right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., second baseman Ketel Marte, left fielder Juan Soto, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., third baseman Manny Machado, designated hitter Junior Caminero, center fielder Julio Rodriguez, catcher Agustin Ramirez and shortstop Gerardo Perdomo.
The start was good. Ryu Hyun-jin struck out Tatis Jr., induced a groundout from Marte to shortstop and a groundout to second from Soto to retire the side in order in the first inning. In the second inning, Ryu Hyun-jin issued a walk to lead-off batter Guerrero Jr. He induced Machado to a flyout to left field but gave up a double to Caminero. Runner Guerrero on first charged home. In the process, shortstop Kim Joo-won's throw was somewhat disappointing.
Meanwhile, Caminero settled on third. Ryu Hyun-jin induced Rodriguez into an infield groundout but could not prevent Caminero from scoring from third. With Ramirez's walk and Perdomo's hit creating the risk of additional runs, Ryu Hyun-jin gave up a run-scoring single to Tatis Jr., recording his third run allowed. Ryu Hyun-jin handed the mound over to No Kyung-eun. The inning ended after the first batter Marte was called not out on a strike to the catcher.
Japanese sports outlet Nikkan Sports reported Ryu Hyun-jin's early removal and said, "Ryu Hyun-jin recorded 78 career wins in Major League Baseball, including 14 wins in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays. They bet on the veteran's outstanding career and experience, but he knelt before the Dominican Republic's overwhelmingly powerful lineup."
Sporshiny Annex reported, "Korea's veteran left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, who boasts 78 career Major League wins, fell to the Dominican Republic's offense. He gave up three runs in the middle of the second and was removed early."
It added, "Ryu Hyun-jin contributed to a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and to Korea's runner-up finish at the 2009 WBC. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto, compiling 78 career Major League wins. After returning to Hanwha in 2024, he recorded nine wins and seven losses last year with a 3.23 earned run average."
The outlet reported, "Ryu Ji-hyun said he chose to use the veteran left-hander in the single-elimination quarterfinal because 'he is the player the team relies on most,' showing full trust."
Korea suffered a 0-10 cold-game loss to the Dominican Republic in the seventh inning. The team achieved the dream of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, but it was a brutal defeat. Ryu Hyun-jin's farewell for the national team ended this way.<
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