Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu points at himself, not injury, for rough start | dodgers.com: News

LOS ANGELES — Hyun-Jin Ryu‘s first taste of the postseason did not go at all how he would have liked, but the Dodgers rookie pitcher insisted that his subpar Game 3 performance in the National League Division Series was not the result of any type of injury.

There was some concern leading up to Ryu’s outing Sunday night after the left-hander threw a bullpen session prior to Game 2 on Friday in Atlanta. Not only does Ryu typically not throw bullpens between starts, but this particular session came under the watchful eye of team surgeon Neal ElAttrache, director of medical services Stan Conte and manager Don Mattingly.

On Sunday, a sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium watched Ryu allow four runs on six hits and one walk, while lasting only three innings in the Dodgers’ 13-6 victory over the Braves. Still, Ryu claimed that he’s 100 percent healthy and had no restrictions on the mound.

“There was absolutely no injury whatsoever; and of course, there was anxiety, and I was a little bit nervous taking the mound,” Ryu said through his interpreter. “But I think in the earlier part of the game when I had the count going my way, I think I should have honed in and focused a little more. I think that’s the mistakes that I made.”

The first inning has hindered Ryu for much of the regular season, and Sunday night wasn’t any different.

Ryu finished the regular season with a 5.10 ERA in the first inning of his 30 starts. By comparison, the only other frame in which he had an ERA even above 3.00 was the sixth (3.28).

Atlanta exploited his early-game troubles in Game 3, jumping on the southpaw for two runs on three hits and a walk in the opening frame. Ryu bounced back to retire the side in order in the second, and the Dodgers rallied in the bottom half of the inning to stake him to a 4-2 lead.

Ryu gave it all back in the top of the very next inning, conceding two runs on three hits again, while also making a pair of defensive miscues. With the bases load and nobody out, Ryu induced a potential double-play ground ball to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Yet in attempting to cover first base on the relay, Ryu missed the bag with his foot.

One batter later, Braves third baseman Chris Johnson hit a tapper up the first-base line. Ryu charged off the mound to field the ball, but instead of taking the forceout at first base, he elected to throw the ball to home plate, where Freddie Freeman slid in safely well ahead of the throw to catcher A.J. Ellis.

“Both incidents in the top of the third were completely my fault. Me covering first base, I just rushed and I missed the bag,” Ryu said. “The next play, throwing, I tossed it to home — just a thoughtless mistake there. I’m going to make sure those things don’t happen again.”

via Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu points at himself, not injury, for rough start | dodgers.com: News.