Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin takes loss in historic World Series start

Published : Oct 25, 2018 - 13:42 Updated : Oct 25, 2018 - 13:46

The Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin took a loss in a historic World Series start against the Boston Red Sox.

Ryu became the first South Korean to start a World Series game when he took the hill at Fenway Park on Wednesday (local time) for Game 2. The left-hander was pulled after giving up a run in 4 2/3 innings, with the Dodgers leading 2-1, but his earned run total ballooned to four after reliever Ryan Madson allowed three inherited runners to score.

It was 4-2 for the Red Sox after five innings, and that stood as the final score, as Ryu went down as the losing pitcher. Boston leads the series 2-0.

Ryu allowed six hits, while striking out five and walking one.

Ryu Hyun-jin and Walker Buehler practice for Game 1 of the World Series. (AP)

He was also trying to become the first South Korean pitcher to win a World Series game, but will have to wait for another shot in Game 6 next Tuesday, if the series goes that far.

Before Ryu, Kim Byung-hyun with the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks and Park Chan-ho with the 2009 Philadelphia Philies had pitched in the World Series, but both did so in relief.

Ryu made a quick work of the Red Sox in the bottom of the first, needing just 11 pitches to retire the side in order.

But in the second, Ryu gave up a one-out double to Xander Bogaerts that bounced off the Green Monster in left field. Two batters later, Ian Kinsler singled home Boagerts to put the Red Sox up 1-0.

Ryu worked around a one-out single by Mookie Betts in the third. After the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, thanks to Matt Kemp's sacrifice fly and Yasiel Puig's single, Ryu had a three-up, three-down inning in the bottom fourth.

Ryu got two quick outs in the fifth before the bottom fell out.

Ryu worked the count to 0-2 on No. 9 hitter Christian Vazquez, and then his four-seam fastball just missed on the inside corner.

Ryu started toward the dugout, thinking he'd just picked up an inning-ending strikeout, but Vazquez got a new life and then single to right on the next pitch.

Betts followed up with a single, and Ryu walked Andrew Benintendi to load the bases.

That was the end of Ryu's day. Madson came on to face right-handed Steve Pearce but walked him on five pitches, which tied the score at 2-2.

J.D. Martinez dumped a single to right for two more runs to give the Sox a 4-2 lead.

The Red Sox won the first game 8-5, with five of those runs coming with two outs. In Game 2, all four runs were scored with two outs.

After getting two runs on three hits off starter David Price, the Dodgers' offense was silenced by three fireballers out of the Red Sox bullpen. Joe Kelly, Nathan Eovaldi and closer Craig Kimbrel threw one perfect inning apiece and combined for three strikeouts. (Yonhap)