‘I believe in Ryu,’ Toronto hopes to upset AL’s ‘best’ Baltimore

The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) will turn to the “Korean Monster,” Ryu Hyun-jin (36), in one of the most crucial moments of the season in the standings battle. The Jays will send Ryu to the mound on Aug. 2 at home against the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.

Toronto has been swept by Baltimore this season. In six meetings, they’ve gone just 1-5. They are third in the division with 59 wins and 47 losses, behind Baltimore, who leads the division with 64 wins and 41 losses. They enter a four-game road trip starting Jan. 1 5.5 games back.

Opportunity. With a winning series in this four-game set, the Orioles can cut into the deficit and move into the race for the division lead. Currently, the American League East is led by Baltimore, with the Tampa Bay Rays in second place with 64 wins and 44 losses. Toronto is third, the Boston Red Sox are fourth with 56 wins and 49 losses, and the New York Yankees are in last place with 55 wins and 50 losses.

Once again, it gets very difficult when you’re behind. A losing series could allow Boston and the Yankees to catch up. After Baltimore, the next opponent they face is Boston. They are coming off a disgraceful six-game sweep this season. The best-case scenario for Toronto would be to get the upper hand on Baltimore and then leave for Boston.

Chris Bassitt will start the first game of this four-game series against Baltimore on April 1. He’ll be followed by Hyun-jin Ryu on Game 2. It will be his first big league start in 462 days. It’s been a long tunnel since he was injured after a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 2 last year. After going through the rehabilitation process step by step, he is finally back.

In his four minor league rehabilitation appearances, he looked good. He upped his pitch count to 85 and his velocity to 90.8 miles per hour (about 146 kilometers per hour). Faced inferior competition to big league hitters, but chewed up innings with exquisite command and game management. His patience has paid off, and he’s ready to return to the big leagues. 스포츠토토

He’s facing one of the best offenses in baseball. Baltimore currently has the best winning percentage in the American League at .610. That’s a mountain to climb for Toronto, which is looking to make a late-season comeback and win the district. Toronto will turn to a player who has been away from the team for over a year. They’re hoping to see the ace they once had.

It’s hard to expect too much from a guy who’s been away for so long. He should throw around 80-90 pitches and cook the Baltimore lineup. It will be interesting to see if the finally returning Hyun-jin Ryu can bring back his “monster” performance against the most powerful offense in baseball.