Exhausted by Heat, Ryu Hyun-jin Struggles for 5th Consecutive Game… Second-Half ERA Hits 9.41

Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles), nearing forty, is continuing to struggle through the mid-summer heat.

Starting for the Hanwha Eagles in a home game against the KIA Tigers in the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon today (August 20), Ryu pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 hit-by-pitch for 4 runs.

Substituted while trailing 2–4, Ryu faces the prospect of taking the loss unless Hanwha mounts a comeback.

During the first half of the season, Ryu served as the team's ace, recording 8 wins, 2 losses, and a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) across 15 appearances.

However, he suddenly faltered following the All-Star break.

Allowing 4 or more runs in each of his 5 second-half games, Ryu's ERA during this period has skyrocketed to 9.41.

On this day, he cleanly retired the side in order through the first three innings.

However, in the top of the 4th inning with Hanwha leading 2–0, Ryu found himself in a bases-loaded jam with no outs after giving up 3 consecutive hits, eventually allowing a comeback by hitting Harold Castro with a pitch and yielding a 2-RBI timely hit to Na Sung-bum.

In the top of the 6th inning, after giving up a double to Kim Doyoung, he allowed another run on an RBI single to right-center by Castro.

Having suffered 5 consecutive losses up until yesterday, 6th-place Hanwha is slipping further away from the postseason race as even Ryu begins to falter.

(Photo provided by Hanwha Eagles, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.