Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Saturday 6 OctOber 2018

Ryu sharp, Dodgers hit 3 HRs, beat Braves 6-0

By BETH HARRIS I would go full-throttle
AP Sports Writer from the get-go," Ryu said
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The through a translator.
Dodgers made a surprising Ryu even collected his first
and much dissected deci- career postseason hit with
sion to start Hyun-Jin Ryu a single in the fourth.
over Clayton Kershaw in The Dodgers set franchise
Game 1 of the NL Division and National League re-
Series. cords by hitting 235 homers
Swell choice. during the regular season,
The South Korean left-hand- and their tear continued
er pitched seven dominant with three more to begin
innings and Los Angeles their playoffs. The defend-
launched three home runs ing NL champions actually
to beat the Atlanta Braves were outhit 6-5 by Atlanta,
6-0 on Thursday night. but the Braves only got sin-
Ryu delivered in his first post- gles.
season start since 2014. He "I don't really feel like there's
allowed four singles — all anyone on this team that's
with two outs — struck out going up there trying to
eight and walked none. hit a home run," said Max
"He was in control. There Muncy, who had a three-
was a lot of soft contact," run shot with two outs in
Dodgers manager Dave the second. "It's just a result
Roberts said. "He was do- of us having a good ap-
ing what he wanted to do. proach and good at-bats.
It was good to see, and we I feel like a lot of the home
needed that one." runs we've had have come Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu throws to an Atlanta Braves batter during the
first inning of Game 1 of a baseball National League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, in Los
The only slip Ryu made was off of long at-bats, working Angeles.
when he mistook the sec- the counts and wearing Associated Press
ond out of the fourth inning the pitcher down."
for the last out and started Game 2 in the best-of-five were blanked. This was At- He found trouble again in Dodger Charlie Culberson
walking toward the dug- matchup is Friday at Dodg- lanta's first playoff appear- the second. in the fifth. Puig charged in
out. He laughed upon real- er Stadium, with Kershaw ance since 2013, when With two outs, Foltynewicz on pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki's
izing the gaffe. starting for Los Angeles they lost to the Dodgers in hit Pederson and walked fly to right field to end the
The 31-year-old Ryu missed against Anibal Sanchez. four games. Justin Turner before Muncy inning. The Braves didn't
3 1/2 months of the sea- "A guy with his pedigree Joc Pederson's leadoff shot sent a 1-0 pitch over the advance a runner past
son with a groin strain and and his track record, we're in the bottom of the first rat- wall in center, making it 4-0. second base in the game.
returned Aug. 15 to post a pretty excited to have him tled Mike Foltynewicz in his "That three-run home run Ryu gave up another two-
1.88 ERA in 52 2/3 innings. going tomorrow night," postseason debut. was big for all of us, includ- out single to Ozzie Albies in
"When he came back we Dodgers third baseman Foltynewicz gave up four ing me," Ryu said. the seventh. With fans on
weren't sure who we were Justin Turner said of Ker- runs and three hits in two Hernandez hit a solo shot their feet waving blue tow-
going to get," teammate shaw. innings. The right-hander with two outs in the sixth els and the crowd of 50,947
Enrique Hernandez said. "It The Braves have lost eight struck out five and walked off Brad Brach. Pinch-hitter chanting his name, Ryu
seemed like he didn't miss straight series openers two. He got out of a two- David Freese added a sac- got Inciarte on a swinging
a beat." in the postseason. They out, bases-loaded jam in rifice fly in the eighth. strikeout to end the inning.
Dodgers great Sandy Kou- haven't won a Game 1 the first by striking out Yasiel Ryu allowed a two-out sin- "Typically we're not a team
fax was among those who since 2001 when they went Puig. gle to Freddie Freeman in that strikes out a lot, and I
gave Ryu a standing ova- on to sweep Houston in the "If you don't have your fast- the first. think that just the fastball
tion as he walked to the NLDS. ball command, they're go- After that, he retired 12 command really kept us
dugout after his final pitch. Rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. ing to spit on a lot of things, consecutive batters before off-balance the whole
"I'm happy that I was able struck out twice and went which they did tonight," a pair of two-out singles to night," Braves manager Bri-
to keep my promise that 0 for 4 as the Baby Braves Foltynewicz said. Ender Inciarte and former an Snitker said.q