So far this Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, the Kiwoom Heroes and the Hanwha Eagles ace Ryu Hyun-jin have traded punches.

On April 5, the Heroes roughed up the former major league All-Star for nine runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Ryu gave up a career-worst seven consecutive hits at one point. It remains Ryu’s worst outing so far this season, his first back in the KBO in 12 years.

Ryu got his revenge on June 18, tossing eight shutout innings and striking out eight for his most dominant start of the year.

Ryu is scheduled to make his third start against the Heroes on Thursday evening at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, and Heroes manager Hong Won-ki said his team will be ready this time.

“I think we got into good rhythm in that first meeting and caught some lucky breaks. Then in the next game, I think Ryu came out prepared. He is a great pitcher,” Hong said in a pregame media scrum. “Let’s see how our lineup responds this time. We’ll stick to our game plan the best we can.”

Against the left-handed
ace, Hong tweaked his lineup slightly. Regular first baseman Choi Joo-hwan, who bats left-handed, will be on the bench at the start. Third baseman Song Sung-mun will move across the diamond to take Choi’s spot at first, with the rookie infielder Ko Young-woo getting the start at the hot corner.

“Young-woo has been pretty good against lefties, and so that’s why he’s in the starting lineup,” Hong said of the rookie who is batting .339 against southpaws.

Even with Ryu on the mound, though, Hong kept four left-handed batters at the top of his lineup. Lee Ju-hyoung will lead off, followed by Ronnie Dawson, who leads the KBO with a .359 batting average. Kim Hye-seong and Song will bat third and fourth.

Source: Yonhap News Agency