Brian Wilson Almost Makes Us Forget Hyun-jin Ryu’s Memorable Start

The most important play of the game came in the top of the eighth inning when Yasiel Puig hustled to get a double to the right center gap hit by Billy Hamilton back to the infield (by hitting his cut-off man!) and preventing Skip Schumaker, the potential tying run, to come home. Up until the eighth inning, the story was all about Hyun-jin Ryu who was in a dominating zone and pitched seven perfect frames continuing from where Josh Beckett left off on Sunday morning in Philadelphia. The Dodgers are home now, and Ryu welcomed back the sunny L.A. fans with another maserful starting pitcher performance from the Dodgers. Unfortunately time on the base path in the bottom of the seventh sort of disrupted Ryu’s rythmn, and he allowed the lead-off hitter in the eighth, Todd Frazier, the double which broke the perfect chain of innings for Ryu.

Johnny Cueto also pitched well, but the Cincinnati defense was what cost the Reds this game. The Dodgers scored once in the third off a costly fielding error by Todd Frazier. They then put another three runs on the board in the seventh off

Nobody bothered Hyun-jin Ryu during his perfect seven innings on Monday. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

another Cincinnati error by Zack Cozart, and a clutch two-run double by Carl Crawford.

The Reds’ bats were pretty much quiet through most of the night until Ryu tired in the eighth and Brian Wilson continued to look horrible with another bad outing. Wilson allowed one hit and two walks in the eighth, and the Reds plated three runs to pull within one run.

Luckily Kenley Jansen was able to get the final four outs of the game to preserve the deserved win for Ryu.

Dodgers 4 5 0

Reds 3 5 2

WP- Ryu (5-2)

LP- Cueto (4-4)

S- Jansen (15)

Here’s how the Memorial Day win happened…

The Dodgers, adorned with fugly camouflage caps in commemoration of Memorial Day, take the field on this beautiful holiday afternoon in Los Angeles. Hyun-jin Ryu pitches a perfect first inning, and he continues right where Josh Beckett left off. He strikes out Billy Hamilton, Justin Turner makes a fine play at third to retire Zack Cozart, and Brandon Phillips flies out to Puig in right.

Johnny Cueto spins around to get Dee Gordon to fly out. Carl Crawford grounds out to third. Yasiel Puig strikes out swinging. Cueto also pitches a perfect frame.

Ryu sends the Reds down in order again in the second.

Cueto also sends the Dodgers down in order in the home half of the second.

Maybe the Dodgers’ starters will never allow a hit again? Ryu retires the side perfectly again in the third.

The first base hit of the game for either side comes in the bottom of the third as Drew Butera singles to lead-off. Erisbel Arruebarrena strikes out. Ryu’s sacrifice bunt moves Butera over to second. Gordon’s grounder to first is botched by Todd Frazier as he lets the ball get away, and Butera scores! Gordon’s speed must have flustered Frazier a bit. Carl Crawford singles to right, and the Dodgers have runners at first and third with two outs. With Puig at-bat, Crawford steals second, his ninth stolen base of the season. Puig draws a walk to load the bases for Adrian Gonzalez. Unfortunately Gonzo comes up empty as he grounds out to third on the first pitch he sees from Cueto.

Justin Turner makes another great defensive play in the top of the fourth. Turner dives to stop a Cozart grounder, and picks it up and throws to first

May 26, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) pitches the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

for the out. Brandon Phillips is retired on a fly ball to Ethier in center, and Ryu has yet to allow a base runner through four frames.

Ethier doubles to left center field to lead-off the bottom of the fourth, but Cueto retires Turner, Butera, and Arruebarrena consecutively thereafter.

Ryu pitches another perfect inning in the fifth. He’s just mowing down Reds and has struck out four so far.

Cueto is also pitching very well, and the Dodgers go down 1-2-3 in the fifth.

Ryu is just in the zone. He strikes out Ramon Santiago and Johnny Cueto in the sixth. He’ just dominating Cincinnati and his pitches are beautiful strikes.

The game is whizzing by as Cueto pitches another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, Hamilton grounds out, Cozart strikes out, Phillips grounds out to Ryu who handles the little grounder calmly and throws him out at first.

Justin Turner draws a walk after he sees 16 pitches from Cueto to start the bottom of the seventh. Butera flies out. Arruebarrena shakes things up by hitting a ground-rule double right over the left field wall. Justin Turner has to stop at third. Ryu goes 3-2 against Cueto, and then his grounder to short is bumbled by Cozart for an error! Turner scores, and it’s 2-0 Dodgers. That’s going to be all for Cueto who only allowed one earned run but still comes out losing. Manny Parra, will come out of the Cincinnati bullpen to face Gordon with runners at second and third with one out. Gordon grounds into a fielder’s choice as Erisbel is thrown out at home. Then Crawford comes up huge with a big a two-run double to center field! Ryu and Gordon come in to score and give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. The Reds intentionally walk Puig thereafter. Hopefully Ryu isn’t tired out from running the base path. Gonzo hits into a force to end the inning, but not before the Dodgers hang three on the board.

Johnny Cueto pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks on 113 pitches.

The perfect game and shutout for Ryu is vanquished in the top of the eighth. Perhaps running in the previous game tired out Ryu a bit. Todd Frazier begins the inning with a clean double to left to break up the perfect game bid. A little flustered, Ryu then allows a single to Ryan Ludwick. Frazier scores on a sacrifice fly by Chris Heisey. Bryan Pena singles to left, and it looks like the end of the line for Ryu who pitched a spectacular game. Brian Wilson will come into relieve Ryu. Wilson strikes out Devin Mesoraco for the second out. Wilson then walks good old friend Skip Schumaker to load the bases up for the Reds. Then Billy Hamilton smacks one to the right center field gap, and two runners score on the double. It’s suddenly a one-run game, 4-3. Then Wilson walks Cozart… how long will Mattingly sit there and watch this? He finally brings the hook, and he’ll have to bring in Kenley Jansen to get the four-out save. It will actually be a DonnieSwitch™ as Scott Van Slyke also comes in to the game to play left field. Jansen strikes out Brandon Phillips as he slams his bat down in frustration!

Hyun-jin Ryu pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits with 7 strikeouts and no walks on 95 pitches.

Old friend Jonathan Broxton will pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Reds. Ethier grounds out. Turner flies out. Butera strikes out, and Broxton retires the side in order.

Kenley Jansen retires the culprit himself Todd Frazier on a fly out, Ludwick strikes out, but Heisey singles to left to keep the inning alive. With Pena at-bat, Heisey advances to second on a passed ball by Butera. Pena walks. Rick Honeycutt will go out to the mound to chat with Kenley and Butera. Devin Mesoraco flies out to Dre in center, and the Dodgers win!

The Dodgers improve to 28-24 on the season. Tomorrow evening will feature Zack Greinke versus Alfredo Simon.