Ryu Rocked for 7 Runs in Blue Jays Loss
For all the great things Hyun Jin Ryu has done in a Blue Jays uniform, Friday night was one to forget.
Ryu started the game in his typical unflappable manner, retiring the first seven batters he faced, but the Houston Astros kept grinding out at-bats.
The Blue Jays trailed 3-0 in the sixth inning as Ryu sweat things out on the mound, one out away from escaping a bases-loaded jam. On the very first pitch, Astros No. 9 hitter Martin Maldonado ripped a change-up over the left field fence for a grand slam.
The umpires might as well have called it right then and there, as the Blue Jays bullpen unraveled afterwards and Toronto lost the game 13-1.
Friday marked one of Ryu's worst starts in a Blue Jays uniform. It was a rare clunker and he struggled to hit the zone at times. The big lefty gave up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits, walked three batters and could only manage one strikeout through 5 2/3 innings.
Ryu said he's been hanging too many pitches over his last two starts and a tweak in his delivery may be needed.
"When I get back I'm gonna try to study off the videos, but I feel like with my mechanics I'm just rushing a bit," Ryu said through interpreter J.S. Park.
After an epic ninth inning walk-off two nights prior, Toronto's offense had no answer for Astros starter Zack Greinke. The 37-year-old carved through Blue Jays hitters with ease. He needed 102 pitches to throw a complete game and sprinkled in his famous eephus curveball to keep Jays hitters off balance.
"We hit a lot of balls hard tonight," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.
"But the one thing that [Greinke] did really good, at one time, I think he was like, 19 out of 21 hitters [for] first pitch strikes. And when you do that you're gonna get people out. And that's what he did tonight."
Randal Grichuk was the lone player to break through against Greinke, cranking a 459-foot solo home run to break the shutout in the seventh inning. It was the 29-year-old's 12th homer of the year and third in the last two games.
With his strikeout rate at a career low 19.4%, Grichuk looks like a man re-born at the plate this season. His 43 RBIs rank fifth in the American League and, if he keeps up this pace, Grichuk may soon sneak himself into the All-Star conversation.
Still, nine Randal Grichuks could've hit for Toronto and it wouldn't have made a fraction of a difference in this beatdown of a series opener.
Up Next:
RHP Ross Stripling vs. RHP Jose Urquidy @ 3:07 PM ET
Stripling was knocked around in his last start against the Houston Astros, but has since made some significant changes to his delivery. The Blue Jays right-hander has allowed just one run over his last 12 innings.
Urquidy pitched seven innings against the Blue Jays on May 7, allowing four hits and two runs in a 10-4 Astros victory.
Further Reading:
Marcus Semien awarded AL Player of the Month
Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas