Pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 28 pitches in a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on opening day.
By Lee Kyoung Mi and Lee Jihae
Photos = Yonhap News
U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) players Ryu Hyun-jin and Kang Jung-ho on March 28 had stellar performances to start the 2019 season.
Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Korean pitcher to start on opening day since 2001, when Park Chan-ho did the same for the Dodgers. In the 12-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Ryu got the win by giving up just four hits and only one earned run over six innings with eight strikeouts.
In Cincinnati on March 28, Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates drove in two runs in the sixth inning with a hit against the host Reds.
At Great American Park in Cincinnati, Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates became a starter for the first time since entering MLB in 2015. In a 5-3 loss to the host Reds, the third baseman batted sixth in the lineup and went 1-3 with two RBIs.
In Miami, relief pitcher Oh Seung-hwan of the Colorado Rockies gave up a two-run homer in the ninth, but his team held on for a 6-3 win over the host Marlins.
In Tampa Bay, Choi Ji-man of the Rays made his first MLB start on opening day. The first baseman batted third in the order but went 0-4 with two strikeouts.
And in Arlington, Texas, star Choo Shin-soo of the Rangers, who was an All-Star last season and voted the team's Player of the Year, sat out the season opener, a 12-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Rangers manager Chris Woodward started in Choo's stead at designated hitter Hunter Pence reportedly because Choo has struggled against left-handed pitchers like the Cubs' Jon Lester.
km137426@korea.kr
