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Ryu becomes Dodgers’ third 11-game winner

July 21, 2014

Snaps Pirates’ six-game winning streak with newly developed cut fastball

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-Jin (99) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh Monday, July 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-Jin (99) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh Monday, July 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By Lee Kyutae

Ryu Hyun-Jin pitched seven strong innings to win his 11th game of the season on Monday night.

Ryu (11-5) joined Zack Greinke (11-6) and Clayton Kershaw (11-2) in making the Los Angeles Dodgers the first team in the majors with three 11-game winners by snapping the Pittsburgh Pirates’ six-game home winning streak. The left-hander allowed two runs and five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. 

Adrian Gonzalez reached base five times and the Dodgers (56-45)  won the game 5-2 over the Pirates (52-47).

Ryu revealed after the game that he has learned a new pitch — a cut fastball — from pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, and it’s become his new strikeout pitch. “It’s great at getting the hitters to swing and miss,” he said.

A cut fastball is a pitch similar to a slider in as sense it breaks to the pitcher’s glove side. It doesn’t break as much, but gets to the plate faster and the late action makes it difficult to hit.