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Angels don’t have a prayer against Ryu

August 8, 2014

Pitches 7 scoreless innings against the Angels to earn 13th win of the season

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)

The Angels just cannot solve Ryu Hyun-jin’s pitching.

By Lee Kyutae

The Los Angeles Angels didn’t have a prayer against Ryu Hyun-jin. The second highest-scoring team in the entire Major League has yet to score once against the Korean left-hander in over 16 innings.

The 27-year-old starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Angels for seven innings to earn his 13th victory of the season Thursday night. The Dodgers won the game 7-0, to take the Freeway Series for the first time since 2006.

Ryu faced only 25 batters, and the Angels could only manage two hits and one walk, which actually is an improvement over last year.

Ryu’s only complete game shutout — a two-hitter — in the majors came against the Angels on May 28, 2013.

The Angels have only managed to get four hits and zero runs against Ryu.

Ryu lowered his earned-run average (ERA) from 3.39 to 3.21, as he improved to 13-5 for the year. Ryu went 14-8 in his rookie season last year, and he should be able to get about eight more starts.

Ryu is tied with Clayton Kershaw (13-2) for the most wins on the team, and tied for third in the National League (NL).

With the victory, the NL-leading Dodgers (65-60) extended their division lead to 3.5 games over the San Francisco Giants (62-53).

The Angels (67-47) managed just two runs on eight hits in the final 24 innings of the series, falling three games behind the Oakland A’s (70-44) in their division.

He is expected to start next against the Atlanta Braves Aug. 13.