Dodgers loses 1-3 to Cardinals despite Ryu’s quality pitching

Despite quality pitching by Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin who returned to the mound following a shoulder problem in 24 days, the Los Angeles Dodgers has been forced to the brink of collapse.

The Dodgers lost 1-3 due to poor performance by its relief pitcher at the third game of the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals held at the Bush Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday. While trailing the Cardinals 0-1 with two strikeouts and a runner on the third base in the top of the sixth inning, the Dodgers were able to tie the score due to a timely hit to the right field by Hanley Ramirez, but its relief pitcher Scott Elbert allowed a two-run homer to eighth hitter Kolten Wong to surrender in the game.

Ryu displayed quality pitching by allowing five hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and one run during six innings. The only flaw he had was one homer he allowed to Matt Carpenter, the starting hitter in the bottom of the third inning. Ryu said, “I regret that I allowed one homer with ball count in my favor (one ball, and two strikes).” If Dale Scott, the umpire in the game on the day, had been consistent about the scope of his strike zone, Ryu could have shown even better performance.

"It was pretty amazing that a guy can be off that long and be that sharp," Mattingly said. "Having the touch and feel that he does when he uses his changeup and breaking ball and be able to look at both sides of the plate, we thought going five would be good. But really, giving us that extra inning, gave us a chance." After the game, Dodgers fans blasted the team at interviews on a local radio station in LA by saying that Dodgers spent quite a lot of money, but it did not recruit a bullpen pitcher before the closing of trade deadline.

Manager Mattingly, who faces a tough situation of one win and two losses, announced that he would field the team’s ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the losing pitcher in the first game of the series who had a three-day rest, in the fourth showdown. Kershaw has had poor performance with one win and four losses and an ERA of 5.23 overall during the post season. Kershaw is set to encounter St. Louis in a "do-or-die battle" to win the league championship for two consecutive years after last year.