Hyun-jin Ryu starts the first game of the LNDS with the Dodgers against Clayton Kershaw

LOS ANGELES – Hyun-jin Ryu has had a rebirth season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his best campaign in two years, after wiping injuries to the shoulder and elbow. He still looks like the pitcher of the big games he played in his first two seasons in the majors.

"The guys who know how to throw in big games, they order baseball. They do not fight, they do not walk guys, "said director Dave Roberts. "We see him every time he takes baseball, he's under control. His ability to hit three or four different terrains, he gets left-handed and vigilante, and again does not fight, does not create unnecessary traffic, he does a great job in this direction. "

Ryu has been fantastic for the Dodgers this season, with only 15 out of 15 starts and a 1.97 ERA.

"He just knows how to throw. He has four throws, he commands the ball, he throws it to the four corners. He has the ability to change gears, to strike where he wants, to develop when he wants to develop, "said third baseman Justin Turner. "It has been really special this year. He has prepared an exceptional season for us. It's unfortunate that he's hurting his groin and being forced to shut up for a few months, otherwise we could talk about him for the Cy Young Award. "

Ryu at Dodger Stadium posted a tiny ERA of 1.15, allowing no race in five of his nine starts at home.

Ryu was even better with a time of 1.69 in his last seven starts, including 30 strikeouts against just three goals in September. This late build-up, as well as maintaining the order of rotation, led Ryu to take the surprise start of the first game against the Atlanta Braves, ahead of a rested Clayton Kershaw, which the Dodgers did not do since 2009.

The move was so unexpected that Ryu received the news from Kershaw himself on Tuesday when both men were working at Dodger Stadium.

"I'm obviously a little nervous, but I think it's a good thing," Ryu said. "I would like to channel this nervousness towards something good tomorrow and hope that I will succeed well."

Doing well was the norm for Ryu in 2013-14, after signing a $ 36 million six-year deal with the Dodgers, who won the call for bids for his display rights. Hanwha Eagles in the Korean Baseball Organization.

He had a 3.17 ERA in 56 starts in the first two seasons with a Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) of 2.97, ranked 11th in the majors. But then came the wounds. It was all about an intervention to repair a torn labrum at the left shoulder in 2015. This limited it to only one beginning in 2016, after which it missed the rest of the year with tendonitis of the elbow and undergoes arthroscopic operation of the elbow after the season.

Ryu had a good recovery in 2017, posting a 3.77 ERA in 24 starts, but was not selected. He is now starting the first game of the year in the playoffs for the Dodgers.

"I know that he really wanted to make a statement and finish in the rotation," Roberts said.

"I have been a similar pitcher since my first two years," Ryu said. "I guess the only difference is that I know more about the league and the players, and having this experience under my belt really helps me."

His first major league playoff start was short, scoring four points in just three innings of the 2013 NHLL, after confessing that his nerves had won out. But in his next two starts in the playoffs, he gave only one point in 13 innings. The last start – a six-run Cardinals heat in the 2014 NHLDS – was remarkable because it was Ryu's first start in 24 days, returning from an inflamed left shoulder without any re-education.

But it's Ryu, who walks at his own pace. He does not throw chips between starts, tactic that has served him well at the KBO. He has been seven times the team's best player in seven seasons and has won five titles in the playoffs.

"We talked about Hyun-jin's ability to have many weapons, to bring out left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters. It has been very consistent this season, "said Roberts. "He's as fit as I've ever seen, so it's only the next progression, and he's ready for that moment."

"I'll go all the way from the first run of the first run," Ryu said. "Make sure my work is done as a starting pitcher and that the team is in the position where they can win."