"I thought the stuff was good" — Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts praises debutant River Ryan's major league start helping club win 4th straight game
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers had debutant River Ryan on the mound as they started their four-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Ryan didn't disappoint, as he pitched 5.1 innings for just one run in a close 3-2 victory for LA.
This was the Dodgers' fourth straight victory since the All-Star break. They swept the Boston Red Sox, and now they have won the first game of this series against the Giants. Ryan's debut and Teoscar Hernandez's three RBIs were enough to see the Dodgers home.
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was impressed with the debutant's performance and said he checked a lot of boxes.
"I think it was good to kind of have some expectation on how he was going to compose himself and then it to play out as such, I thought the stuff was good,” Roberts said of Ryan's debut. "I thought he was very efficient. He was attacking. I love that."
Earlier this week, the Dodgers made a surprising move, sending veteran hurler James Paxton for assignment. With many of their starters returning from injury, the club felt to make this move. Clayton Kershaw will pitch his first major league game of this year on Thursday.
River Ryan feels "great" after his debut vs. the Giants
On Monday, MLB's No. 4 prospect River Ryan showed why he is rated so highly in the minors. Against the Giants, Ryan showed his high-90s fastball with a slider, changeup and curveball to dazzle hitters.
"It was great,” Ryan said postgame. “There were definitely a lot of emotions up and down all day, but I spent some time with the Lord earlier today, definitely prayed when I got to the mound and helped me calm my nerves. It was an experience, for sure.”
River Ryan pitched in the sixth for the first time in his professional career. However, fatigue set in, and Dave Roberts made a pitching change. As Ryan walked to the dugout, he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
"It was great,” Ryan said with a smile. “Ground starts to shake a little bit when everybody gets loud. That was really fun to be a part of."
With the win, the Dodgers improved to 60-41 and will play their next game on Tuesday with Landon Knack is expected to take the mound.