A Los Angeles Dodgers team in desperate need of pitching got an encouraging start from one of their top prospects Monday night.
River Ryan threw 5 1/3 one-run innings in a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in his MLB debut. The run he did allow was unearned, courtesy of a passed ball by catcher Will Smith in the fourth inning. It was a strong effort from the 25-year-old right-hander whom the Dodgers called up to bolster a rotation depleted by injury.
It added up to more good news after manager Dave Roberts announced on Saturday that starters Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow are scheduled to return this week from injuries. Both are scheduled to pitch this week to cap the four-game series against the Giants.
Ryan allowed a leadoff walk to Jorge Soler then allowed a single to LaMonte Wade Jr. But he got out of the first unscathed before a 1-2-3 effort in the second.
Ryan painted then painted the outside corner with a 97 mph fastball to get Tyler Fitzgerald looking for his first MLB strikeout.
That effort led off his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning.
Wade walked to lead off the fourth and advanced to third base on a single and a groundout. He then scored on Smith’s passed ball to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Ryan then struck out Mike Yastrzemski swinging with a 94 mph cutter to end the inning.
Ryan pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth on three groundouts and came back out for the sixth, where he allowed two singles before being pulled with one out. Neither of the baserunners scored, and Ryan finished his night without allowing an earned run.
His final line: 5 1/3 innings pitched, 1 run allowed (zero earned), four hits allowed, three walks and two strikeouts on 72 pitches. He maxed out at 97 mph on his four-seam fastball while featuring a six-pitch arsenal that includes a curveball, sinker, cutter, changeup and slider.
When he was done, the Dodgers home crowd gave him a standing ovation. The outing was the longest by a Dodgers starter since July 5. It was the first time in his professional career (45 starts in three minor league seasons) that Ryan pitched into the sixth inning.
He didn’t pick up the win, but the Dodgers did to improve to 60-41 with their fourth straight win since the All-Star break.
Ryan joined the rotation Monday one of the Dodgers’ most promising prospects. MLB.com ranks him as the franchise’s No. 4 prospect. The Athletic rated him as the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball in the spring.
Ryan played four seasons as a two-way player at UNC Pembroke and was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 11th round of the 2021 draft. The Dodgers traded for him in 2022, and he’s climbed in the prospect rankings in three seasons of minor league ball.
With Kershaw and Glasnow returning, it’s not clear how long Ryan will remain with the club. But his start provided confidence to a Dodgers team that’s been stretched to find pitching amid long-term injuries to multiple pitchers including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Brusdar Graterol and Dustin May.
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