South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched his 10th win in his rookie Major League Baseball (MLB) season on Friday, becoming the first South Korean player in the big league to achieve the landmark in his debut season.
   
The 26-year-old left-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs and 11 hits, and struck out six batters against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers claimed a 6-2 victory against the Cubs.
   
Ryu earned his first victory in Major League Baseball (MLB) in April.
   
Ryu spent the previous seven seasons with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Eagles then agreed to post him for a silent auction in the MLB, and the Dodgers won the bid to negotiate with the pitcher.
   
Ryu in December signed a six-year, US$36 million contract with the Dodgers. Ryu, who had been one of the KBO's most dominant starting pitchers, is the first South Korean player to jump directly from the South Korean league to the majors. (Yonhap News)