Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) returned to the lineup after overcoming back pain (after 11 days) and delivered a ferocious night at the plate.
On the 30th (Korean time) at Coors Field in Denver, Lee started in right field and batted sixth against the Colorado Rockies. He went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. The performance extended his hitting streak to six games and lifted his season average from .268 to .283. It was his second game of the season with at least four hits.
After grounding out to first with one out in the top of the second, Lee attacked the Colorado pitching from his second at-bat on. In the top of the fourth, with one out and a runner on first in a 1-1 game, he ripped a sharp single to right to put runners at the corners, and he later scored on a sacrifice fly and Harrison Bader’s hit, using his speed to beat the throw home.
Lee’s hot bat didn’t cool. He led off the sixth with a single to left, and he led off the eighth as well, driving a ball to left to laced a double. San Francisco cashed in on the opportunity and pushed the lead to 4-1. With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth — the Giants already ahead 6-3 — Lee added another single to right to complete his four-hit game.
He was a force in the field, too. In the bottom of the fourth, with two outs and a runner on third, Lee chased down Kyle Caros’ would-be double and slammed into the fence to make the catch. In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs and runners on second and third and the lights momentarily in his eyes, he slid to snare Troy Johnston’s liner and ended the threat.
But San Francisco’s bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Closer Caleb Killian unraveled in the ninth, allowing Hunter Goodman to hit a three-run, game-tying homer with one out and runners on first and third, then surrendering a walk-off two-run home run to Ezequiel Tovar. The Giants fell 6-8 in a painful comeback loss, dropping their fourth straight despite Lee’s big night.
Elsewhere, Korean major leaguers had mixed results.
Sung Seong-mun (29, San Diego Padres), who had missed the previous four games, entered the contest against the Washington Nationals in the top of the eighth as a pinch-runner and remained in as a defensive replacement at second base. He did not get a plate appearance. His season average stayed at .190, and the Padres snapped their four-game slide with a 7-5 win.
Ha-seong Kim (30, Atlanta Braves), mired in a severe slump, was left off the starting lineup for the second straight game against the Cincinnati Reds. Since returning from injury he is 2-for-42 (.095) over 12 games. Jorge Mateo filled in at shortstop and responded with two RBIs and two runs scored as Atlanta collected 13 hits in an 8-3 victory. The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Kim Hye-seong to the minors.
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