'The Son of the Wind' Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) reclaimed first place in the Major League Baseball doubles institutional sector.
On the 16th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the third center fielder in the second game of the four-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, going 2 for 4 with a run batted in and one run scored.
Lee Jung-hoo, who was silent the previous day with five at-bats, no hits, and three strikeouts, struggled at the beginning of the day as well. In the first inning with two outs and no runners on, he grounded out to the first baseman against Philadelphia's left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo. In a favorable count of 2 balls-1 strike, he made contact with a high 97 mph (156 km) four-seam fastball on the fourth pitch, but it resulted in a groundout.
In the fourth inning, trailing 0-2, he went down swinging as the leadoff batter. Facing a 1 ball-2 strikes unfavorable count, he swung and missed at a fourth pitch slider that was significantly outside at 87.1 mph (140 km).
The third at-bat was different. In the sixth inning with a 2-2 tie and one out and no runners on, Lee Jung-hoo, as he stepped up, drove a slider that Luzardo left in the middle in the first pitch at 83.7 mph (134 km) for a double that landed in front of the right fielder. It was the moment he hit safely after eight at-bats.
Lee Jung-hoo hit his ninth double of the season, reclaiming first place in the Major League Baseball doubles institutional sector.
Lee Jung-hoo's on-base reached to a run. After Matt Chapman walked, in a situation with one out and runners on first and second, Lee Jung-hoo advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored during Wilmer Flores' groundout to the shortstop, breaking the 2-2 tie.
Lee Jung-hoo continued to shine. In the eighth inning, with a chance of no outs and runners on first and third while trailing 3-6, he produced an RBI hit to narrow the gap. Facing left-hander Jose Alvarado, he hit a high 100 mph (160 km) sinker after an eight-pitch battle, achieving a multi-hit game for the first time in two games since the match against the New York Yankees on the 14th.
Lee Jung-hoo's batting average rose from .322 to .333.
Lee Jung-hoo also made a strong impression defensively. In the bottom of the third inning, trailing 0-2 with one out and a runner on first, he caught a high fly ball off Kyle Schwarber's bat and made a strong throw to second base to get Bryce Harper, the runner at first base, who was trying to tag up. The local U.S. broadcasters praised Lee Jung-hoo's strong arm.
The second-place team in the National League West, San Francisco, lost 4-6 to Philadelphia, failing to achieve a three-game winning streak. They have a season record of 12 wins and 5 losses. Veteran Justin Verlander took the mound, allowing 8 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, and 4 earned runs over 5⅔ innings, suffering the loss.
On the other hand, the second-place team in the East, Philadelphia, escaped a two-game losing streak, improving their season record to 10 wins and 7 losses. Starting pitcher Luzardo left the game after 5⅓ innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 3 earned runs, while the bullpen allowed just 1 run.
The lineup turned the game around in the bottom of the sixth inning, after trailing 2-3, with clutch hits from J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm, followed by Harper's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that sealed the deal.
[OSEN]