'The Wind's Grandson' Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) heightened his presence by hitting a home run in 'The Windy City.'
On the 7th (Korea time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the third batter and center fielder in the away game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. He swung a hot bat with three hits from six at-bats, including his fourth home run of the season, leading San Francisco to a 14-5 victory in extra innings.
In the second at-bat of the third inning with one out and a runner on first base, Lee Jung-hoo hit a high four-seam fastball at 93.9 mph (151.1 km/h) from Cubs right-handed starter Colin Rea into right field, clearing the fence. The two-run homer traveled 385 feet (117.3 m) at a velocity of 105.4 mph (169.6 km/h) with an angle of 24 degrees. This was his fourth home run of the season, marking his first home run in 22 games since the multi-homer game against the New York Yankees on the 14th. He also broke a nine-game streak of no extra-base hits.
In the seventh inning, Lee Jung-hoo achieved a multi-hit game with a single against right-handed Brad Keller. In the 11th inning, he hit a crucial RBI single against right-handed Ryan Pressly, sealing the game. As of that day, Lee Jung-hoo's season statistics include a batting average of .312 over 36 games (43 hits in 138 at-bats), with four home runs and 23 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .364, a slugging percentage of .507, and an OPS of .871.
San Francisco's exclusive broadcast partner, NBC Sports Bay Area, also named Lee Jung-hoo as the star player of the game during the postgame show. Host Laura Britt noted, 'Lee Jung-hoo hit a two-run homer in the third inning that gave us a 4-0 lead. Considering the strong lineup of the Cubs, it was indeed a huge hit. Lee has been consistently hitting well, with hits in 29 of the 36 games this season.'
Journalist Alex Pavlovich added, 'There are some interesting points. Hitting home runs at Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field still holds significance. Lee Jung-hoo has hit home runs at both venues in the past month. He is conquering these big ballparks one by one,' referring to the significance of his home runs at major market teams' home fields, including the recent multi-homer game at Yankee Stadium on the 14th.
Pavlovich also noted, 'Another point is that tomorrow (the 8th) will be Lee Jung-hoo's 37th game of the season. Last year, he only played 37 games due to shoulder surgery, but this year he has shown tremendous growth. His slugging percentage has increased from .331 to .507, ranking 13th in the National League (NL). He may not look it based on his physique, but he hits a lot of doubles and has hit several home runs in away games. There's speculation on why the team struggles against left-handed pitchers, but there has been no issue for Lee throughout the season.'
Britt stated, 'It seems there are fans of Lee Jung-hoo in Chicago as well. Everyone likes him; it's hard not to like him.' She added, 'There's another aspect I want to discuss. During spring training, there was a lot of buzz when manager Bob Melvin moved Lee Jung-hoo from the leadoff spot to the third batting order. I was curious about how it would play out, but looking at it now, it seems to fit very well with San Francisco.'
Then, Ron Watters, senior advisor of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, joined in praising Lee Jung-hoo. Watters, a former infielder who served as the franchise's longest-tenured coach for 24 years until 2021, is also an analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area and has not held back in his compliments for Lee.
Watters noted, 'Lee Jung-hoo does things that other players on the team don't do. He has more walks than strikeouts and is likely to create balls in play. While Lamonte Wade Jr. is also good as the third batter, he has more strikeouts than walks.' He added, 'Moving Lee to the third spot was a good decision. The offensive power has definitely improved since moving him to the third spot.'
'Lee Jung-hoo, who makes contact to generate balls in play, can advance runners. Overall, he plays defense well, can steal bases, and can throw well. The important thing is his ability to make contact with the ball. That's what we want. There are many cases where a run cannot be scored with a runner on third base due to a strikeout, but that is not the case for Lee. That is why Lee Jung-hoo is a great acquisition,' he praised highly.
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