San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo (27) has gone hitless for three consecutive games. That's 12 consecutive at-bats without a hit.
On Nov. 11 (Korea Standard Time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the third batter and center fielder in the away game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recording three at-bats with no hits.
Following 0 for 5 against the Chicago Cubs on Nov. 8 and 0 for 4 against Minnesota on Nov. 10, Lee Jung-hoo remains hitless for three consecutive games. His season batting average dropped from .310 to .293, and then again to .287 (43 hits in 147 at-bats) after this game. His OPS also dropped to .804.
The starting pitcher for Minnesota that day was right-hander Joe Ryan. Since debuting in Minnesota in 2021, he has recorded 91 games over five seasons (510⅓ innings) with 35 wins and 28 losses, an earned run average of 3.84, and 572 strikeouts. He has performed well with 13 wins in 2022 and 1 win in 2023. This year, he has pitched in 7 games (40 innings) with 2 wins, 2 losses, an earned run average of 2.93, and 47 strikeouts.
Lee Jung-hoo was familiar with Ryan. Ryan participated in the Tokyo Olympics as a member of the U.S. baseball team and faced Korea in the semifinals on Aug. 5, 2021. He pitched 4⅓ innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, recording 3 strikeouts, and allowing 1 run. At that time, Lee Jung-hoo, who was the third batter for the Korean team, hit a double to the right center off Ryan in the first inning and was out on a line drive to third base in the fourth inning, but he made solid contact.
Facing Ryan again on the major league stage after four years, Lee Jung-hoo was out on a fly ball to left field in his first at-bat in the first inning. He selected balls on the first and second pitches, but on the third pitch, he hit a 93.5 mph (150.5 km/h) outside fastball, which was caught by the left fielder.
In his second at-bat with one out and no runners in the fourth inning, Lee Jung-hoo grounded out to second base. After taking a high ball on the first pitch, he swung and missed at a low splitter on the second pitch. He pulled a low outside splitter on the third pitch, but hit a weak ground ball.
After Ryan pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), with no walks, 7 strikeouts, and 1 run, right-handed reliever Griffin Jax took the mound in the top of the seventh. Lee Jung-hoo, leading off the inning, selected a ball on the first pitch, swung and missed at a low changeup on the second pitch, managed to take a changeup on the third pitch, but hit a low sweeper on the fourth pitch, which was caught on a line drive by the center fielder.
The game ended with San Francisco losing 1-2, marking their second consecutive loss. Their season record is 24 wins and 16 losses (win rate .600), placing them third in the National League (NL) West. Minnesota, on a seven-game winning streak, returned to a .500 win rate with 20 wins and 20 losses.
San Francisco’s starting pitcher Logan Webb pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run), with 1 walk and 9 strikeouts while allowing 2 runs, but did not receive run support, resulting in his third loss of the season (4 wins). Elliott Ramos batted three hits, but made a critical out while attempting to steal third base with one out in the eighth inning, disrupting San Francisco’s rally.
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