Lee Jung-hoo, who has consistently been the center batter for the San Francisco Giants, is showcasing a strong presence even after moving to the lead-off position.
On the 12th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the lead-off center fielder in the second game of the three-game away series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, and played a significant role in the team's 10-7 comeback victory with 1 hit in 3 at-bats, 2 walks, and 3 runs scored. He served as the lead-off for two consecutive games, hitting a triple in both games, and also showed good plate discipline by drawing 2 walks in this game. All three of Lee's on-base appearances resulted in consolidation.
He successfully reached base from his first at-bat. He appeared as the lead-off batter in the first inning and drew a walk after 5 pitches against Colorado's starting left-hander Kyle Freeland. He then scored on Willy Adames' two-run homer, marking his 38th run of the season.
With a 2-0 lead, Lee came to bat again as the lead-off in the third inning and hit a triple. After getting ahead in the count at 2 balls and no strikes against Freeland, he pulled a 92.1 mph (148 km/h) four-seam fastball sharply, sending the ball past the first baseman. Utilizing his speed, Lee reached third base, marking his fourth triple of the season and second consecutive game with a triple. He also scored during Adames' sacrifice fly.
In the fifth inning, trailing 3-4, Lee again led off but failed to connect properly with Freeland's 88.4 mph (142 km/h) cutter, resulting in a pop-out to left field.
His fourth at-bat ended poorly. In the seventh inning, while trailing 3-6 and with one out and a runner on first, he watched the first pitch from right-hander Juan Mehía for a ball, and hit a well-placed 95.2 mph (153 km/h) four-seam fastball on the second pitch. However, the line drive went right into Mehía's glove, and the runner on first, Daniel Johnson, was forced out, ending the inning.
In the ninth inning, ahead 7-6, Lee came to bat again as the lead-off and drew a walk after a full count against right-hander Jack Agnos, achieving his third on-base appearance. This time, he also contributed to a score. After moving to third base on Adames' double, he scored on Flores' sacrifice fly.
With one additional hit, Lee's batting average for the season slightly improved from .274 to .275.
This season, Lee Jung-hoo has participated in a league-high 50 games as the third batter, recording a batting average of .275, 5 home runs, 28 RBIs, 30 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .326, a slugging percentage of .445, and an OPS of .771. He also played as the second batter in 6 games and as the fourth batter in 4 games, but since the game against Colorado on the 11th, he has taken the lead-off position and achieved a batting average of .250, 5 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .400, a slugging percentage of .750, and an OPS of 1.150 in these two games.
Although the sample size is small, Lee Jung-hoo is proving to be an asset to the team regardless of his position in the batting order, be it in the middle of the lineup or as a table setter. His contact, speed, and plate discipline are truly impeccable.
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