Having suffered the embarrassment of being demoted to 7th after already dropping to 6th, there was no major turnaround. Lee Jung-hoo, known as the 'son of the wind,' who was once even mentioned as a National League All-Star candidate, finds himself in a major crisis this season.
On the 20th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the 7th center fielder in the third game of the three-game interleague series against the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California for the 2025 Major League Baseball season, recording 0 hits in 2 at-bats, 1 walk, and 1 run.
His first at-bat was a ground out. In the bottom of the second inning with the score tied at 0-0, he faced Cleveland's starting right-hander Gavin Williams with one out and a runner on first base, hitting a ground ball to second base that helped 1st base runner Casey Schmidt advance to second base. On a favorable count of 2 balls and 1 strike, he hit a 91.8 mph (147 km/h) cutter that was over the plate on the 4th pitch.
In his second at-bat, a well-hit ball was thwarted by a great defensive play. In the bottom of the fourth inning, trailing 0-1 with two outs and no runners on base, after watching the first pitch from Williams as a ball, he managed to hit the second pitch, a 94.7 mph (152 km/h) four-seam fastball that was over the plate, but it resulted in a ground out when first baseman Carlos Santana made an incredible diving catch.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, still trailing 0-1, Lee Jung-hoo successfully reached base for the first time with no outs and a runner on first base. He drew a straight walk against right-hander Matt Festa, marking his first time on base in two games since the match against Cleveland on the 18th.
Lee Jung-hoo's walk led to a comeback. Patrick Bailey helped Schmidt and Lee Jung-hoo advance with a sacrifice bunt, and pinch hitter Wilmer Flores hit a two-run double down the left field line against the new pitcher Nick Enright, bringing Schmidt home to score the tying run and Lee Jung-hoo responsible for the go-ahead run.
However, Lee Jung-hoo remained hitless for the second consecutive game, dropping his batting average from .261 to .259 for the season. Bob Melvin, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, attempted a shock therapy by using Lee Jung-hoo, who has consistently batted in the middle of the lineup and leadoff throughout the season, as the 6th hitter the previous day and as the 7th hitter today, but there was no major turnaround.
Lee Jung-hoo's batting average for June is quite poor at .185 (10 hits in 54 at-bats). His on-base percentage of .318 and slugging percentage of .352 are not suitable for a superstar worth $113 million (about 155.5 billion won).
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants, ranked 2nd in the National League West, defeated Cleveland 2-1, breaking a four-game losing streak. Their record stands at 42 wins and 33 losses. Starting pitcher Logan Webb earned his 7th win of the season (5 losses) with a quality start plus performance, pitching 7 innings, allowing 7 hits, no walks, striking out 9, and giving up 1 earned run.
On the other hand, the Cleveland Guardians, who were attempting a three-game winning streak, fell to 2nd place in the American League Central with a record of 37 wins and 36 losses. Starting pitcher Williams pitched 6 innings with 2 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, and no earned runs, but the poor bullpen cost them the win. Leadoff hitter Steven Kwan's 3 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 run scored also failed to shine in defeat.
The San Francisco Giants will host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game weekend series starting on the 21st. The first day's matchup is anticipated to be between Hayden Birdsong (San Francisco) and Hunter Dobbins (Boston).
Lee Jung-hoo's career statistics against Boston show 1 hit in 12 at-bats over 3 games, resulting in a batting average of .083. As he faces this new three-game series, a significant turnaround is necessary.
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