'Son of the Wind' Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) overcame the pain of being demoted to 7th for the first time this season, contributing to the team's escape from a four-game losing streak with a walk and a go-ahead run.
On the 20th (Korea time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the 7th center fielder in the third game of the interleague series against the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, where he recorded 2 at-bats, no hits, 1 walk, and 1 run.
The day before, Lee Jung-hoo fell from 6th to 7th in the lineup, his first demotion of the season. His first at-bat resulted in a groundout. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with one out and a runner on first, he met Cleveland starter right-hander Gavin Williams and batted a ground ball to second base, helping the runner Casey Schmitt advance to second base. He hit a 91.8 mph (147 km/h) cutter, which was served up on the fourth pitch in a favorable count of 2B-1S.
In his second at-bat, misfortune came as a well-hit ball was stopped by a great defensive play. It was the bottom of the 4th inning, with 2 outs and no runners on, trailing 0-1. After watching the first pitch from Williams as a ball, he properly attacked the second pitch, a 94.7 mph (152 km/h) four-seam fastball down the middle, but it ended up as a ground ball to first base due to a fantastic diving catch by first baseman Carlos Santana.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, still trailing 0-1, Lee Jung-hoo successfully got on base for the first time with no outs and a runner on first. He drew a straight walk against right-hander Matt Festa, marking his return to base after two games since facing Cleveland on the 18th.
Lee Jung-hoo's walk led to a turnaround. Patrick Bailey's sacrifice bunt helped Schmitt and Lee advance, and pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores hit a two-run double down the left-field line against new pitcher Nick Enright. Schmitt scored to tie the game, and Lee Jung-hoo was responsible for the go-ahead run.
Lee Jung-hoo's season batting average dropped from .261 to .259.
The second-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West defeated Cleveland 2-1, escaping from a four-game losing streak. Their season record stands at 42 wins and 33 losses.
Starter Logan Webb secured his 7th win of the season (5 losses) with a quality start plus, throwing 7 innings, allowing 7 hits, with no walks, 9 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. Randy Rodriguez (1 inning, no earned runs) and Camilo Doval (1 inning, no earned runs) followed, with Doval earning his 11th save of the season.
On the other hand, the second-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central had their three-game winning streak snapped, bringing their record to 37 wins and 36 losses. Starter Williams pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, struck out 6, and no earned runs, but fell victim to the bullpen's struggles and missed the win. Leadoff hitter Steven Kwan's performance of 3 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 run scored also went unrewarded in defeat.
San Francisco will face the Boston Red Sox at home for a weekend three-game series starting on the 21st. The matchup on the first day features Hayden Birdsong (San Francisco) against Hunter Dobbins (Boston).
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