Ijeonghu, known as the 'son of the wind' and active in the San Francisco Giants, led his team to victory with a comeback triple, racking up three hits and three RBIs in a one-man show.
On the 12th (Korean time), Ijeonghu started as the sixth center fielder in a home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California.
San Francisco lined up with right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, left fielder Heliot Ramos, designated hitter Rafael Devers, third baseman Matt Chapman, shortstop Willy Adames, center fielder Ijeonghu, second baseman Case Schmidt, first baseman Dominic Smith, and catcher Patrick Bailey. Ace Logan Webb took the mound.
The Dodgers started Dustin May as their starting pitcher. The lineup included designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, shortstop Mookie Betts, first baseman Freddie Freeman, catcher Will Smith, right fielder Teoscar Hernández, left fielder Michael Conforto, center fielder Andy Páez, second baseman Kim Hyesung, and third baseman Tommy Edman.
Ijeonghu struck out swinging in his first at-bat in the second inning but hit a triple over the right fielder's head in the fourth inning with one out and runners on first and second, bringing all runners home. In the fifth inning, leading 7-2 with two outs and a runner on third, he achieved a multi-hit game with an infield single, recording his third RBI.
In the seventh inning, with two outs and no runners on, Ijeonghu hit a single to center, completing his three-hit game. His batting average increased from .245 to .251.
Kim Hyesung, who played as the eighth second baseman for the Dodgers, also stood out. He had been struggling at the plate this month but made a turning point through today's game.
Kim Hyesung led off the third inning, trailing 0-1, with a single against San Francisco ace Webb and successfully stole second base. Soon after, he reached third base on Edman's groundout to first and scored on Ohtani's two-run homer.
After striking out on three pitches in the fifth inning, Kim Hyesung reached base with an infield single with two outs in the sixth, achieving his multi-hit game for the first time since 13 days after facing the Kansas City Royals on the 29th of last month. Kim Hyesung stole second but couldn't advance any further as Edman struck out to the third base.
In the eighth inning, after two outs, he recorded his third hit with a double to left field. Kim Hyesung's season batting average rose from .333 to .349, after recording three hits, one run, and two stolen bases in four at-bats.
Meanwhile, San Francisco defeated the Dodgers, 8-7. The Dodgers fell into a seven-game losing streak. The Dodgers had a chance with runners on first and second in the ninth inning, trailing by one run with one out, but had to swallow their disappointment as Smith grounded into a double play.
San Francisco starter Webb gave up six runs in 5⅓ innings but earned the win thanks to his team's offensive support. Adames led the attack with two hits, including a home run, in four at-bats with three RBIs and two runs scored alongside Ijeonghu. Bailey also achieved a multi-hit game.
Dodgers starter May allowed a staggering seven runs and hung his head in defeat. Ohtani hit his 32nd homer of the season, but the team's loss overshadowed it.
[OSEN]