Lee Jung-hoo, 28, of the San Francisco Giants set a new record for the longest hitting streak by a Korean major leaguer, surpassing Choo Shin-soo, now an advisor to the SSG Landers owner, and Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves.
Lee started in right field batting fifth in a home game against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday (Korea time). He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in a standout performance.
He has now hit safely in 17 consecutive games dating back to the Los Angeles Dodgers game on May 15, surpassing the previous Korean MLB record of 16 straight games set by Choo Shin-soo in 2013 and Kim Ha-seong in 2023.
Lee, who collected four hits the previous day, recorded multi-hit games in back-to-back contests, showcasing his peak form at the plate. It marked his 22nd multi-hit game this season.
Lee also raised his season batting average from .333 to .335 (77 hits in 230 at-bats), maintaining second place in the MLB batting rankings. He trails leader Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins (.341) by six points.
Lee was retired in his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning while trailing 0-2. Leading off, he grounded out to second base against Washington's left-handed starter Andrew Alvarez.
His first hit came in his second at-bat in the third inning. Coming to the plate with two outs and a runner on first, Lee challenged a call when Alvarez's high sinking fastball was ruled a strike and drew a ball. He then worked a favorable 3-1 count and pulled Alvarez's fifth-pitch outside fastball for a single to right.
He did not score, as the hitters behind him went quiet. Lee got his second hit in his third at-bat in the fifth inning while trailing 0-3. With one out and runners on first and third, he drove an RBI double down the right-field line against right-handed reliever Brad Lord. He deftly hit a difficult low inside fastball on a full count for the hit. Both the runners on first and third scored on the play.
In his third at-bat in the seventh inning with one out, trailing 2-5, he grounded out to the pitcher after a full-count battle. In his final at-bat in the ninth inning, with the deficit at 2-6, he grounded out to first base. With one out, he hit a hard ground ball to the right side, but the opposing first baseman stopped it. Despite Lee's performance, San Francisco lost 3-6.
