Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to 18 games.
Lee started as the No. 5 hitter and right fielder in a home game against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on Friday (Korea time). He went 2-for-4 with one walk, two runs scored and one stolen base in the Major League Baseball (MLB) contest.
A day earlier, Lee had set a new record for the longest hitting streak by a Korean major leaguer, surpassing Choo Shin-soo (currently an advisor to the owner of the SSG Landers) and Kim Ha-seong (Atlanta Braves). He extended his own record by one more game.
Recording his 23rd multi-hit game of the season and his third straight game with multiple hits, Lee raised his season batting average from .335 to .338 (79 hits in 234 at-bats).
Lee maintained second place overall in MLB batting average, and his ranking could change depending on the performance of his competitors that day.
Lee, who had been on a hitting tear since the Los Angeles Dodgers game on May 15, struck out in his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning. Leading off, he swung and missed against left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin. After waging a fierce battle at the plate, fouling off four consecutive pitches at a 1-1 count, he went down swinging at a low-and-inside sinking fastball with a 2-2 count.
In his second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 0-2, he hit into an out. With one out and no runners on, he hit Griffin's low-and-outside sweeper into a groundout to second base.
The Giants' lineup was held in check by Griffin's strong pitching, falling behind 0-6 through the top of the sixth. They barely pulled within 1-6 on Matt Chapman's solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
Lee produced a hit with two outs and no runners on in the bottom of the sixth. He lifted a low curveball on the first pitch for a single to right field and reached first base. The pitch was outside the strike zone, but Lee turned it into a hit with remarkable bat skill.
Lee then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Griffin, but failed to score as the next batter, Bryce Eldridge, struck out.
Lee drew a walk in the eighth inning, with his team down 3-9. After back-to-back home runs by Chapman and Rafael Devers, Washington's right-handed reliever Paxton Schultz began to lose his command, and Lee drew a walk after a full-count battle. Lee then stole second base and scored on Daniel Susac's RBI single to left field.
Lee delivered his second hit in the ninth, the final inning, with runners on first and second and no outs, as his team trailed 7-10. Washington pulled the struggling reliever Gus Varland and brought in left-handed reliever Mitchell Parker to face Lee. At a 1-2 count, Lee pushed the fifth pitch, an outside fastball, for a single to left field.
Lee's hit set the stage for the dramatic comeback. The next batter, Eldridge, hit a grand slam to right field to end the game at 11-10.
