Lee Jung-hoo Like hitting a home run with Kim Daeyu

Lee Jung-hoo contributed to his team's 9-6 victory by starting as the first hitter and center fielder in the third consecutive game of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) San Diego at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on the 31st (Korea time).

Lee Jung-hoo, who had one hit and one RBI in three times at bat and two hits and one RBI in five times at bat in the previous two games, continued his hit streak for three consecutive games with his first home run on the day. His batting average and on-base percentage fell slightly from 0.375 to 0.364 and from 0.333 to 0.308, respectively, while his slugging percentage rose from 0.375 to 0.636.

Lee made several sharp hits in the previous two games. In particular, he surprised many people by batting more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour. This is why San Francisco has been paying attention to Lee for a long time.

However, Lee suffered from bad luck until the middle of the game on the day. Lee hit a strong pitch against San Diego starter Siz at his first at-bat in the top of the first inning. He hit Siz's fastball with a ball count of one ball and one strike. However, shortstop Kim Ha-sung, who was standing near the second base, moved quickly and snatched the ball, and filled the out count with a throw to the first base. The pitch was fast enough to reach 98.5 miles per hour, but Kim displayed outstanding pitching.

A similar scene was seen in Lee's second at bat. Coming out as a lead-off batter in the top of the third inning, Lee continued to lead the game to a full count, teasing the pitcher and hitting him with a six-pitch fastball. Again, the ball escaped to the side of the pitcher, but Kim Ha-sung stably made a catch and delivered the ball to the first base. The speed of the ball hit was whopping 104.4 miles per hour (about 168 kilometers).

Lee Jung-hoo, who was blocked twice by Kim Ha-sung's defense, failed to make a hit in his third at-bat due to his defense. Entering the batter's box with runners on the second and third bases with one out in the top of the fifth inning with his team leading 2-0, Lee pulled the slider on the fifth pitch. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. followed him near the fence and snatched the ball. Meanwhile, third baseman Murphy stepped home. Lee had to be satisfied with two consecutive RBIs.

Lee could have been frustrated as he was blocked by defense three times, not just once, but he never let up. When Lee met left-handed pitcher Tom Costrove with one out in the top of the eighth inning with his team leading 3-1, Lee swung his bat at the sweeper with three pitches at the count of one ball and one strike, and the ball flew over the right fence. It was the moment when Lee hit his first home run since his debut in the big league. The flying distance measured 406 feet (about 124 meters) and the batting speed 104.4 miles (168 kilometers) per hour. Lee was welcomed back by his teammates and returned to the dugout.

The person who was as happy as the player himself was coach Lee Jong-beom. While watching the game from the stand, Lee jumped up from his seat and clapped, smiling, and shared joy with his friends. Local broadcasters kept mentioning Lee's first home run since the eighth inning, and paid attention to Lee's home run in the U.S. as well.

What's more important is that San Francisco's batters exploded after Lee Jung-hoo hit a homer. In the top of the eighth inning, Wilmer Flores' timely hit and Michael Confoto's grand slam scored as many as six runs in an inning. San Diego tied the game with three runs with two home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it was not enough to overcome the gap.

Since Lee Jung-hoo's homerun, the camera has frequently shown Lee Jung-hoo until the end of the game. Local broadcasters have also repeatedly emphasized that Lee Jung-hoo hit the first homerun since his debut in the big league.

NBC Sports, a U.S. media outlet, said, "Just a few swings at the camp were enough for the San Francisco Giants to feel that Lee Jung-hoo looked like his idol, Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro had a natural ability to send balls toward the fence when needed," adding, "In the first few days (of the spring camp), Lee Jung-hoo's ball flew out of the right fence at Scottsdale Stadium. San Francisco wanted Lee to show more punchy power than many people thought, and that power came from the game."

"This home run was the 'highlight' of the game filled with Lee Jung-hoo, and teammates also acknowledged this after the game ended with a 9-6 victory. Confoto hit a grand slam and pitcher Jordan Hicks (who moved ahead of this season) got off to a smooth start, but it was Lee Jung-hoo who was soaked in a beer shower," he said after the game.

"Lee Jung-hoo started the big inning with his first big league home run, which flew 406 feet to right field at 104.4 miles per hour," the official major league website MLB.com said. "Lee Jung-hoo pointed his finger to the stands as soon as he turned around the base, and his family, including his father, "KBO League Legend" Lee Jong-beom, shared their joy by clenching their fists and sharing hugs."

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin praised Lee's homer, saying, "He was quite a left-handed pitcher who could not afford to hit his first homer. Overall, he has been impressive." Given that the Cosgrove was hit by Lee on the left-handed side, the coach thinks Lee's first homer was even greater.

"I never thought about home runs," Lee said in an interview with Korean media including Yonhap News after the game. "I was an unfamiliar type of pitcher (about Cosgrove), but there are similar types of pitchers in Korea, only with different ball speeds. I think I hit well against (Kim) Dae-yu (KIA Tigers). I hit two home runs, and that's how I felt about going to bat."

Lee Jung-hoo was right in his memory. In his showdown with Kim from 2017 to last year, Lee had no hit in one at-bats in 2017, one hit and one RBI in five at-bats in 2021, two hits (one homer) and three RBIs in three at-bats in 2022, and one hit in one at-bats (one homer) last year.

BY: 토토사이트