'Hit-hit-hit-hit' Lee Jung-hoo goes wild: Was the number one spot the answer? Batting average 0.313, OPS 0.833 surge [SF Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) exploded with his first four-hit game of the season. He immediately delivered his best performance of the year after returning to the number one spot in the batting order.

On the 27th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the leadoff hitter and right fielder in a 2026 MLB home game against the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, USA, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored.

Lee Jung-hoo, who had been showing strong hitting form recently with a batting average of 0.287, on-base percentage of 0.337, and slugging percentage of 0.436 for the season, significantly boosted his stats with four hits today, raising his batting average to 0.313 (31 hits in 99 at-bats), on-base percentage to 0.358, and slugging percentage to 0.475. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) reached 0.833.

This marks Lee Jung-hoo's first four-hit game of the season. Last season, he achieved this feat twice: on August 4 against the New York Mets (4-for-4) and on September 6 against the St. Louis Cardinals (4-for-5).

After struggling early in the season and dropping from the fifth to the sixth and seventh spots in the batting order, Lee Jung-hoo has recently been on a hot streak and returned to the number one spot for the first time since last month's 29th.

He started with high energy from his first at-bat. Facing opposing starter Max Meyer, he crushed a four-seam fastball clocked at 94.5 mph (approximately 152 km/h) on the first pitch. The ball traveled far to the right, hit the warning track, and bounced high. Lee Jung-hoo sprinted and easily reached third base. It was a pity that the next three batters all made outs without scoring.

Lee Jung-hoo appeared again in the bottom of the third inning with the team trailing 0-3 and one out. With a 1-1 count, he lined a slider outside the third base bag to the left, resulting in a double. Chapman reached base on a bloop single, and when Luis Aráez hit a ground ball toward first base, the shortstop fielded it and attempted to turn a double play, but the throw to first base went awry, allowing Lee Jung-hoo to score from second base.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with two outs and no runners on base, he hit a single to right field. Once again, he failed to score due to a lack of follow-up hits. Although it was a fast pitch clocked at 95.1 mph (approximately 153 km/h), he did not miss when the ball was crowded toward the plate.

The lineup came alive in the bottom of the sixth. Starting with a walk by Casey Schmidt, followed by a two-run double by Rafah El Devers and a tying two-run single by Drew Gilbert, the score became 3-3.

Andrew Nardi entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, and Lee Jung-hoo stepped up as the leadoff hitter. Once again, he swung aggressively from the first pitch. Despite a tough inside fastball from the left-handed pitcher, Lee Jung-hoo lofted it high, and it dropped perfectly between the outfielders and infielders, completing his four-hit game.

Subsequently, Chapman drew a walk, and Aráez executed a sacrifice bunt, resulting in a runner on second and third with one out. Schmidt then hit a three-run home run, allowing Lee Jung-hoo to score as well.

Lee Jung-hoo attempted to reach five hits in the bottom of the eighth but was retired on a fly ball to left field.

With a 6-3 victory, the San Francisco Giants improved to 13 wins and 15 losses, maintaining fourth place in the National League West. They trail first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by six games, second-place San Diego Padres by 5.5 games, and third-place Arizona Diamondbacks by 2.5 games. In the wild card race, they are three games behind third-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

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*This content was translated by AI.