'A record even Choo Shin-soo couldn't achieve': Lee Jung-hoo becomes the first Korean in MLB history to record five hits in a game... 11 hits in three consecutive games → batting average returns to .300 [SF Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) became the first Korean to hit five hits in a single game, returning his batting average to .300.

On the 1st (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the cleanup hitter and right fielder in an away game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, USA, during the 2026 MLB season. He went 5-for-6 with two RBIs and one run scored, delivering a powerful performance.

This marks Lee Jung-hoo's single-game record for most hits since joining the big leagues after signing a six-year, $113 million (approximately 170.3 billion won) contract with the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Furthermore, this is the most hits ever recorded by a Korean player in MLB history.

In the KBO League, the only time a player achieved five hits in a game during their second season was on August 11, 2018, in a game against the LG Twins, where they went 5-for-6. Lee Jung-hoo replicated this feat in the MLB.

After taking a brief break due to a side injury, Lee Jung-hoo made a perfect comeback. In the away series at Coors Field, he recorded 11 hits in 15 at-bats. Through this three-game series, he raised his batting average from .268 to .304 (194 at-bats, 59 hits). His on-base percentage and slugging percentage also increased from .327 and .415 to .341 and .433, respectively. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) reached .774.

Since his debut, Lee Jung-hoo has shown exceptional performance at Coors Field, posting a .488 batting average (21 hits in 43 at-bats). While Coors Field is famous as a hitter-friendly park where home runs are frequently hit, it is even more remarkable that Lee achieved this without hitting a single home run.

In the top of the first inning with two outs and runners on first and third, Lee Jung-hoo faced starting pitcher Tanner Gordon and drove a 92 mph (148.1 km/h) four-seam fastball for a two-out, one-RBI single to left-center field, giving his team an early lead.

In the top of the third inning, Lee Jung-hoo was retired on a fly ball to left field. However, in the top of the fifth inning, with his team leading 4-3, he stepped up as the leadoff hitter and crushed a 94 mph (151.3 km/h) four-seam fastball from reliever Jack Agnos. The ball, traveling at 102.5 mph (164.9 km/h), struck the center-field wall for a massive double. He later scored easily on Matt Chapman's double.

The San Francisco Giants extended their lead to 11-3 with Drew Gilbert's RBI triple, Casey Schmitt's RBI single, and Willy Adames' bases-loaded home run. After batting in order, Lee Jung-hoo returned to the plate and recorded another single to left-center field off Agnos' splitter.

In the top of the seventh inning, with one out and runners on first and second, Lee Jung-hoo added another RBI with a single to left-center field against Keegan Thompson, targeting a 91.6 mph (147.4 km/h) four-seam fastball.

In the top of the eighth inning, with the score at 17-6, Lee Jung-hoo stepped up to the plate with two outs and a runner on first base against fielder Sullivan. He hit a hit to right-center field, achieving his first five-hit game since his MLB debut. Immediately after the hit, Lee Jung-hoo was replaced by a pinch runner.

The San Francisco Giants recorded 25 hits in total, including singles, doubles, triples, and home runs, and secured a decisive 19-6 victory. They recorded hits, runs, and RBIs from every starter, thoroughly dominating the Colorado Rockies.

The San Francisco Giants, ending their five-game losing streak, maintained fourth place in the National League West with a record of 23 wins and 36 losses. The Colorado Rockies remained in last place in their division with a record of 22 wins and 38 losses.

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*This content was translated by AI.