'With' Lee Jung-hoo, 4th home run explodes → MLB batting average chase for 2nd place! Kim Ha-seong remains silent for 4 consecutive games with 2 strikeouts

*This content was translated by AI.

San Francisco Giants' "Grandson of the Wind" Lee Jung-hoo (28) showcased his sharp batting form by hitting his 4th home run of the season in a matchup against Kim Ha-seong (30, Atlanta Braves). Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong was unfortunately struck out twice and remained silent.

On the 18th (Korea time), San Francisco defeated Atlanta 7-2 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in an away game of the "2026 Major League Baseball (MLB)" series, led by Lee Jung-hoo's home run and strong pitching from starter Robbie Ray.

Today's game was suspended after the top of the 2nd inning due to bad weather the previous day (17th) and resumed from the bottom of the 2nd inning today.

Playing as the 5th hitter and right fielder for San Francisco, Lee Jung-hoo came to bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 3rd inning when his team led 3-2 but was retired on a shortstop's fly ball. However, his bat exploded in his second at-bat. Following Rafah El Devers' home run that extended the team's lead, Lee Jung-hoo stepped up to the plate and crushed Atlanta left-hander Dylan Dodd's first-pitch sinker, sending it over the right-field wall for back-to-back home runs.

Lee Jung-hoo's home run came 34 days (21 games) after his inside-the-park home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 15. In particular, this was his first home run to clear the fence since the Miami Marlins game on April 25. With this home run, San Francisco extended their lead to 5-2.

Later, Lee Jung-hoo was retired on a center field fly ball in his final at-bat of the 8th inning, finishing the day with 3 at-bats, 1 hit (1 home run), 2 RBIs, and 1 run scored. This record includes the sacrifice fly RBI he hit in the 1st inning the previous day.

Thanks to his performance today, Lee Jung-hoo succeeded in maintaining his season batting average at 0.331. At the same time, he firmly held onto the 2nd place spot in the overall MLB batting average rankings, continuing his high-level performance day after day. Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez, who failed to add an hit today, saw his batting average drop from 0.338 to 0.336.

Today, San Francisco secured a comfortable victory as reliever Robbie Ray, who made his new appearance as the second pitcher, shut down the Atlanta lineup with 6⅓ innings, 2 hits allowed, 0 earned runs, and 8 strikeouts. Devers, Lee Jung-hoo, and Willy Adames' home runs followed in succession.

On the other hand, Kim Ha-seong, who started as the 9th hitter and shortstop for Atlanta, showed a disappointing performance. Starting as the 9th hitter and shortstop, Kim Ha-seong managed only 3 at-bats with no hits, 2 strikeouts, and 1 walk, extending his hitless streak to 4 consecutive games. The walk he drew in the bottom of the 9th inning while trailing 2-7 was his only time on base.

Meanwhile, riding the momentum, Lee Jung-hoo will start as the 5th hitter and right fielder in the second game of the upcoming three-game series against Atlanta, aiming to continue his consecutive game hit streak. Kim Ha-seong was omitted from the starting lineup for the second game.

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*This content was translated by AI.