'He plays well when he rests.' Lee Jung-hoo explodes with three hits and a 168 km/h batted ball speed! Returns to 6th in MLB batting average... Team secures 7-0 victory over Seattle [SF Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

There is clearly value in taking a break. Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who is competing for the MLB batting title, recorded his first multi-hit game in 16 days.

On the 18th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo went 3-for-4 with two hits by pitch and two runs scored during the 2026 MLB regular-season away game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, USA, contributing to San Francisco's 7-0 victory.

As a result, Lee Jung-hoo raised his season batting average from 0.302 to 0.307, returning to 6th place in MLB batting averages. This performance washed away his recent slump of no hits in 10 at-bats. In the bottom of the second inning with two outs, Lee Jung-hoo hit a sharp line drive to left field off Seattle starting pitcher Bryce Miller's high 95.4 mph (approximately 153.5 km/h) fastball, recording an RBI single. The batted ball speed reached 97 mph (approximately 156.1 km/h), making it a clean hit.

Lee Jung-hoo recorded another hit with two outs. He powerfully drove Miller's low 94.8 mph (approximately 152.6 km/h) sinker, resulting in an RBI single that grazed the right side of second base. Seattle second baseman Cole Young struggled to field it, but the 104.3 mph (approximately 167.9 km/h) batted ball was too fast for him to handle.

After taking a brief rest with a groundout to first base in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lee Jung-hoo reached base via a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the seventh, achieving three hits in a game for the first time since June 24 against the Athletics — a span of 24 days.

Lee Jung-hoo also recorded a hit in his final at-bat. Entering the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and a runner on first, he engaged in a full-count battle with right-handed pitcher Michael Lucker over 10 pitches before driving a low outside curveball into center field for an RBI single. However, he did not score as no subsequent hits followed.

Meanwhile, San Francisco dominated the entire game with balanced pitching and hitting. Starting pitcher Landon Leup secured his seventh win of the season (with eight losses) by allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out two over six scoreless innings. He outperformed Miller, who pitched 5⅔ innings, allowed seven hits (including one home run), issued two walks (one hit-by-pitch), struck out six, and gave up three runs (two earned).

With San Francisco recording eight hits compared to Seattle's two, the Giants' Bryce Eldridge made a strong impression with four at-bats, one hit (one home run), two RBIs, one strikeout, and one run scored. In addition to Lee Jung-hoo, Casey Schmidt went 2-for-4 with one run scored, Elliott Ramos went 2-for-4, and Willie Adames went 1-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, and one run scored.

The first run came from San Francisco. In the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs and a runner on first, Eldridge drove Miller's outside splitter over the center field fence for his ninth home run of the season. In the bottom of the sixth inning with bases loaded and one out, Seattle second baseman Cole Young failed to field a ground ball hit by Luis Aráez, allowing Lee Jung-hoo, who was running from third base, to score.

San Francisco added insurance runs against reliever Nick Davia in the seventh inning. Schmidt and Ramos reached base with singles to left field, and Lee Jung-hoo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Adames then drove Davia's inside slider over the right-center field fence for his 16th home run of the season.

There were no surprises. Lee Jung-hoo added another hit in the bottom of the ninth, marking his first three-hit game since recording four hits against the Washington Nationals at home on June 9. Meanwhile, Atlanta failed to score any runs, suffering a shutout defeat.

With their third consecutive win, San Francisco improved to 42 wins and 55 losses, narrowing the gap with the San Diego Padres (48 wins, 49 losses), who are in third place in the National League West, by seven games.

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*This content was translated by AI.