'Lee Jung-hoo's leadoff RBI single' topples ace with 14 wins and 2.51 ERA! Korean national team teammate Shai Whitcomb makes SF debut... team snaps four-game losing streak [SF Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) broke through against a top-tier National League pitcher and led his team to victory.

On the 25th (Korea time), Lee Jung-hoo started at third base and designated hitter in the home game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, recording one hit and one RBI in four at-bats.

As a result, Lee Jung-hoo's season batting average dipped slightly from 0.289 to 0.288. The opponent was no pushover. Cincinnati's right-handed starting pitcher Chase Burns had been dominating the Reds with 14 wins and two losses in 24 games, a 2.51 ERA, and 159 strikeouts prior to this game.

However, Lee Jung-hoo targeted Burns from his first at-bat. With the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the first inning and no outs with runners on first and second, Lee Jung-hoo lined a leadoff RBI single into center field off Burns' 89.7 mph (about 144.4 km/h) slider. The fast-hit ball at 93.8 mph (about 151 km/h) allowed third baseman Drew Gilbert to easily score from third base.

Lee Jung-hoo also attempted to score on Turner Hill's RBI double that struck the right-field wall, but he was thrown out at home plate on a precise relay play involving left fielder JJ Blidey, second baseman Matt McLain, and catcher Jose Trevino.

Lee Jung-hoo failed to produce any further hits afterward. In the bottom of the second with two outs, he grounded a line drive straight to center field for an out. Coming up as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fifth, he was retired on a ground ball to second base. In his final at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, he battled Cincinnati closer Emilio Pagan but was eventually caught in a fly ball to left field.

A familiar face to Korean baseball fans also started alongside Lee Jung-hoo. Korean-American infielder Shai Whitcom, who helped South Korea reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this March, made his San Francisco debut as the seventh hitter and third baseman. Whitcomb, called up from Triple-A Sacramento that day, went hitless in three at-bats with one strikeout over a full game.

However, the San Francisco Giants secured a 5-0 shutout victory over Cincinnati thanks to Rafael Devers' performance of two hits (one home run) and three RBIs in four at-bats, along with two runs scored.

After Lee Jung-hoo and Hill's consecutive RBI singles gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead, Devers crushed a 97.9 mph four-seam fastball with two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the second inning, sending it over the left-center field wall. The hit traveled at 108.9 mph (about 175.3 km/h) for a distance of 427 feet (about 130 meters), marking his 27th home run of the season—a three-run shot that instantly made the score 5-0.

Burns was ultimately pulled early after allowing nine hits (one home run), one walk, and five earned runs over 3⅔ innings, taking on his third loss of the season (now 14 wins). San Francisco starting pitcher Carson Weisenhunter had been pitching scorelessly for 2⅔ innings with two hits allowed, one walk, and three strikeouts, but was replaced by Jason Foley after experiencing discomfort in his left arm during the game.

Foley earned his first win of the season with a perfect outing, striking out three batters over 1⅓ innings. Afterward, Labor San Martin (one inning), Ryan Walker (two innings), Carson Seymour (one inning), and Dylan Smith (one inning) combined for scoreless relief to lead the Giants to snap their four-game losing streak.

With this win, the San Francisco Giants maintained fourth place in the National League West with 53 wins and 78 losses. The Cincinnati Reds remained in last place in the National League Central with 62 wins and 70 losses.

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*This content was translated by AI.