After 13 plate appearances, the silence was broken! Lee Jung-hoo smashes a clutch two-run double with a 'thud'—striding steadily toward a .300 batting average... Batting average rises to 0.283

*This content was translated by AI.

San Francisco Giants' "Grandson of the Wind," Lee Jung-hoo (28), shattered his frustrating silence with a powerful hit. Recently sidelined from the starting lineup due to lingering injuries and severe hitting slumps, he made an immediate impact as a pinch hitter, launching a decisive two-run double in his first at-bat and signaling his comeback. With that precious hit after 13 plate appearances, he boosted his season batting average to 0.283, reinvigorating his march toward the "dream .300" mark.

On the 4th (Korea time), Lee Jung-hoo appeared as a substitute in an away game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, recording one hit in two at-bats with one RBI.

Lee Jung-hoo did not make the starting lineup for this game, likely due to coaching adjustments following his recent string of hitless plate appearances. The critical opportunity came for Lee Jung-hoo, who had been watching from the dugout, in the bottom of the 7th inning with the team trailing 0-4.

San Francisco found themselves in a prime scoring situation with no outs and runners on first and second base due to early baserunners. The bench immediately selected Lee Jung-hoo as a pinch hitter for Andrew Knizner. Despite the high-pressure situation, Lee Jung-hoo's bat swung sharply. Facing right-handed reliever Christian Curtis, he connected solidly on the first pitch (95.5 mph four-seam fastball) located inside, driving a sharp two-run double down the right-field line.

He easily scored runner Jon Coxe from second base, providing the team's long-awaited first run and breaking through their stagnant offense. This was Lee Jung-hoo's 28th double of the season and the decisive hit that ignited San Francisco's comeback hopes. Although he grounded out to the first baseman in his second at-bat in the bottom of the 9th inning, his focus displayed during his first pinch-hit appearance clearly demonstrated why he remains a core hitter for the team.

Most encouragingly, he ended his prolonged hitting slump after just 13 plate appearances. Lee Jung-hoo had recorded a hit in the 7th inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 1st at home but subsequently fell into a sharp hitting slump. On the 2nd, during an away game in Pittsburgh, he went hitless in five at-bats (one RBI, one run scored, one walk), and on the 3rd in another game against Pittsburgh, he struck out twice in five at-bats without a hit. Despite enduring this extended silence over three games and the humiliation of being excluded from the starting lineup, he stepped up as a pinch hitter and delivered a valuable extra-base hit, proving his continued strength.

With this hit, Lee Jung-hoo slightly raised his season batting average from 0.282 to 0.283 (487 at-bats, 138 hits). His overall season performance includes 28 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs among his 138 hits, demonstrating solid power production. He has also recorded 51 RBIs, 62 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 26 walks, and 52 strikeouts, with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.739. Having passed through the low point of his hitting cycle in this long season race, he has once again established a solid foundation for returning to a .300 batting average.

Meanwhile, despite Lee Jung-hoo's clutch hit, the entire San Francisco team struggled with only two hits and numerous empty at-bats, ultimately losing 2-5. San Francisco fell behind 0-4 after surrendering two runs in the bottom of the first inning and adding two more in the bottom of the sixth. Although they managed to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, including Lee Jung-hoo's two-run double, reigniting their comeback hopes, they surrendered another run in the bottom of the eighth and could not complete the reversal, ending the game with a loss.

With this defeat, San Francisco's season record stands at 58 wins and 83 losses (winning percentage 0.411), placing them fourth in the National League West Division. While the team suffered a painful loss, Lee Jung-hoo's emergence from his prolonged slump and revival of his power-hitting instinct offers significant hope for the remainder of the season.

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*This content was translated by AI.