Jung Hoo Lee Records Multi-Hit Game in DH 1st Leg, Clinches Victory in 2nd Leg

San Francisco Giants starting outfielder Jung Hoo Lee played full-time in both games of a doubleheader, successfully reaching base multiple times in each.

Lee started as the cleanup hitter and right fielder in the first leg of the doubleheader against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on the 30th (KST), recording 3 hits in 3 at-bats with 1 walk and 2 RBIs.

This marks the first time in 10 days that Lee has recorded two or more hits in a single game since the match against the Cleveland Guardians on the 20th.

He was once again named in the starting lineup as the cleanup hitter and right fielder for the second leg of the doubleheader, where he finished with 1 hit in 4 at-bats, 1 walk, and 1 RBI.

His season batting average, which stood at 0.289 until the previous day, rose to 0.291 (137 hits in 471 at-bats).

In the first leg of the doubleheader, Lee faced off against right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly, who played for the KBO League's SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) from 2015 to 2018.

Kelly has developed into a key starting pitcher since returning to the United States in 2019.

During the bottom of the first inning with two outs and a runner on first in a scoreless tie, Lee made contact with a low sinking fastball from Kelly but flied out to center field.

Lee picked up a hit in their second matchup.

With the score still tied 0-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and a runner on first, he pulled Kelly's 4th-pitch high fastball to the inside for a single to right field.

The hit came on a 1-ball, 2-strike count.

Both teams continued a tight pitching duel at 0-0, and Lee secured his second time reaching base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

He drew a walk against Kelly to step onto first base.

However, San Francisco failed to score due to silence from the subsequent batting order.

San Francisco gave up a large number of runs during the top of the seventh inning defense.

After the mound wavered and issued three walks, they allowed a grand slam to right field to opposing pinch hitter Lars Nootbaar, giving up four runs in a single inning.

Lee delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning, signaling the start of a comeback while trailing 0-5.

With two outs and runners on first and second, he launched a clean RBI single to right field against newly entered right-handed relief pitcher Taylor Clarke.

He successfully capitalized on a first-pitch changeup left right down the middle.

However, San Francisco failed to mount any further comeback and suffered a 1-7 defeat.

Kelly earned his 9th win of the season (12 losses) with a stellar performance of 7 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, 4 walks, and striking out 7.

Lee started the subsequent second leg of the doubleheader as the cleanup hitter and right fielder, recording 1 hit in 4 at-bats, 1 walk, and 1 RBI.

After flying out to center field in the bottom of the first inning with one out and a runner on first with a 1-0 lead, and flying out to left field as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth in a 1-1 tie, Lee reached base by drawing a walk in the bottom of the fifth with one out and runners on first and second while leading 4-1.

His hit came during the bottom of the seventh inning attack while leading 4-2.

With one out and runners on first and second, Lee scooped up the 4th-pitch low slider from right-handed reliever Derrek Law and blasted a clean RBI single to center field.

In the final attack during the bottom of the eighth, he was retired on a groundout to second base.

Powered by Lee's clinching RBI, San Francisco won 7-2.

Just before the first leg of the doubleheader, a rare scene unfolded when San Francisco President of Baseball Operations Ron Wotus strongly protested to the umpires during the lineup card exchange and was ejected.

MLB.com reported, "President Wotus fiercely protested to crew chief Alan Porter regarding the ejection from the previous day's game."

The previous day, San Francisco manager Tony Vitello and veteran pitcher Logan Webb were ejected while protesting umpire calls.

Manager Vitello was surprisingly appointed as the new manager of San Francisco in October of last year while leading the University of Tennessee in the United States.

Entering MLB as a manager without professional experience, manager Vitello has been issued 5 ejections in his debut season alone.

Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves sat out the home game against the Colorado Rockies.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.