Lee Jung-hoo started as the first hitter and center fielder in the 2024 Major League Baseball showdown against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on the 21st (Korea time).
Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2024 season. It was the largest amount ever posted by an Asian fielder, beating Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida who had five years and 90 million dollars.
Since the opening game, Lee has been on a roll, hitting a home run in three games. Since then, he has failed to hit a home run, and due to opponent team analysis, his batting average has fallen to 0.200 on Tuesday. However, he continued his hitting spree, and had hits in 10 consecutive games before the game. He is tying with Kang Jung-ho and Kim Hyun-soo in most consecutive games in the season when they debuted as Korean leaguers.
Lee immediately made history in the bottom of the first inning. Taking the lead off in the bottom of the first inning when his team was losing 0-1, Lee looked at Jack Gallen’s first four-seam fastball, which was falling outward, and hit a 92.8 mph (49 kph) high four-seam fastball with his second pitch, before hitting a solo shot over the right fence. It was his second homer of the season, with a driving speed of 158.4 km/h and a driving distance of 111 meters.
As a result, Lee Jung-hoo continued his streak of hits in 11 consecutive games, beating Kang Jung-ho and Kim Hyun-soo to set a new record (11 consecutive games) for the longest period in a Korean major leaguer’s debut season.
Meanwhile, San Francisco is facing the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-3 as of the end of the fourth inning despite Lee Jung-hoo’s performance.
BY: 안전놀이터