Are you number one in ERA? I'm Lee Junghoo! SF's flagship hitter Lee Jung-hoo succeeded in targeting the current MLB's best pitcher. 4G consecutive hits + Team jumps to second place with lucky walk-off win

Apr 27, 2025

The only ERA pitcher in the Major League with zero points was also beaten by Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco).

Lee Jung-hoo hit from his first at-bat in the first inning, continuing his hit streak for four consecutive games. After that, he failed to add a hit in the third at-bat. However, San Francisco won a dramatic walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth inning and avenged its Youngbong defeat (0-2) the previous day.

Lee Jung-hoo started as the third center fielder and recorded one hit in four at-bats in an interleague home game against the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on the morning of the 27th (Korea time). With this, Lee Jung-hoo's batting average for the season is 0.327. The OPS fell slightly to 0.946.

It was the 11th game of the 'Hell's 12th consecutive game.' Texas, which won by targeting Justin Verlander the previous day, started Tyler Marley, who is showing off his powerful power early this season, aiming for a consecutive victory. Marley appeared in six games this season, boasting an overwhelming pitching of three wins, no losses, and an ERA of 0.65. He is the only MLB player with a 0-point ERA. It has already been mentioned as the most likely candidate for the Cy Young Award.

However, for Lee Jung-hoo, he was just one of the 'ordinary opponent selection'. Lee Jung-hoo properly targeted Mali from his first at-bat.

Lee Jung-hoo, who came to his first at-bat after two outs in the bottom of the first inning when he was trailing 0-1, pushed an 84-mile cutter on the third pitch in the ball count 1B1S to make a left-handed hit. It was his team's first hit. San Francisco hitters, who had been daunted by ERA pitchers in the 0-point range, cheered and recovered their confidence as Lee Jung-hoo hit lightly. In addition, Lee Jung-hoo also shook off the regret of the strikeout due to the misjudgment at the last at-bat of the game the previous day.

Lee Jung-hoo then failed to add a hit in his second at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, when the score was 0-2, as a well-hit ball caught a good defense.

On ball count 1B1S, Marley hit his third slider properly. A hard hit with a batting speed of 100.2 miles bounced deep into the 3-space. At this time, Texas shortstop Nick Ahmed blew himself up and caught the ball. Ahmed chose to catch the frontrunner Mike Yastremski at second base instead of the fast-paced Lee Jung-hoo. In the end, the leadoff runner was caught, and Lee Jung-hoo lived at first base, but was not recorded as a hit. The fourth batter Chapman was then out with a fly ball to right field, ending the inning.

San Francisco, which was trailing 0-2, made it 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run timely hit that cut Willy Adames' left-center gap with runners on second and third bases with one out. In the following one out and one base, Lee Jung-hoo came out to the ground with the home crowd's shouts of 'Jeonghoo!'.

The Texas bench moved. As if conscious of Lee Jung-hoo, the pitching coach came to the mound and calmed Marley down. No replacement was made. The third match against Marley. Lee observed four-seam fastball strikes on the first and second pitches in a row. Counts have flocked to 2S. The third ball was an outer splitter (85.7 miles). Lee Jung-hoo pushed the falling ball like he did in his first at-bat. But this time, he headed straight to left field.

In his fourth at-bat after one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, he faced a changed pitcher, Hobie Milner. It was a rare left-hand side arm.

It could be said that it was a battle between a spear and a shield. Milner has a batting average of only 0.223 against left-handed batters. On the other hand, Lee Jung-hoo has a high batting average of 0.382 this season against left-handed pitchers. This time, Lee Jung-hoo lost. The bat went out on the sinker of the fourth pitch that came into the body from the ball count 2B1S, but it was only a ground ball in front of the pitcher. In the end, Lee Jung-hoo finished the game with one hit in four at-bats. If there were no leading runners in the third inning, there was a possibility of an infield hit, but the situation was not good.

San Francisco, which was 2-2 until the end of the game, won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth inning, San Francisco allowed no runs on the first and second bases with no outs.

After overcoming the crisis, a chance to win came. Leadoff hitter Eliot Ramos' hit to the middle of the ninth inning and Ramonte Wade Jr.'s walk gave him a chance to hit first and second bases with no outs. Christian Kos made a sacrifice bunt with one out and runners on second and third, and Patrick Bailey, who appeared as a pinch hitter, hit a timely hit to the right, showing a perfect finish. San Francisco won its 18th game (10 losses) and became the league's sole second-place finisher. San Diego (17 wins and 9 losses), the No. 1 player, disappeared.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.