It's already bad, but will his first career showdown with the more scary pitcher Ohtani be revived? Is it going to get worse?
Jul 11, 2025
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The two teams will hold three consecutive games at Oracle Park from the 12th to the 14th (Korea time). It is the last schedule of the first half of the year.
The NL West is being pursued by the San Francisco and San Diego Padres amid the Dodgers' dominance. As of the 10th, the Dodgers (56-39) are five games ahead of the second-place San Francisco (51-43). Depending on the results of the three consecutive games, the game will be different whether the Dodgers further strengthen the top spot or San Francisco narrows the gap.
Of course, the challenger's position is San Francisco.
However, there is a player who is firmly preparing for these three consecutive games. It is Lee Jung-hoo, a Korean batter in San Francisco. Lee Jung-hoo, who has still been unable to shake off his slump since mid-May, has to find a feel against the Dodgers and enter the All-Star break.
Lee Jung-hoo bowed again against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 10th, recording no hits and one walk in two at-bats. He rarely hit the center of the bat, and there were more swings and misses. In July, he has been recovering with a batting average of 0.296 (8 hits in 27 at-bats), three RBIs and three runs scored in seven games, but his jagged batting remains the same.
In particular, the team's contribution is also falling significantly as it has not been able to work hard due to 16 consecutive hits in the scoring position.
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The game that draws the most attention is the game on the 13th, the second game. Ohtani will take the mound as a starter. Ohtani, who joined the rotation last month and resumed his pitching and hitting, is the fifth starting player of the season.
In the previous four games, he threw a total of six innings, gave up four hits and one walk, struck out six, and marked a 1.50 ERA. He is not yet able to throw more than five innings, but he is gradually improving his condition, so he is expected to throw three innings on the 13th. But I can't guarantee it.
MLB.com said, "'Ohtani, who has played two innings in the last two games, will be able to enter the third inning this time. However, the Dodgers have not placed restrictions on Ohtani's unique recovery process. In the last game, he threw 31 pitches' and the Dodgers still recognize Ohtani as an opener responsible for multi-innings because big league-level innings are a difficult build-up process to play. I'm taking everything slowly because I came back from my second elbow surgery'
If he throws three innings, he is expected to face Lee Jung-hoo, who will be placed in the sixth or seventh batting order. Lee Jung-hoo will face Ohtani for the first time in his life.
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Lee Jung-hoo, who played leadoff for three consecutive games at the time, was sluggish with one hit in 13 at-bats. On the 16th, he scored two RBIs with a three-base hit in the top of the fourth inning in the third game.
After returning to the mound, Ohtani recorded a maximum speed of 101.7 miles (163.7 kilometers) and an average of 98.4 miles. Both the best and average are the highest since their Major League debut. On top of that, the sweeper and slider, which are the main weapons, became sharper.
Will Lee Jung-hoo be able to attack Ohtani's more fearsome ball. Lee Jung-hoo needs an opportunity to turn around at the end of the first half.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
