June batting average of 0.143 → July 0.324 Lee Jung-hoo, who has changed dramatically, hits Yamamoto...Hope for the second half of the year after shaking off sluggishness.
Jul 14, 2025
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On the 14th (Korean time), the last 'Korean Derby' was held at Oracle Park in San Francisco, USA. Lee Jung-hoo's San Francisco and Kim Hye-sung's LA Dodgers clashed, and the Dodgers won 5-2 in the 11th inning.
Lee Jung-hoo, who started as the seventh batter center fielder, achieved multi-base hits with one hit in three at-bats and one walk.
In particular, the double hit against Yoshinobu Yamamoto stood out. In the first at-bat of the second inning, he aimed for an infield grounder to an outside splitter and an outside curve in the fifth inning, but only a fly ball to left field. Lee Jung-hoo, who appeared in the third at-bat in the seventh inning with two outs and no runners, lightly kicked Yamamoto's third pitch 146km splitter and hit a double on the right field line. It is Lee Jung-hoo's 19th double this year. He failed to score due to a failed follow-up.
San Francisco, which was trailing 0-2, tied the game 2-2 with Luis Matos' tie-breaking two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lee Jung-hoo drew a walk against Dodgers closer Tanner Scott, but failed to score again this time. The Dodgers sealed the game by adding three more runs in the top of the 11th inning by combining Freddie Freeman's winning hit and timely hits by Teoscar Hernandez and Andi Farras.
Lee Jung-hoo's batting average, which ended the first half, was 249 (86 hits in 345 at-bats) and OPS (on-base plus slugging) was 0.720, which is a disappointing season than expected.
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The rebound was successful in July. He hit a batting average of 3.24 (12 hits in 37 at-bats and 6 RBIs), allowing him to aim hot for the second half of the season after the All-Star break.
Unlike at the beginning of the season, when Lee Jung-hoo was once a leadoff and a third batter, he fell to 7-8. Especially, I had a hard time hitting a full outside fastball. The bat was always late. Still, he has adjusted his hitting sense in July. Like Choo Shin-soo, Lee Jung-hoo is the type of batter who actively hits the ball rather than holding it in and picking it out. It is the stage of learning the know-how to overcome the ups and downs of the batting feeling.
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Although he did not secure the main spot, he spent the first half of the year adapting to the big league better than expected, playing as a utility man in the platoon system. His batting average of 339 (38 hits in 112 at-bats) and OPS of 0.842 are somewhat lacking in accumulation, but his ratio is excellent. This is why both Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-sung are looking forward to the second half.
The Dodgers firmly maintained their No. 1 position in the National League West with 58 wins and 39 losses. With 52 wins and 45 losses, San Francisco ranks third in the district, six games behind the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-sung (Tampa Bay Rays) started as the eighth batter and shortstop in an away game against the Boston Red Sox on the same day and recorded no hits in three at-bats. His batting average for the season is .227. In particular, he limped after being hit by a series of foul balls on his left foot and right knee in the top of the seventh inning, but fortunately, no special injuries were found.
Major League Baseball completed all its schedules in the first half of the year and entered the All-Star break. This year's All-Star Game will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 16th, and the second half of the year will begin on the 19th.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
