Lee Jung-hoo celebrates with teammates after scoring the decisive run.
Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants came out on top in the “Heroes Derby” against Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB action on May 12 (KST).
Starting as the leadoff hitter and right fielder at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Lee went 1-for-5 with one run scored, one hit by pitch, and reached base twice. Despite the modest stat line, his lone hit proved pivotal in the Giants’ 9-3 victory.
After grounding out in the first, striking out in the third, and hitting a ground ball in the fifth, Lee opened the seventh inning with a single to right field with one out and the game tied 3-3. Following consecutive singles by Luis Arraez and Casey Schmitt, he advanced to third and then scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk by Rafael Devers. Later in the same inning, with two outs, Willy Adames delivered a two-run single to stretch the lead to 6-3.
In the eighth, Lee hit a grounder to first with one out and a runner on third, resulting in the lead runner being thrown out at home, but he advanced to second. He was hit by a pitch in his final at-bat in the ninth. The Giants added three more runs in the ninth on Adames’ single, Matt Chapman’s bases-loaded walk, and Jesus Rodriguez’s RBI groundout, sealing the win.
With the victory, San Francisco improved to 17-24 for a two-game winning streak, while Los Angeles fell to 24-17, dropping to second place in the National League West behind the San Diego Padres (24-16).
Meanwhile, Kim Hye-seong, starting as the No. 9 hitter and second baseman, went 0-for-2 before being replaced by pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning. His season batting average dropped to .282.