Bae Ji-hwan (24-Pittsburgh Pirates), playing his first full-time season in Major League Baseball (MLB), had a multi-hit game. His batting average has risen to .275 after dipping into the low 20s.
Bae went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, USA on Monday (July 29). His batting average, which had dropped slightly to .269 after going hitless the day before, rose back up to .275.
In his first at-bat of the day in the second inning, he stepped up to the plate with runners on second and first, but was unable to get a hit off the outfield fence. He then led off the fifth inning with a single to right. He took advantage of a changeup that Marco Gonzalez dropped in the bottom of the zone. He stole second, advanced to third on Chris Owings’ single to right, and came home on Austin Hedges’ sacrifice fly for the team’s first run.
After striking out swinging in his third at-bat of the seventh inning, Bae completed his multi-hit performance in the ninth. With the score tied at 3-3, he took advantage of a cut fastball from reliever Trevor Gott and smashed a 157 mph fastball into left-center field for a two-run double, but it was not enough to break the tie.
With this performance, Bae improved his seasonal batting average, which had dropped to .232 this month (through 10 days). His faltering contact, which has been a strength of his, has caused some concern, but he is working through it. While he’s refrained from stealing bases, which have become more common, he’s regaining his value with contact. After hitting .234 in April, he’s batting .310 in May. If he keeps up his May pace, he’ll be a valuable player even without the stolen bases.토토사이트
Defensively, Hosmer has been a force to be reckoned with. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seattle outfielder Julio Rodriguez hit a line drive to center field, but Hosmer made the catch. In the bottom of the ninth, he turned a big hit by J.P. Crawford into a fence play.
Despite Bae’s offense, Pittsburgh fell to 3-6 in extra innings. The Pirates, who are in second place in the National League Central, are now 26-26.