Bae Ji-hwan (24, Pittsburgh Pirates), who failed to survive on the first base throughout the regular inning, hit a golden hit that contributed to the team’s additional score in overtime.
Bae Ji-hwan started as the team’s first batter and second baseman in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) away game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 2nd (Korea Standard Time), recording one hit in five at-bats and one steal and one strikeout. His batting average for the season fell slightly from 0.240 to 0.239.
The team won 4-2 in the 10th inning of extra time. Pittsburgh now has 62 wins and 73 losses. Pittsburgh will be able to avoid losing 100 games if it wins just one game in the remaining 27 games. On the other hand, the opposing team, St. Louis, will remain at the bottom of the National League Central. 슬롯머신
At the beginning of the game, Bae Ji-hwan failed to show any impressive performance. Entering his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, he hit a two-seam fastball outside the first pitch of St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson, but was pulled out with a grounder in front of the third baseman. It was a missed ball, but it was caught by third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was playing forward defense.
In the top of the second inning, Bae Ji-hwan was also out with a ground ball in front of the second baseman in a chance with two outs and runners on first and second bases. In the top of the fifth inning, he hit a pitch toward the second base, but added an out count as he went straight to the shortstop. In the top of the eighth inning, when the score was tied 1-1, he struck out with a check swing on a falling ball.
However, at a crucial moment, Bae Ji-hwan contributed to his team’s scoring through his fast feet. Pittsburgh, which scored two runs in the 10th inning of extra time, continued its chance with one out and second base. Entering the batter’s box here, he hit a slow grounder heading to the first base line. The St. Louis defense waited for the ball to go out to the foul area, but the ball rolled inside as it was, and Bae Ji-hwan recorded an infield hit.
With this hit, Pittsburgh took a chance with one out and runners on first and third bases, and ran to 4-1 with Brian Reynolds’ sacrifice fly. Bae Ji-hwan then stole the second base when the next batter, Key Brian Hayes, and stole his 22nd base of the season.
Bae Ji-hwan played the game without making any mistakes in defense. In the bottom of the second inning, Tommy Edman’s ball headed behind his head, but he calmly followed and handled it with a fly ball. In the bottom of the third inning, he chased the first batter Jordan Walker’s slow grounder and connected it with a bare-handed throw. It was safe, but it was a good defense. After moving to center field in the second half of the game, he also caught all three outcounts with his defense in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Bae Ji-hwan, who left the lineup due to an ankle injury against Milwaukee on July 2, returned to the Major League stage on the 19th of last month. Bae Ji-hwan, who recorded his first big league 20 steals since Choo Shin-soo (currently SSG) by accumulating stolen bases at a fast pace before his injury, is on the verge of losing the title of the first 30 steals of a Korean big leaguer to Kim Ha-sung (San Diego, 29 steals).
Bae Ji-hwan has a batting average of 0.244 (10 hits in 41 at-bats) in 13 games since his comeback. He has a normal batting average, but he has garnered six walks and has an on-base percentage of 0.340. He is rekindling the steal.