4-for-5 Tuesday; batting .333 with 16-game hitting streak

Lee Jung-hoo [Getty Images]
Lee Jung-hoo [Getty Images]

Lee Jung-hoo has climbed to second in MLB batting average, emphatically answering critics who said the San Francisco Giants outfielder was not worth his contract.

Lee went 4-for-5 as the No. 5 hitter and right fielder Tuesday against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, lifting his average to .333 (75-for-225) — tied for second in the majors. He trails leader Otto Perez by just three points, a gap he could close within a game or two.

The outing also extended Lee's hitting streak to 16 consecutive games, dating back to a May 15 contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The streak ties the record for the longest hitting streak by a Korean-born MLB player, matching marks set by Choo Shin-soo (July 3-23, 2013) and Kim Ha-seong (July 25-Aug. 12, 2023). One more game would give Lee sole possession of the record.

Lee scored twice as San Francisco built a 3-1 lead through eight innings, but the Giants surrendered three runs in the ninth and lost 3-4.

With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the ninth, Lee singled to right to put runners on the corners and give San Francisco a chance to tie. Oracle Park filled with chants of "Jung-hoo Lee," but the next batter, Eldridge, struck out to end the game.

Lee earns $22 million (about 33.2 billion won) per season, the fourth-highest salary on the roster. His output in his MLB debut season and last year fell short of expectations, fueling trade rumors, but his current form has put those doubts to rest.


paq@heraldcorp.com