Bae Ji-hwan (23, Pittsburgh Pirates) failed to score a hit, but picked up a walk while playing snowball. However, the team was completely defeated without picking up a single point. In particular, he knelt down by dedicating a wedge to Mike Tuckman (33, USA), who had been active in the KBO League Hanwha Eagles until last season.
Bae Ji-hwan started as the 8th batter and second baseman in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) home game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on the 21st (Korean time), recording no hits, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout in 2 at bats. Bae Ji-hwan’s season batting average dropped from 0.262 to 0.259.
Bae Ji-hwan, who played as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning the previous day (20th) and only had no hits in 2 at-bats, was silent for 3 consecutive games until today. However, the scene where he picked up a walk while playing a persistent game was impressive.
Bae Ji-hwan scored in the bottom of the second inning with both teams tied at 0-0. After two outs, Connor Joe got on base with a double from left, and got his first at-bat. Bae Ji-hwan picked out the first ball and recorded a foul on the second pitch. The third pitch is a ball. Following this, he pushed in a fourth pitch, but was retracted on a shortstop grounder. Despite being an ordinary shortstop grounder, his feet are so fast that he was put out in a close game.
With the team trailing 0-2, Bae Ji-hwan took his second at-bat in the bottom of the 5th inning with a chance to first base safely. He was driven to a 0-2 unfavorable ball count against opposing starter Strowman. Bae Ji-hwan calmly picked out an outside ball. He also endured the low ball on the 4th pitch and showed a good starting plan. He did not bat even the high ball on the fifth pitch, but bowed his 안전놀이터head with a swing strikeout on the outside ball on the sixth pitch.
Bae Ji-hwan entered his third at-bat with two outs and second base at the end of the 7th inning with the team still trailing 0-2. The catcher visited the mound once after swinging the first pitch. In the second pitch, Bae Ji-hwan attempted a surprise bunt, but withdrew his bat. On the 3rd pitch, Bae Ji-hwan avoided the low ball well. He did not bat even on the outside ball on the 4th pitch. A favorable ball count of 3-1. 5th and 6th pitches are fouls. In the end, on the 7th pitch, he picked out the low ball well and went on base with a walk. However, the follow-up hit was silent and the score failed.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with no runners and no runners, Van Hardt fired a solo shot in mid-month and succeeded in overpowering the Cubs. In the 1st and 3rd base opportunities, Bellinger scored an RBI on a sacrifice fly in left field (2-0). In the end, the Cubs combined Tuchman’s superior solo shot as the lead batter in the 8th inning and Suzuki’s sacrifice RBI in left field from 1 out and 3 base to make it 4- We put a wedge in the game with 0.
Tuchman drew his second arch of the season by hitting the second pitch against Dowry Moreta of the Pittsburgh bullpen. Tuchman also gave the team victory by wielding three hits against Pittsburgh held at home on the 15th. This season, Tuchman appeared in 29 games and posted a batting average of 0.295 (26 hits in 88 at-bats), 2 home runs, 14 RBIs, 16 runs, 17 walks, 23 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of 0.407, and a slugging percentage of 0.398.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, which lost on the day, marked 34 wins and 38 losses while falling into the pit of 8 consecutive losses. The ranking is 4th in the National League Central Division. On the other hand, the Cubs of the same district recorded 35 wins and 38 losses with two consecutive wins, putting Pittsburgh down and rising to third place. The winning pitcher was Strowman (9-4, 2.28 ERA). The losing pitcher was Oviedo (3-7, 4.30 ERA).