A monumental event occurred in which two Korean major leaguers playing on the same team hit home runs side by side. They are Choi Ji-man (32) and Bae Ji-hwan (24), who are active in the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ji-Hwan Choi and Ji-Hwan Bae hit a home run in succession in a home game against the Houston Astros held at PNC Park on the 12th (Korean time), jointly leading the team to a 7-4 victory. It is the first time ever in the major leagues that Korean hitters drew a joint arch on the same team on the same day.
The one who hit the home run first was Choi “Brother” Ji-man. He started as the designated hitter number 3 and took the lead in the bottom of the 6th inning, where the score was 2-2, and after a full count match, Houston right-hander starter Christian Javier’s 6th fastball (148km/h) was blown out of the right wall. He drew an arch for two days in a row and let his hitting feel come alive. He also reported his first multi-hit this season with 2 hits and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats, including hitting a double in his first at-bat. His season batting average is 0.148 (4 hits in 27 at-bats).
In the bottom of the 9th inning, with the score tied 4-4, Bae Ji-hwan, the ‘younger brother’, stepped up. He started as second baseman and leadoff, but was silent until the preceding four at-bats. However, in the bottom of the ninth inning, he pulled the 7th ball count 2B-2S against Ryan Presley, the 1st and 2nd baseman, and pulled the changeup (142km) as it was on the inside of the 7th pitch, ending it with a 3-run homer in the middle of the pitch and roared. Bae Ji-hwan, who recorded 1 hit and 3 RBIs in 5 at-bats, had a batting average of 0.242 (8 hits in 33 at-bats). 메이저놀이터
Choi Ji-man and Bae Ji-hwan have been wearing the same uniform since this season. Last winter, Choi Ji-man joined Pittsburgh through a trade. Bae Ji-hwan, who entered the major leagues last year after passing through the minor leagues, survived the competition and was included in the opening roster. Although the two exploded together after a long time, Choi Ji-man is still in the process of finding a normal condition, and Bae Ji-hwan is not in a state of becoming a clear starter. I wonder if the two, who are raising the sense of hitting, will be able to continue working together to win the team by steadily starting together.