Lee Jung-hoo’s return match = Right-handed starting pitcher…Director Melvin’s Strange Nuance
Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) missed his third consecutive game. It is imperative to perform well before returning.
Lee Jung-hoo was absent from both the Colorado Rockies away game and the 11th-12th game against the Cincinnati Reds at home (Oracle Park in San Francisco) on the 10th. He was given administrative rest after being hit by a left foot on a pitch that he hit against Colorado on the 9th. Chances are high that he will start Game 3 in Cincinnati on the 13th. San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin also said, “Lee Jung-hoo will be able to start on the 13th when right-handed starting pitcher Frankie Montas will take the mound.”
In the three games in which Lee Jung-hoo was absent, San Francisco had one win and two losses. It lost 1-9 and 2-4, respectively, against Colorado on Saturday and Cincinnati on Sunday, and won the game 5-1, thanks to Matt Chapman’s grand slam.
In a game against Colorado on Tuesday, Melvin selected LaMonte Wade Jr. as the starting hitter instead of Lee Jung-hoo. He had the batting average of 0.341 as of the previous day, displaying the best batting performance in the San Francisco lineup. He successfully got on base with multiple hits and one walk.
The next day, against Cincinnati, Wade took the third batter’s box. It seems to be conscious of the reduced weight of the central lineup. Austin Slater, who came in instead, grounded out in his first at-bat, and was replaced by Michael Conforto in the first inning of the game. He went to the plate three times and hit a hit in the seventh inning with no runners on two outs. In the game against Cincinnati on the 12th, Tiro Estrada was the first batter and recorded one hit in four times at bat. There was no score.
Lee had six consecutive hits before the injury. He had two and three hits, respectively, against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 7th and the Colorado Rockies on the 8th. He also scored one point each.
Currently, it seems difficult to find a more suitable player for the leadoff position (first hitter) in San Francisco’s lineup than Lee Jung-hoo. Although he doesn’t walk much, he has excellent contact skills and has a strong tendency to drive when he feels good.
However, it is hard to say that Lee’s absence was significant. Since the last week of April, Lee has had fewer multi-base hits, and San Francisco’s first batters in the last three games have all had more than one hit.
Another issue at hand is Melvin’s explanation that the mound was matched with the opponent team’s right-handed starting pitcher, predicting Lee Jung-hoo’s return. As the starting pitcher at the game against Cincinnati on Tuesday was left-handed pitcher Nick Rodolo, there seems to be an inner circle that Lee Jung-hoo was not selected as the starting pitcher. Analysts say that Lee was encouraged to take another day of rest as the attack on left-handed pitchers seems to have less effect.
Lee recorded the batting average of 0.262 in 36 games he played this season. He recorded the batting average of 0.227 (10 hits in 44 times at bat) against left-handed pitchers and the batting average of 0.277 (28 hits in 101 times at bat) against right-handed pitchers. Lee has not played in 40 games in the season since his debut in the big league, so the sample is small. However, it is true that it differs depending on the type of pitcher.
I don’t think Melvin mentioned the right-hander (right-hander) of the opponent team’s starting pitcher (Frankie Montas) for no reason. Of course, it is difficult to imprison a player (Lee Jung-hoo) worth 113 million U.S. dollars in the platoon system. However, we cannot ignore what the commander said. Lee Jung-hoo, who returns after a short break, should elevate his personal skills and show better coping ability against left-handed pitchers.