Lee started as the leadoff right fielder on May 9 at Oracle Park in California against Pittsburgh and went 2-for-4. It was his 12th multi-hit game of the season, and his batting average ticked up to 0.270.
The outing mattered given his recent struggles. Entering the game, Lee had just two hits in 22 at-bats in May. He erased that skid by collecting two timely hits in this one.
His bat came alive in his second plate appearance. Tied 1-1 in the third with one out and a runner on first, he turned on the starter’s splitter and ripped a single into right. In the fifth, he pushed a fastball into left-center for another hit to complete the multi-hit game. With the bases loaded in the seventh, he lined out to second, narrowly missing a chance to drive in a run.
Lee made an impact in the field as well. In the sixth, he chased down a foul off Bryan Reynolds and pulled in a catch in front of the netting, drawing applause from the home crowd. He delivered as a true leadoff presence on both sides of the ball.
San Francisco broke a 2-2 tie with a string of hits in the bottom of the seventh, scored three runs and walked away with a 5-2 victory, snapping their losing streak.
Song had made a strong impression in his first big-league start — 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and a steal — but he left his home debut disappointed. San Diego managed just one hit and suffered a 0-6 loss.
Played during Korean Heritage Night, the game gave Lee a stage to re-establish himself: two hits, steady defense and a needed confidence boost.
Photo = Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Yonhap Newsn
