Two ‘JI’s playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates wrote a new major league history.
Pittsburgh won 7-4 in a home game against the Houston Astros held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on the 12th (hereinafter Korean time).
A Korean major leaguer duo dominated the game.
3 – Choi Ji-man (32), who started as the designated hitter, stopped the start. In the first at-bat in the first inning, he hit a double against Houston starter Christian Javier to show off his good batting feel, then hit a solo home run in the sixth inning when the match was 2-2. When a high ball came in from the full count, he turned the bat. Two consecutive home runs following the previous day (11th). Choi Ji-man had his first multi-hit game of the season with 2 hits (1 home run) and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats.
If Ji-man Choi showed off a sense of hitting in the early stages, Bae Ji-hwan (24) took a period. Bae Ji-hwan, who started as the first hitter and shortstop, suffered two strikeouts in his first four at-bats, but did not miss the last chance. At the bottom of the 9th inning, with a score of 4-4, Houston finisher Ryan Presley’s low-flying changeup was kicked up and passed over the right wall. Bae Ji-hwan’s second home run of the season. It was a home run that clearly imprinted his name while his role became more important due to the injury of main shortstop Onal Cruz.
In addition, Bae Ji-hwan left his name as the 6th Korean player ever to hit a walk-off home run in the major leagues, following Choi Hee-seop, Choo Shin-soo, Lee Dae-ho, Choi Ji-man, and Kim Ha-seong.
This is the first time a Korean major leaguer has hit a home run with the same team. The local media in the US also paid attention to their performance.
‘MLB.com’, the official homepage of the US Major League, highlighted that ‘Bae Ji-hwan and Choi Ji-man were the first Korean teammates to hit a home run in the same game in the history of the major leagues’. The Pittsburgh club’s official SNS also congratulated the record by posting a photo of them side by side.
As hot as the home run, the ceremony also became a hot topic. Choi Ji-man showed off the ‘sword dance ceremony’ in the dugout when Pittsburgh players hit a home run this season. Bae Ji-hwan held a ‘slam dunk ceremony’ by grabbing his helmet like a basketball and jumping between teammates. 먹튀검증
After the game, Bae Ji-hwan said in an interview with the local media, “It’s like I’m dreaming. I had a strong desire to finish because I couldn’t hit in the front plate. I grew up watching senior Kang Jeong-ho, who played in Pittsburgh. (When Kang played for Pittsburgh) Andrew Macker Cheon also ran together, and at that time, McCutcheon hit a home run and did a ‘slam dunk ceremony.’ Coincidentally, the player on first base when Bae Ji-hwan’s home run was McCutchen.
Choi Ji-man congratulated Bae Ji-hwan’s home run with his unique joke. Choi Ji-man said, “I feel bad because I am not in the spotlight. Bae Ji-hwan stole the spotlight.” .
With Choi Ji-man and Bae Ji-hwan’s joint performance, Pittsburgh won 7-4 and maintained second place in the Central Division of the National League.