The team suffered an 8-point loss, but Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates) shone alone.
On the 5th, Bae Ji-hwan recorded 3 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs in 3 at-bats, including his first home run, in a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. In particular, he hit well against Boston's starting pitcher Quinn Priester, with whom he played last year in Pittsburgh.
Bae Ji-hwan, who started as the left fielder batting first, achieved a hit against Priester but failed to advance on a double play by Brian Reynolds. In the 3rd inning, down 0-6, Bae entered his second at-bat with one out and no runners. Facing pitcher Quinn Priester with a ball count of 0B-2S, Bae targeted a sinker on the third pitch and hit a home run over the center field wall.
In the 5th inning, with one out and a runner on first, Bae Ji-hwan achieved a multi-hit game with a single to center field. He scored on Brian Reynolds' walk, Andrew McCutchen's hit by pitch, and Nick Gonzales' clutch hit to right. Bae was replaced by Corner Griffin before the bottom of the 5th inning.
Bae Ji-hwan, who hit his first home run of the day and achieved 3 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs in total, saw his spring training batting average rise from .375 to .545. Pittsburgh lost to Boston, 4-12.
Meanwhile, Bae Ji-hwan made his major league debut in Pittsburgh in 2022, appearing in a total of 150 games with a batting average of .231 (441 at-bats, 102 hits), 2 home runs, 44 RBIs, 70 runs, and 33 stolen bases.
Bae Ji-hwan played in 111 games in 2023, posting a batting average of .231 (334 at-bats, 77 hits), 2 home runs, 32 RBIs, 54 runs, and 24 stolen bases, marking his best season.
Last year's performance was below expectations. Bae Ji-hwan suffered a hip injury during spring training, preventing him from being named to the opening day roster. He received a chance for a major league promotion in May, but was again placed on the disabled list due to a wrist injury.
Bae's major league statistics were lows of 74 at-bats, 14 hits, a batting average of .189, 6 RBIs, and 11 runs, but he showcased strong hitting in Triple-A with a batting average of .341 in 66 games (246 at-bats, 84 hits), 7 home runs, 41 RBIs, 49 runs, and 14 stolen bases.
[OSEN = Son Chan-ik, reporter]