Pittsburgh Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan (26) took another step toward the opening roster with two doubles.
Bae Ji-hwan started as the leadoff center fielder in the exhibition game against the New York Yankees on the 12th (Korea time) at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida, going 4 for 2 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored, leading Pittsburgh to a 9-1 victory.
Bae Ji-hwan, who broke a two-game hitless streak, raised his exhibition batting average from .4444 to .4555 (10 hits in 22 at-bats), contributing 3 RBIs, including 1 home run, and marking an OPS of 1.205, increasing his chances of making the 26-man opening roster.
In his first at-bat of the bottom of the first inning, Bae Ji-hwan was out on a ground ball to first base against Yankees right-handed starter Cam Schullitler, but in the bottom of the third inning, with one out and nobody on base, he hit a double.
He hit a 87.1 mph (140.2 km/h) four-seam fastball, which came in low over the middle on Schullitler's third pitch. The batted ball bounced three times between the second baseman and shortstop, but it was a quick hit at 102.2 mph (164.5 km/h). After hitting the glove tip of Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, the ball rolled to the right, and Bae Ji-hwan sprinted to second base. It was a hustle double.
After Adam Frazier's walk, with one out and runners on first and second, O'Neill Cruz hit a three-run home run, allowing Bae Ji-hwan to score.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one out and runners on first and second, Bae Ji-hwan's bat was on fire again. He pulled a sinker from right-hander Sean Boyle, which came in at 91.2 mph (146.8 km/h) outside, creating a batted ball that went to right-center.
Bae Ji-hwan's speed shone on a somewhat slow batted ball. While Yankees right fielder Spencer Jones cut off the batted ball and threw it in a relay play, Bae Ji-hwan stormed down the line and slid headfirst into second base. The runner on second scored as Bae Ji-hwan achieved an RBI double.
Then, with Frazier's double to right, Bae Ji-hwan crossed home plate, adding his second run of the game.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, with one out and runners on first and second, he was out on a ground ball to shortstop after being caught off-guard by Boyle's first pitch, a low changeup.
Bae Ji-hwan, replaced before the top of the sixth inning, recorded an out on a pop fly and another out on a line drive in center field.
That day, Pittsburgh won the game 9-1. Last year's National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, the 'monster pitcher' Paul Skinns, started and became the winning pitcher after throwing 4 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.
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