Bae Ji-hwan (24-Pittsburgh Pirates) became the team’s solution with a multi-hit game.
Bae went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and two stolen bases while starting in the sixth spot in the lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday (May 5) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. One of his two hits, a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning, proved to be the game-winner as Pittsburgh held on for a 2-1 victory. It was the second consecutive day that he was a pinch-hitter and scored the game-winning run. He raised his season batting average to .274.
He had a hit in his first at-bat. Back-to-back singles by Brian Reynolds and Zack Swinski in the top of the first inning put runners on first and second, and a single by Keebrean Hayes two batters later loaded the bases.
The top of the order was saved by Bae Ji-hwan. The next at-bat, Bae took a four-pitch fastball from St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas and lined it to center field to load the bases with two outs.
His quick feet came in handy. He stole second base on Rodolfo Castro’s next at-bat. It was his 16th stolen base of the season, his first in seven games since May 28 against the Seattle Mariners.
After a walk in the third inning, Bae struck again in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and first, he singled up the middle to complete his multi-hit game, then stole second base on a 1-3 pitch to record his 17th stolen base of the season.
The two stolen bases reignited the stolen base race. His 17 stolen bases are tied for second in the National League with Sterling Marte (New York Mets) behind Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta Braves) with 24.
Bae capped off his day at the plate with a grounder to shortstop in his final at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.메이저사이트
The win extended Pittsburgh’s winning streak to five games. It feels like a repeat of their April surge. After a season in which they hovered around the five-win mark, the Pirates are now 31-27 and in second place in the National League Central. They are just a half-game behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers (32-27).