Choi Ji-man of the San Diego Padres came on as a pinch hitter and scored the winning run, helping the team’s 7-game winning streak.
Ji-Man Choi came out as a pinch hitter with bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 7th inning in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) Colorado Rockies game held at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 21st (Korean time) and hit the final sacrifice fly.
San Diego, which was down 1-2 until the top of the 7th inning, launched a counterattack in the bottom of the 7th inning. Leadoff hitter Juan Soto drew a walk, and after one out, consecutive hits by Garrett Cooper and Matthew Batton made the bases loaded.
Here, Luis Campusano’s right-handed hit brought in Soto, tying the score at 2-2, and in the ensuing chance, San Diego manager Bob Melvin brought out Choi Ji-man as a pinch hitter in Jose Ajocar’s at-bat.
Choi Ji-man, who watched the first pitch from Colorado reliever Justin Lawrence, easily caught the 94.6 mph (approximately 152.2 km) sinker that came in on the second pitch. The batted ball was a deep fly to center field, and third base runner Trent Grisham hit home on this batted ball, making it 3-2.
This is Choi Ji-man’s first RBI since leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates last month and putting on a San Diego uniform. 12th RBI of the season.
Choi Ji-man took over as first baseman from the top of the 8th inning and played until the end. As San Diego maintained its 3-2 lead until the end, Choi Ji-man’s sacrifice fly became the final RBI.
With this victory, San Diego extended its seven-game winning streak. The season record was 75 wins and 78 losses, maintaining 4th place in the National League West Division.
It is still 7th in the National League wild card rankings. The gap with the 3rd place Chicago Cubs (79 wins, 72 losses), the postseason Maginot Line, was 5 games, maintaining a glimmer of hope.
Colorado, which had already been confirmed to be eliminated from the postseason, lost four games in a row and finished with 56 wins and 96 losses (5th place in the National League West Division).
Meanwhile, San Diego’s Kim Ha-seong missed four consecutive games due to abdominal pain. Coach Melvin said in an interview with local reporters before the game that day that Ha-seong Kim will be able to return in the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the 23rd.
BY: 안전놀이터