Mariners’ Lee Dae-ho hits two home runs; two other Koreans make history in MLB

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) — Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners has gone deep twice in a game for the second time this season, while two former South Korean league All-Stars made history in the National League.

Lee homered in his first two at-bats against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field in Seattle on Friday (local time). He now has 10 home runs in his rookie season, becoming the second South Korean to reach double figures in 2016 after Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins.

It was the second time this season that Lee has homered in consecutive at-bats, having also done so against the Oakland Athletics on May 4.

Batting fifth and playing first base, Lee launched a solo shot off Texas starter Derek Holland in the bottom second, putting the M’s up 1-0. Then in the bottom fourth with two men on and the score knotted at 1-1, Lee touched Holland for his second long ball of the day and gave Seattle a 4-1 cushion.

The Mariners held on to win 7-5, and Lee went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He has 10 homers in 103 at-bats while platooning with Adam Lind at first base.

In this Associated Press photo Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners hits a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers in Seattle on June 10, 2016. (Yonhap)

In an all-Korean duel in the senior circuit, St. Louis Cardinals’ reliever Oh Seung-hwan retired Kang Jung-ho of Pittsburgh on a flyout in the bottom of the eighth at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

It was the first major league duel between South Korean players from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Kang made the jump before the 2015 season and Oh joined the big leagues in January this year.

With the Cards’ holding on to a 3-2 lead, Oh took over from Michael Wacha. The right-hander got Sean Rodriguez to ground out to shortstop but gave up a double to Andrew McCutchen.

Oh retired Gregory Polanco on a line drive to right, setting up the meeting with Kang with the tying run now at third.

The Pirates’ cleanup swung on the first pitch slider and fouled off two straight fastballs, each clocked at 94 miles per hour. Oh threw him a slider, and Kang flied it out to center to end the inning.

In the KBO, Oh remains the all-time saves leader with 277, while Kang has carved out a successful career as a hard-hitting shortstop. Kang had gone 4-for-13 with a home run and two doubles, along with three RBIs, against Oh in the KBO.

Closer Trevor Rosenthal came on in the ninth for the Cards but he gave up a game-tying single to Jordy Mercer. St. Louis then scored six times in the top 12th to prevail 9-3.

Source: (LEAD) Mariners’ Lee Dae-ho goes deep twice; history made in NL