Lee Jung-hoo extends hitting streak to 18 games with multihit performance

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- With yet another multihit performance, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants has extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

It's the longest active hitting streak in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Lee went 2-for-4 with a walk and a steal while scoring twice as the Giants walked off the Washington Nationals 11-10 at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time). It was Lee's sixth multihit game of June and ninth during his streak.

Over his past 18 games, Lee is batting .500 (36-for-72) and has raised his average from .265 to .338, the second-best mark in MLB behind Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins, who was scheduled to play an evening game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In Wednesday's game, Lee struck out swinging against starter Foster Griffin in the bottom of the second. It was just the third strikeout for Lee in 69 at-bats during his hitting streak.

Lee grounded out in the fourth but kept his streak alive in the sixth with a single to right field off Griffin.

Then in the eighth, Lee drew a walk against reliever Paxton Schultz -- his first walk of the streak in his 74th plate appearance.

Lee then swiped second base for his third steal of the season and scored on a double by Daniel Susac.

After that run, the Giants still trailed the Nationals 9-4. They added a couple more runs to make it a 9-6 game, but the Nationals scored in the top of the ninth to take a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the inning.

It set the stage for the Giants' thrilling comeback.

Luis Arraez doubled to lead off the ninth and Matt Chapman cashed him in with a double of his own. After Rafael Devers walked, Lee singled to load the bases.

Bryce Eldridge then hammered a grand slam to win the game for the Giants. The Nationals didn't record an out in the final frame.