Lee Jung-hoo hits two home runs, steals a base in Giants' win over Rangers

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo blasted two home runs and stole a base in his club's latest victory.

Lee batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, helping the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 5-1 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday (local time).

Lee accounted for half of the Giants' hits in the game as he enjoyed his 10th three-hit effort of this season. He raised his batting average from .301 to .306, the sixth-highest mark in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The South Korean struck out in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning against starter Cal Quantrill, but got his revenge against the right-hander in the top third.

With the Giants up 2-0, Lee drilled a hanging splitter from Quantrill and drove it 410 feet over the right-center field wall for a solo home run. The ball left Lee's bat at 100.6 miles per hour, with a launch angle of 28 degrees.

Lee singled with two outs in the top fifth and stole second base. He advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Austin Wynns, but was stranded there when Willy Adames popped out to end the inning.

Lee now has eight steals this season, just two shy of a career-high 10 from 2025.

Lee then capped his three-hit game with a solo home run off reliever Peyton Gray to lead off the top eighth. Lee lifted a knee-high slider and sent it 385 feet to right-center field for his eighth home run of the year.

This was Lee's second career two-homer game -- the first since April 13, 2025.

Lee picked up his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Lee also made impact with his glove, making a couple of sliding catches in the right field.

The victory snapped the Giants' losing streak at three games but they remained 12 games out of the final National League wild card spot at 48-65.

Before the game, as the annual MLB trade deadline passed, the Giants waved the white flag on their season by shipping out veterans: former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, and All-Star outfielder Heliot Ramos.

"There was a lot going on today when I got to the clubhouse but for sure, as a baseball player, you try to get locked in and pay attention to what's going on in the game," Lee was quoted as saying by the San Francisco Chronicle through an interpreter. "I feel like that's how we got that good result today."

Lee himself had been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks but he said he is happy to be where he is.

Lee has three more years left on the six-year, US$113 million contract he signed with the Giants in December 2023.

"The Giants gave me the chance to come here to the major leagues and they gave me that contract," he said. "If I am going to see any success in the league, I want it to be with the Giants. I just want to see how far this can team go."