Giants’ rookie Lee Jung-hoo extends on-base streak to 6 games; Padres’ Kim Ha-seong goes hitless

The San Francisco Giants’ rookie center fielder Lee Jung-hoo has stretched his on-base streak to six games to start his major league career.

The South Korean leadoff man went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 5-4 loss at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday (local time).

Lee has now reached base safely in all six games so far this season, with a home run, four RBIs and three walks. He is batting .292/.345/.417 with a home run and four RBIs.

He had struck out only twice in 19 previous at-bats, but he went down swinging on three pitches against Ryan Brasier in the top of the first inning in this game.

Lee came on in the second inning against new pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, with runners at first and second and the score tied at 1-1. But Lee grounded out to second baseman Gavin Lux for the final out of the frame.

With Yarbrough still pitching in the fifth, Lee flied out to left field. Then in the seventh, Lee struck out looking against Michael Grove, who found the outside corner with a 0-2 slider.

Lee kept his on-base streak alive in his final at-bat, as he hit a single to right field off closer Evan Phillips with two outs in the ninth.

Lee represented the tying run, but then Matt Chapman struck out to end the game.

The one other South Korean player in the majors, San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong, went 0-for-4 from the No. 5 spot in a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

At Petco Park in San Diego, Kim led off the bottom of the second against starter Miles Mikolas with a groundout to shortstop, and then grounded out to third in the third.

In the fifth, with Mikolas still pitching, Kim flied out to center field.

Kim had been 3-for-6 against Mikolas before Tuesday’s meeting.

In the eighth, facing reliever Andrew Kittredge, Kim grounded out to third.

The hitless day brought Kim’s average down from .269 to .233. He has a home run, four RBIs and two steals.

Kim, the 2023 Gold Glove winner at the utility spot, did flash his leather in this game. In the top of the fourth, Kim snagged a grounder that Nolan Arenado hit into the hole to his left, and fired a one-hop strike on the run to first baseman Jake Cronenworth for the out.