Japanese major leaguer Seiya Suzuki (29, Chicago Cubs), who boasts a hot hitting ability, played his best game of the season.
Suzuki started as the 6th hitter and right fielder in the 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the San Francisco Giants held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA on the 6th (Korean time) and hit a hard hit with 4 hits in 5 at-bats (1 home run), 3 RBIs, and 2 runs. . Led by Suzuki’s performance, the Cubs defeated San Francisco 11-8 after a hard-fought game and won three games in a row.
Suzuki, who hit his 15th home run of the season the day before (the 5th) and broke the record for the most home runs in a big league individual season (14 home runs in 2022), showed off his hot hitting skills for two days in a row. Suzuki, who was retired by a ground ball to third base in his first at-bat in the second inning, got hits in all four of his subsequent at-bats.
In the bottom of the third inning, when the Cubs were down 1-3, with one out and runners on first and second base, Suzuki made an infield hit against San Francisco starting pitcher Ryan Walker, setting up a chance to load the bases with one out. The Cubs took a 4-3 lead thanks to Jamer Candelario’s walk and Jan Gomes’ two RBI hit. Suzuki hit home during the Bears’ timely hit and scored a come-from-behind score.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, with one out and no runner on base, Suzuki hit a double after a full count against San Francisco reliever Jacob Junis. With this hit, Suzuki completed multiple hits in three consecutive games. Suzuki, who was in scoring position, advanced to third base on Candelario’s ground ball, but was unable to score an additional point due to a missed follow-up hit.
Seiya Suzuki hit his 16th home run of the season / Photo = Getty Images Korea
The Cubs gave up three runs to San Francisco in the top of the sixth inning, taking the lead to 4-6. Then Suzuki came forward to solve the problem. In the top of the 7th inning, with 1 out and runners on first base, Suzuki hit without missing San Francisco underhand pitcher Tyler Rogers’ 5th pitch slider. The batted ball, which flew at a speed of 107.7 miles per hour (approximately 173.3 km), led to a tying two-run shot with a distance of 408 feet (approximately 124 m) that passed over his left wall. Suzuki’s 16th home run of the season.
The Cubs, fueled by Suzuki’s home run, added 4 runs in the ensuing attack, including Christopher Morel’s three-run home run, to regain the lead at 10-6.
Suzuki’s bat was hot even in his fifth at-bat in the 8th inning. In the bottom of the 8th inning, with the Cubs trailing 10-7, with one out and a runner on second base, Suzuki hit a sweeper on the fifth pitch from San Francisco left-hander Taylor Rogers. It was a key RBI that made it 11-7.
In the top of the 9th inning, San Francisco’s leadoff hitter Wilmer Flores countered with a solo home run, but the Cubs prevented additional runs and won 11-8.메이저놀이터
Suzuki, who signed a large five-year contract worth $85 million (approximately 113.3 billion won) ahead of the 2022 season and entered the major league stage, fell short of expectations with a batting average of 0.262, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 9 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.769 in 111 games in his first season in the big leagues. . Although Suzuki showed outstanding performance in offense, defense, and state during his time in Japan, his major league standards were high.
This season, his second year in the big league, was not easy either. He appeared in 71 games in the first half, batting average of 0.259, 7 home runs, 28 RBI, 1 stolen base, and an OPS of 0.747, which was not much different from his first season. In particular, in June, he suffered a severe slump with a batting average of 0.177, 0 home runs, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.475 in 20 games. Suzuki, who was mainly deployed as a central hitter, once experienced the humiliation of being ranked 8th in the batting order.
Suzuki, who took a more aggressive approach at the plate, successfully rebounded with a batting average of 0.321, 5 home runs, 13 RBI, and an OPS of 1.006 in 22 games in August. Suzuki, who continued his upward trend in August, is continuing his best batting pace since his major league debut with a batting average of 0.440, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.441 in 6 games in September.