The Pittsburgh Pirates won 5-4 in an away game against the Cincinnati Reds in the 2023 Major League Opening Day held at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA at 5:10 am on the 31st (hereinafter Korean time).
Pittsburgh’s Bae Ji-hwan started as second baseman No. 8 and showed great performance with 2 hits in 3 at-bats (1 double), 1 walk, 2 runs and 2 stolen bases.
In the top of the second inning, with no runners out, Bae Ji-hwan, who took his first at-bat this season, attempted a surprise bunt when Cincinnati starter right-hander Hunter Green’s first 100.8 mph fastball went low to his body. After the bunt bounced, it passed the high pitcher and went to the second base, and the second baseman caught the ball, but Bae Ji-hwan, who was very fast, had already landed on the first base. Reporting his first hit of the season with a bunt.
However, Bae Ji-hwan, who failed to score as the follow-up hitter struck out, hit Green’s 99.2 mph fastball in the center again in the top of the 4th inning with no runners. After that, when the follow-up batter hit, he succeeded in stealing third base with great speed. In the end, after that, Pittsburgh got three consecutive walks, and Bae Ji-hwan succeeded in scoring with a push walk, succeeding in a 2-1 reversal. In the 4th inning alone, they scored a total of 3 runs and were able to run away to 4-1, but Bae Ji-hwan stole a double and was decisive.
In the third at-bat in the top of the 5th inning, Bae Ji-hwan, who stepped down with a straight fly ball from center fielder, came out as the lead batter in the top of the 8th inning and got a walk from the changed pitcher, Buck Farmer, and even succeeded in stealing second base. Afterwards, Bae Ji-hwan, who went to third base on a sacrifice bunt, stepped on the home plate on O’Neill Cruz’s sacrifice fly and scored the crucial point that gave Pittsburgh a lead again, 5-4 in a 4-4 tense game. 온라인바카라
Pittsburgh’s starting pitcher, right-hander Mitch Keller, was sluggish with 4 runs in 4.2 innings. Bae Ji-hwan’s great performance allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th inning, which turned the score 4-1, and Keller allowed a walk, hit, sweep, 2 RBIs, and 3 bases in the bottom of the 5th inning, and it was painful to tie the score at 4-4 again.
However, with Bae Ji-hwan’s final run in the 8th inning, Pittsburgh was able to win the 2023 Major League Opening Game. In the end, Bae Ji-hwan gave Pittsburgh a victory in the opening game by showing everything a quick player can show in the opening game.