In a home game against the Detroit Tigers held at Lecom 스포츠토토 Park in Bradenton, Florida on the 10th (Korean time), Bae Ji-hwan started as the first hitter and shortstop and recorded 2 hits and 1 strikeout in 3 at-bats. He went 3-for-17 with 2 runs scored, 1 stolen base, and a batting average of 0.176 OPS of 0.398 in exhibition games.
In the first at-bat in the first inning, Bae Ji-hwan swung at Michael Lorenzen’s changeup and struck out. However, Bae Ji-hwan, who entered the second at-bat in the third inning with no second base, hit an infield hit to the shortstop. Afterwards, Brian Reynolds hit a double hit and third base runner Kevin Plawecki came home.
Bae Ji-hwan scored a right-handed hit by catching Will Best’s changeup in the 5th inning with no runners out. This is the first multi-hit in the demonstration game. However, the follow-up hitter Reynolds was grounded out and did not lead to a run.
He recorded two hits in the batting game, but there was a disappointing scene in the defense. In the top of the 5th inning, trailing 1-4, Andre Lipseers hit a ground ball in front of the second baseman with the first and second bases unscathed. Second baseman Tucupita Macano passed the ball to shortstop Bae Ji-hwan. After Bae Ji-hwan stepped on second base, he threw to first base, but an error was made. In the meantime, Jermaine Palacios turned third base and stepped on home base.
Macano played an active role with 2 hits and 1 RBI in 3 at-bats. Nick Gonzalez, who played as a substitute, recorded 2 hits in 2 at-bats and marked a batting average of 0.357 in the demonstration game. Starting pitcher Rich Hill finished the day pitching with 1 run (1 earned), 2 hits, 2 strikeouts and 1 walk in 3 innings.
Bae Ji-hwan was replaced before the defense in the 7th inning. Choi Ji-man, who was sluggish with 11 hits, 2 RBIs and a batting average of 0.091 OPS of 0.265 in 11 at-bats, was absent. Pittsburgh followed with Drew Magee’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, trailing 4-10, but could not score an extra run and lost 7-10.
