The Korea Herald

소아쌤

Pirates' Kang Jung-ho hits 4th homer of season

By KH디지털2

Published : May 16, 2016 - 11:12

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Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates belted his fourth home run of the season in a road win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday (local time).

Batting sixth and playing third base, Kang launched a solo shot off Hector Rondon to left center with one out in the top of the ninth at Wrigley Field. The blast put the Bucs up 2-0, and they held on to win 2-1.

The Cubs cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the ninth against closer Mark Melancon but stranded a man at second to fall by a run.

Kang drove in both runs for the Pirates. He gave them the lead with a two-out double in the seventh before providing the insurance run in the ninth.

Kang, who made his season debut on May 6 after recovering from serious leg injuries, now has four home runs and eight RBIs in eight games. He's batting .292 in the young season after his 2-for-4 day.

This was the first time Kang played in three straight games since coming back from the injuries.

Elsewhere in the majors, Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins delivered two hits and scored twice in the team's 5-1 road victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Batting cleanup for the second time in his rookie season, the first baseman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for his seventh multi-hit game of the year, raising his batting average from .248 to .257. He has hit safely in three straight games.

The Twins have won two straight games to improve to 10-26, becoming the last American League club to reach double figures in victories.

Park led off the second inning with a double off the Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, his fifth two-bagger of the season, and came around to score on Eddie Rosario's single.

After striking out in the fourth and in the sixth, Park got his second hit of the game in the ninth, a blooper off Jeff Manship that landed in no man's land in shallow center.

Park moved to second on a single by Jorge Polanco, and Rosario drove both of them home with a triple to give the Twins a 5-1 lead.

The Indians got a pair of two-out singles in the bottom ninth but failed to cash them in. (Yonhap)