Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Any questions about Jung Hoo Lee appear to be answered, and just a mere eight games into the season.
Lee, the San Francisco Giants’ dynamic center fielder, missed most of last year after injuring his shoulder slamming into the wall at Oracle Park in May, and many wondered if he needed this season, or a good chunk of it, to learn how to hit big-league pitching. The Giants knew what they had, though: He’s hit third since Day One, he’s batting .321, he’s stealing bases and even handling drives to that wall without hesitation.
Saturday, he delivered his second career three-hit game, combining with Matt Chapman on back-to-back doubles in two different innings to spur San Francisco’s 4-1 victory over the Mariners and push the Giants’ record to 7-1 for the first time since 2003, a year the team won 100 games.
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“I waited for this moment, a very, very precious moment,” Lee said of his return to playing, with Justin Han interpreting. “Every day coming into the ballpark is amazing right now.”
San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, right, steals third next to Seattle Mariners third baseman Dylan Moore during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
A brief back issue during the spring didn’t slow Lee either; he added another stolen base Saturday, taking third with ease in the fourth inning. He has three, and the Giants have 11 steals through eight games for the first time since 1982. More important, though, is his play in center, especially after last year’s injury — he isn’t shying away from anything and he’s showing a particular knack for handling tough drives to the wall with the sun in his eyes.
“Yeah, no fear going back there on defense,” Lee said, adding that the warning track was widened and more padding added in center. “I’m going all in over there right now.”
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After only 37 games last year, Lee’s hot start wasn’t a given, but Chapman said, “I never had a doubt. I know how hard it can be to come back after missing a whole year, so it is impressive that he’s been able to just be so consistent right away, but when you look at his swing and the way he works in the cage, his swing can handle big-league pitching. He stays inside the ball. He’s on time. He’s got a short swing and has power. It’s really fun to hit behind him, he gets on base a lot.”
San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, center, reacts after hitting a double against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Chapman pushed Lee across twice — and since the start of last season, the Giants are 39-12 when Chapman supplies at least one RBI. Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores also drove in runs; Flores’ 11 RBIs lead the team.
On the pitching end, Robbie Ray’s night wasn’t quite the flirtation with perfection he constructed his first outing of the season, when he retired the first 15 Reds batters he faced. Saturday, he walked five and gave up four hits in six innings, but he deftly avoided trouble, allowing just one run and that on a homer by Dylan Moore, his former Seattle teammate.
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“The offspeed stuff was really good, my curveball was sharp tonight, the slider was good, changeup was really good,” Ray said. “I think that allowed me to pitch with my fastball when I really needed it. … I think for the most part, I was just able to keep them off balance.”
San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray throws to a Seattle Mariners batter during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Ray was kicking himself for a second pitch-clock violation in as many starts, especially because it cost him a walk. “I just had a slip up to pre-pitch clock (times), shaking to a pitch that was already called, not really paying attention to the pitch clock in that situation. So that one is on me.”
After the Giants used everyone in the bullpen except Hayden Birdsong in a 10-9 11-inning win the day before, Ray’s ability to fight through six and Birdsong’s two scoreless innings were much needed. Ryan Walker worked the ninth for his third save in three tries.
Before the game, Chapman and Patrick Bailey were presented with their Gold Glove awards; the giveaway Saturday evening was a Chapman Gold Glove bobblehead and thousands of fans were lined up more than three hours before the game in order to snag one. Chapman then made a bang-bang play on a slow roller by J.P. Crawford to end the game.
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“It was definitely tough,” Chapman said. “I kind of had a feeling it was coming; with Walker on the mound, lefties sometimes hit soft dribblers down the line because it’s tough to pick up his ball and it moves a lot. I actually moved right before that pitch, I kind of felt like the ball was going that direction. It was a fun way to fun way to end that game.”
Bailey’s Gold Glove was his first and came in his first full big-league season.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin, right, presents a Gold Glove award to catcher Patrick Bailey before a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
“That position, you’ve got to take defense first,” Melvin said. “There were times he had some really good offensive spurts and times had to go through a little bit of a difficult time offensively, but it never affected his defense, and even in the second half of the year, when we started paying attention to runners a little bit more, the throwing shows up because he’s got such good pop time. There’s a lot to like about him behind the plate, the framing’s off the charts, understanding his pitchers now, too.
“For a young guy who hasn’t been doing this that long, it’s very impressive.”
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Bailey played in the first nine innings of Friday’s 11-inning game before being lifted for a pinch runner, and Melvin decided to give him Saturday’s start off. Sam Huff caught Ray’s start and several during the spring “and Robbie had a good spring so there’s some confidence on both sides with that,” Melvin said.
Huff, in limited time, has yet to get his bat going. He went hitless in two at-bats and is now 0 for 10 overall with five strikeouts; Bailey pinch hit for him in the sixth and flied out with two on.
Jesse Hahn, who spent three seasons with the A’s under Melvin, appeared in his first big-league game since April 11, 2021; he had shoulder impingement surgery that season. He was called up Saturday with Seattle’s bullpen as thin as San Francisco’s after Friday’s game and threw two scoreless innings.
“This is just pure joy,” the 35-year-old said. “I’ve worked really hard for this. This is what I wanted to do, so I just worked and waited. It took me off guard — I’ve got all the emotions.”
Reach Susan Slusser: [email protected]; X: @susanslusser
