Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners belted his first home run in the United States in preseason action on Monday.
Lee hit a solo shot off Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Matt Reynolds in the bottom eighth of their Cactus League game in Peoria, Arizona.
Lee replaced Adam Lind at first base to start the sixth inning and took Lind’s fifth spot in the order. Then in his lone at bat, Lee took a 1-2 offering from Reynolds over the left field wall to cut the Mariners’ deficit to 10-7.
He turned a double play in the top ninth, but hit into one himself in the bottom ninth.
With two men aboard and the Mariners down 10-8, Lee represented the go-ahead run at the plate, but grounded into a rally-killing, 4-6-3 double play. The Mariners ended up losing the game 10-8.
Lee ended the game 1-for-2. He’s batting 2-for-5 for spring.
The South Korean slugger signed a minor league deal with the Mariners last month with an invitation to spring training. The 2015 Japan Series MVP, who has also won a regular season MVP in the Korea Baseball Organization, is trying to make the M’s 25-man roster.
Lind, a left-handed hitting veteran, is expected to serve as the Mariners’ primary first baseman, and Lee is battling other right-handed hitters to be Lind’s backup. (Yonhap)
