(LEAD) Rays' Choi Ji-man homers for 2nd straight day

All News 11:26 April 14, 2022

(ATTN: ADDS 3rd photo, details in paras 4-5)
By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- Tampa Bay Rays' Choi Ji-man has homered for the second straight day, keeping his bat scorching hot and extending his hitting streak to five games.

The South Korean first baseman smoked a solo home run off Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas in the bottom of the fourth inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday (local time). It was Choi's second home run of the season and second in as many days.

In this Associated Press photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays (C) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas during the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The home run cut the Rays' deficit to 3-1. The ball left Choi's bat at 108.3 miles per hour and traveled 406 feet into the right field seats, according to Statcast.

In this Associated Press photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays (R) is congratulated by teammate Yandy Diaz after hitting a solo home run off Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas during the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Rays lost the game 4-2 and Choi, who batted cleanup, didn't get a hit other than the home run. He popped out to third base in the first inning, and struck out looking in the sixth, and drew a walk in the eighth.

Choi is now batting .563/.667/1.063 in six games this season. He has nine hits, including two homers and two doubles, in 16 at-bats. He is leading the majors in batting average, on-base percentage, and on-base plus slugging percentage.