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Kang, Choo help MLB clubs to victories

August 24, 2015

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Kang Jung-ho, left, and Texas Rangers outfielder Choo shin-soo. (AP Photos)

(Yonhap) — Two South Korean players in Major League Baseball, Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers, continued their strong play of late on Sunday, helping their respective clubs to victories.

Kang went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI as the Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-2 at PNC Park.

Kang, who launched two homers Saturday, picked up his 46th RBI on Sunday by drawing a bases-loaded walk against the Giants’ starter Ryan Vogelsong in the first inning.

Kang lined a single to left in his next time up in the third, but went hitless the rest of the day.

Kang’s batting .290/.364/.463, and went 6-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs in the four-game series against the Giants.

At 74-48, the Pirates hold down the first wild card spot in the National League and trail the Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals by 3.5 games.

In the American League, the surging Rangers won their third game in a row, beating the Detroit Tigers 4-2, as Choo reached the base three times.

He has now reached safely in 28 consecutive starts.

He was 0-for-1 at the plate, but drew two walks and was hit by a pitch once. He also scored the team’s tying run in the sixth.

He’s batting .242/.340/.422 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs.

The Rangers are clinging to the second wild card spot in the AL, 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels, who got swept in the three-game series by the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays. In the AL West, the Rangers are in second place, four games behind the Houston Astros.