Choi Ji-man hits his first postseason home run

Tampa Bay Rays’ Choi Ji-man, 28, hit a homer off Zack Greinke, who has 200 major-league victories, helping his team win the match against the Houston Astros.

The South Korean infielder blasted a solo homer off the Astros’ Zack Greinke in Game 3 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on Tuesday. In the bottom of the third inning, Choi swung on a 2-2 changeup over the right fence at Tropicana Field. It was Choi’s first postseason homerun and second postseason homer as a South Korean infielder following Choo Shin-soo. Greinke, who had played for the Dodgers with Ryu Hyun-jin, won the Cy Young Award in 2009 and has a win-loss record of 205-123. He is currently tied for fourth in the majors with 18 wins this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays won the game 10-3 with the help of Choi’s homer, changing the tide in the best-of-five series after losing the first two games against the Astros. The Astros said Justin Verlander, who won Game 1, will start Game 4 against against the Rays.

The participating teams of the 2019 National League Championship Series (CS) will be determined in Game 5s of the NLDS. The Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 with the lead of their starter Max Scherzer, who pitched seven innings allowing one run, to force Game 5. It remains to be seen if Ryu Hyun-jin, who said after Game 3 that he is willing to come out of the bullpen in Game 5, will make his first postseason relief appearance in Game 5.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com