Sports Briefs

BASEBALL

Mariners’ Lee goes hitless in first game back from minors

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners moved back up to the majors on Saturday but went hitless during the team’s 9-3 loss against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

After the All-Star break, Lee struggled on the plate with his timing in batting and was relegated to the minors for tune-up with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners’ Triple-A Minor League affiliate in Tacoma, Washington. Lee had a successful remedial trip in Tacoma, batting .519/.552/.889 in seven games in the minors.

The 34-year-old slugger replaced reliever Tom Wilhelmsen on the roster after the pitcher was put on the Mariners’ disabled list for a back injury.

After he was called up, Lee was immediately put into the game, batting seventh and playing on first base. But he went 0-for-3 before he was replaced by Adam Lind.

Elsewhere in Major League Baseball, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles went 2-for-5 against the New York Yankees on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This is the fourth straight game in which Kim has had at least one hit. He is batting .321 as of Saturday.

The Yankees, though, defeated the Orioles 13-5.

By Choi Hyung-jo

Korean Little League team advances to championship

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania - Choi You-bin struck out 14 and Korea beat Panama 7-2 Saturday to reach the championship game of the Little League World Series.

The Asia-Pacific Region champs won the international bracket. They will try for their first title Sunday against the Endwell, New York, a 4-2 winner over Goodlettsville, Tennessee, later Saturday in the U.S. championship.

Choi gave up six hits in six innings.

“I started with having confidence with the players behind me and all the defensive players and all the offensive players did really good,” Choi said through a translator. ”So I felt very comfortable pitching because of my teammates.”

Kwon Se-um and Kim Jae-kyeong hit two-run homers and Cho Won-tae also connected for Korea (4-0).

“I’m really satisfied with today’s result,” Korea Manager Ji Hee-su said through a translator. “We thought the second inning was an early chance and the pitcher was out of control at that time. Our hitters really did a good job.”

Carlos Gonzalez had three hits for the Latin American Region champions.

South Korea scored five runs in the second to take charge, starting when Choi Min-ho doubled and scored on Lee Jun-hyeok’s single. Kwon then homered off Joaquin Tejada, and Kim homered off Esmith Pineda.

Choi had retired six of seven batters before giving up a hit to begin the fourth. Edwar Bethancourth had an RBI single in the fifth.

“We tried very hard to win the game, facing a great team,” Panama manager Luis Gonzalez said.

AP