Two Koreans homer in majors

Two South Korean hitters each hit a home run in the majors, though both of the shots came in losses.

Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers hit a leadoff home run in a 2-1 loss to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium Thursday (local time). Later in the day, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles homered for the second straight game, launching a solo shot against host Seattle Mariners, but his team still dropped the game 5-3.

In New York, Choo hit his fourth of the season and first against a right-hander. The shot off Michael Pineda was Choo's 18th career leadoff home run.

Choo went hitless the rest of the game, and his 1-for-4 day saw his batting average dip slightly from .273 to .272.

Choo, who battled calf and hamstring injuries earlier in the season, has only played in 22 of the Rangers' 80 games so far.

Later in the American League (AL), Kim, batting second and playing left field, belted his third home run of the season against Taijuan Walker in the top of the seventh at Safeco Field. The solo shot cut the Orioles' deficit to 4-1.

Lee Dae-ho, South Korean first baseman batting sixth for the Mariners, knocked in an insurance run in the bottom seventh on a fielder's choice. It was his second RBI of the game, the first having come in the three-run fifth.

Kim picked up his second RBI with a single in the eighth, and the Orioles added another run in the frame to make it 5-3 Seattle.

The Orioles, though, couldn't get any closer, as Seattle closer Steve Cishek slammed the door on them with a four-out save. The defeat snapped the Orioles' seven-game winning streak.

Kim's home run gave the Orioles 56 long balls in June, a major league record for that particular month.

Lee, who has been platooning at first base with Adam Lind, made his eighth straight start.

In another AL game, the Minnesota Twins benched their slumping South Korean infielder Park Byung-ho for the second straight game.

The Twins lost to the host Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field 6-5, as Park watched from the dugout. The first baseman/designated hitter is batting .191 this season, after a dismal 9-for-66 (.136) month of June.

Park appears to be a prime candidate to be sent down to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Miguel Sano, who's expected to return from a minor league rehab stint in the coming days.

Park does have 12 home runs, good for second on the Twins, but hasn't hit one since June 18. It remains his last hit. (Yonhap)