For the second straight game, Ha-Sung Kim (28, San Diego Padres) put together a multi-hit performance and an insane defensive effort, proving once again why the San Diego home fans chant his name every time he steps up to the plate.
On Sunday (July 17), Kim batted eighth and started at second base for the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) home game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA, and went 2-for-4 with a double. It was the second consecutive two-hit game for Kim, who also had a multi-hit performance against the Cleveland Indians the day before. His season batting average improved to .244.
Kim led off the bottom of the third inning with a single. He took three pitches on a 1-1 pitch count against Shane McClanahan and lined one straight to third base. In the fifth inning, Kim led off with a triple, but was unable to get the ball past the pitcher.
Kim’s first hit came in the bottom of the seventh inning with the team trailing 1-6. The bases were loaded. Kim entered the game, and the 40,000-strong home crowd started chanting “Ha Sung Kim. The San Diego home fans applauded Kim for his hustle play. Here, Kim faced Tampa Bay reliever Zack Littell and hit a line drive that dropped in front of the center fielder. However, he couldn’t get a follow-up hit to bring him home.
Kim batted fourth in the bottom of the ninth inning with his team trailing 2-6. With the bases loaded and one out, Kim faced Shawn Armstrong. After a full count, he took eight pitches to complete his multi-hit game with a single to right field. Pinch-hitter Lugned O’Dowd then drew a walk to load the bases, but Fernando Tatis Jr. struck out to end the threat.
The eventual 2-6 loss snapped a three-game losing streak for San Diego. With a 33-37 record, the Padres remain in fourth place in the National League West. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, went on a four-game winning streak to improve to 52-22 on the season. Their win-loss margin is +30 and their winning percentage is a whopping .703. They are in first place in the American League East.
At the plate, Ha-Sung Kim has shown a lot of promise. His defense has been insane. In the top of the fourth inning, the bases were loaded. Tampa Bay first baseman Randy Arozanera boldly stole second base, and San Diego catcher Gary Sanchez made a strong throw to second. The throw was accurate enough that Kim Ha-seong caught it and automatically tagged Arozanera. The play was initially ruled safe, but after video review, it was overturned as an out.
As it turns out, Arozarenas slid and touched Kim’s left foot instead of the base. It was as if Arozarenas mistook Kim’s foot for a base, but Kim didn’t make an unsportsmanlike play by spiking the base. Arozarena shook his head, laughed, and headed for the dugout before the video replay came back. Kim’s quick and precise tag stood out.
An even better defensive play came in the top of the fifth inning with the team trailing 0-3. The bases were loaded with no outs. Yandy Diaz hit a grounder to second base against San Diego starter Darvish. Kim Ha-seong, who caught the ball, didn’t just mechanically throw to first base, but deftly turned and threw to third. It was a bold throw to catch Jose Ciri running to third base. If the throw hit Ciri’s body, it could have been a disastrous play.
But Kim’s throw was perfectly directed. He threw safely enough for the third baseman to extend his glove with his left hand and make the catch, which allowed third baseman Manny Machado to tag Siri out. Kim’s split-second judgment and precise throw shined through. In the top of the ninth inning, Kim also showed off his ironclad defense with a tag out to prevent Walls from stealing second base.스포츠토토
Earlier in the day, Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo shot to left field by leadoff hitter Paredes. In the fourth, a leadoff double by Reilly and an RBI single to left by Arozarena made it 2-0. The Rays put the game out of reach with a four-run fifth inning. Walls led off with a double up the middle and Syrie followed with a single to right. Two batters later, Reilly doubled and Arozarena hit a three-run arch over the left field fence. The score was 6-0. San Diego scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but couldn’t put the game away. San Diego starter Darvish was saddled with the loss, allowing six runs (six earned) on eight hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings (88 pitches).