Kim Ha-sung (San Diego) hit his 16th home run of the season against "KBO reverse export ace" Merrill Kelly (Arizona). Kim Ha-sung has four home runs left on 20 home runs and 20 steals, the first home run in 15 games.
Kim Ha-sung started as the first batter and third baseman in the first game of the "2023 Major League" Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on the 20th. In preparation for a doubleheader, Manny Machado came out as a designated hitter, and "all-round utility" Kim Ha-sung took over the hot corner. At-bat, he recorded one hit (home run) in five at-bats, one strikeout, and one RBI. Two consecutive hits and RBIs.
His season record was .280. With 16 home runs and 27 steals, he is approaching 20 home runs and 20 steals. If he hits four more home runs in 38 games, he will become the first Asian infielder to hit 20-20 batters. It is not an easy but impossible record. 토토사이트
San Diego lost 4-6. In the last attack, he got a chance to get first and second base with no outs and looked for a tie, but the top batting order was silent.
The Arizona starting pitcher on this day was Kelly, a "reverse export myth" who became a major leaguer after playing for the SK Wyverns (formerly the SSG Landers) for four years from 2015 to 2018. Kim Ha-sung hit a home run from the first inning in a pitching and hitting showdown with a former KBO League player. It was his 16th homer of the season and his 5th leadoff homer. It is the third homerun by the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first inning.
Kim Ha-sung hit a four-seam fastball of 91 miles per hour (about 146.4 kilometers) on the second pitch at the ball count 1-0. It was a ball that came a little higher in the strike zone. The batting speed was 101.3 miles (about 170.0km) hard hit, and the distance was 378 feet (115.2m). Kim Ha-sung, who has already hit 20 steals with 27 steals, can now join the 20-20 club if he hits four more home runs. San Diego has 38 games left.
Kim Ha-sung was weak against Kelly in the KBO League with a batting average of 0.207 (6 hits in 29 at-bats). Although he had a home run, he had a hard time against Kelly enough to strike out eight times. In the Major League Baseball, he met twice before the game on the 20th and recorded one hit and one walk in four at-bats in five at-bats. He hit a home run in the game on September 7 last year.
It was even more valuable because it was a home run by the leadoff hitter in a situation where he was being dragged 0-2. San Diego starter Matt Waldron gave up three hits and one walk in the first inning alone and allowed two runs. He gave up a double to Corbin Carroll and was in crisis from the start, but hit a timely hit in a row after two outs. Rudes Gurriel Jr. and Alec Thomas had RBIs.
Kim Ha-sung's home run had the effect of reversing the sagging atmosphere. San Diego immediately recovered from its inferiority in the first inning by hitting a home run following Kim Ha-sung and Machado.
In the ensuing at-bat, he failed to get on base against Kelly. In the second inning, he hit a grounder to second base with two outs and runners on first and second base. San Diego's opportunity was canceled as first baseman Trent Grisham was forced out of second base. In the fifth inning, he came out as the leadoff hitter and struck out swinging.
He struck out three pitches. After watching Kelly's curve on the first pitch, he hit the cutter for the second time, but it became a foul. In the third pitch, a four-seam fastball outside came out with a swing.
In the meantime, San Diego lost the lead to Arizona again. Taken by Tommy Pam, who played for San Diego in 2020 and 2021. Waldron lost a point in the third and fifth innings because he couldn't stop Pam. Giving up a triple to leadoff hitter Pam in the third inning led to a run. Matt Carpenter's timely hit tied the score 3-3, but allowed Pam a two-run home run in the fifth inning, putting her in a disadvantage of 3-5. In the sixth inning, Gerardo Perdomo's sacrifice fly widened the score to 3-6.
Kim Ha-sung met Arizona's third pitcher Kevin Ginkel in the bottom of the seventh inning when he was being dragged by three points. When Kim Ha-sung's at-bat came, Arizona lowered left-handed pitcher Kyle Nelson and put Ginkel in. Watching the first and second pitches, Kim Ha-sung calmly picked out the ball and made a full count. However, the results were not good. Following the slider for the seventh pitch, a missed ball came out and stepped down with a fly ball to the second baseman.
He missed a golden opportunity in the ninth inning when he was trailing 4-6. With one out and runners on second and third base, he had a 3-1 advantage over Paul Seawald, but his fifth pitch became a foul. He threw a bat on a six-ball, 94-mile four-seam fastball, but it became a fly ball to the first baseman.
San Diego resisted until the end. Fernando Tatis Jr. walked on base and created a chance to turn the bases loaded with two outs. Juan Soto hit a fly ball to left field and the game ended. A well-hit ball was caught on the warring track. San Diego players, who expected more than a tie, began preparing for the next game with regret.
Meanwhile, the second game of the two teams' doubleheader on the 20th will be held at 9:40 a.m. San Diego announced Darvish Yu as a starter.