Kim Ha-sung of the San Diego Padres in the U.S. Major League Baseball hit a multi-hit in the last game of the first half and enters the All-Star break in a good mood.
Kim Ha-sung started as the first batter and second baseman in the 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the New York Mets at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on the 10th (Korea Standard Time) and scored two hits and one run in four at-bats, helping his team win 6-2.
Kim Ha-sung was out in the process of hitting a long ball and running to third base against the Mets on the 8th. Opposition third baseman Luis Guillermo failed to touch the base completely as he tagged after pushing Kim Ha-sung’s foot.
Kim Ha-sung could not hide his regret after the out decision was made. After returning to the dugout, he reacted angrily as he kicked the bucket. In the process, he suffered a minor injury to his right foot and decided to play the game the next day.
Fortunately, Kim Ha-sung was diagnosed with no abnormality in the hospital examination and played normally in the game on the 10th. From his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, he got on base with a left-handed hit against Mets starter Max Scherzer and got off to a fresh start.
San Diego was able to catch the early flow with Fernando Tatis Jr.’s double and Manny Machado’s preemptive three-run home run while Kim Ha-sung played the leadoff role.
Kim Ha-sung added one more hit in 메이저토토 the bottom of the sixth inning with one out and a runner on first base. He made a multi-hit game by sending a powerful three-way ball against changed pitcher T.J. McFarland.
The defense was also perfect. In the top of the fifth inning with two outs and no runner, Metz Brandon Nemo caught a missed ambiguous ball and ended the inning with a smooth glove toss.
Kim Ha-sung’s season batting average rose from 0.255 to 0.258 (71 hits in 275 at-bats). He solidified his position in the team this year, which marks his third year in the big league, by showing a strong hit with 10 home runs, 31 RBIs and 16 steals with OPS 0.760 and even the top second base defense in the Major League.
San Diego recruited Xander Bogartz for a 10-year total of $280 million (about 365.2 billion won) in the FA (free contract) market after the end of last season. In the process, Kim Ha-sung, the main shortstop in 2022, moved his position from shortstop to second baseman.
Kim Ha-sung’s change of position has been very successful so far. His unique wide and stable defense has become more solid, and batting and base running are also considered above the big league average.
Rumors of a trade to other teams that need shortstop resources have been steadily raised ahead of the opening of this season, but as a result, it has become a win-win for both Kim Ha-sung and San Diego.
Kim Ha-sung proved that he is a player who calculates not only defense but also batting while playing all infield positions. San Diego is having a harder time building wins than last year, and without Kim Ha-sung, he would have been virtually completely pushed out of the postseason competition in the first half.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-sung will take a break until the 14th and start his second half of the game with the Philadelphia Phillies on the 15th.