Kim Ha-sung (29, San Diego Padres) showed the essence of foot baseball for the first time in a long time.
In a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the “2024 Major League Baseball” held at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 22nd (Korea time), Kim Ha-sung started as the sixth batter and recorded two walks and one point from two times at bat. His batting average for this season fell from 0.232 to 0.226. San Diego came from behind to win 6-3 and recorded 12 wins and 12 losses in the season, matching its winning rate of 50%.
San Diego has sought to overcome its third consecutive loss. Starting pitchers Zander Bogaerts (second baseman), Fernando Tatis Jr., (right fielder), Jake Cronenworth (first baseman), Manny Machado (designated hitter), Jurickson Profar (left fielder), Kim Ha-sung (striker), Jackson Merrill (center fielder), Luis Campusano (catcher) and Tyler Wade (third baseman) were Zoe Musgrove.
The starting pitcher for Toronto was Chris Bash. Bash was an ace pitcher with 33 games, 16 wins (eight losses), 200 innings and a 3.60 ERA last year. Bash was not able to impress the San Diego Padres lineup on the day. He had only six hits (one homer) and three walks, four strikeouts and four runs (two earned runs) in five ⅓ innings, and ended up with his third loss (two wins) this season.
Musgrove continued its quality start streak for two consecutive games. He had five hits (two homers) and three strikeouts and three runs in seven innings, securing his third win (two losses) of this season.
Kim Ha-sung challenged for a hit in six consecutive games. From the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 16th to the game against Toronto on the 21st, Kim Ha-sung maintained a good batting performance as he continued his five-game hitting streak. He did not have multiple hits during this period, but he did his part as a center hitter by producing five RBIs.
The San Diego Padres scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning. Two outs later, Cronenworth got on base with a hit, and Machado hit a hit to the right. At that time, right fielder George Springer failed to catch the ball immediately and rolled it to the front of the fence, and Cronenworth, the first baseman, scored a point to make the score 1-0. With Profar getting a walk with two outs and runners on the first and third bases, Kim Ha-sung took the batter’s box for the first time. At this time, Profar tried to pressure the Toronto battery more by stealing the second base, but the inning ended when the Bash team checked out Profar, who had a wide lead at the second base. 유흥알바
San Diego’s lead did not last long. In the top of the second inning, Musgrove was hit by Davis Schneider’s solo shot to the left-center wall with two outs, making it 1-1.
Kim Ha-sung faced his first at-bat as a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second inning, but he managed to overcome regret as he only hit a grounder to the second base. He hit Bash’s sixth curveball with a ball count of 2-2, but failed to hit a regular hit.
Since then, there has been a home run derby. In the top of the third inning, Toronto turned the game around 1-2 with Ernie Clement’s solo shot on the left side. Then, in the bottom of the third inning, Bogartz countered with a solo shot on the left side, tying the game 2-2.
Kim Ha-sung faced his second at-bat with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. He hit Bashit’s fourth sinker with a ball count of 1-2, but failed to produce another hit when he stepped down due to a fly ball to shortstop.
Kim Ha-sung contributed to San Diego’s come-from-behind victory in his third at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. After one out, San Diego had a chance to hit Machado and walk to the first and second bases with one out, and Toronto replaced the mound with Trevor Richarz at the batter’s box. Kim Ha-sung calmly got a walk from the changed pitcher Richarz to load the bases with one out. When the next batter Merrill hit a grounder to the pitcher, Machado was out at home, and the flow was cut off once, but with two outs and a bases-loaded walk, Campusano got a push-off walk and took the lead again 3-2. Wade then got on base due to catcher’s interference with batting, and succeeded in pushing it away again, and third baseman Kim Ha-sung scored and made it 4-2.
Toronto Blue Jays’ counterattack was not easy. With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Justin Turner hit a dune and Dalton Basho hit a double to the second and third bases with one out. Then, while Schneider grounded out to shortstop, Turner scored a run to narrow the gap to 4-3.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the team scored an extra point to seal its victory. At the center of the drive was Kim Ha-sung. Kim got a walk as the leadoff hitter and started shaking the Toronto battery with his feet when Merrill stepped down due to a fly ball to the center field. When Capusano was at bat with one out, Kim not only stole the second base but also stole the third base, changing the situation to a third base with one out. He stole his fifth and sixth base in this season. The scene showed his potential with 38 steals last year. Thanks to this, Kampusano drew a walk, and Wade got on base with a walk, leading to a chance to get the bases loaded with one out. When Bogaerts was given a walk, third baseman Kim Ha-sung scored a run and ran away 5-3. With the bases loaded with one out, Tatis Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to the left field, sealing the 6-3 win.