After two outs in the top of the ninth inning, which was being dragged by a one-run gap, Kim Ha-sung’s pulled ball stretched toward the left fence. Left field ran, but he couldn’t catch it, and the ball crossed the fence. Kim Ha-sung was enjoying the emotion of hitting a tie home run around the base.
However, after a while, the referee instructed Kim Ha-sung to return to second base. The decision was corrected with a recognition double. 안전놀이터
It happened at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 12th (Korea time). With no runners on with two outs in the top of the ninth inning when the San Diego Padres were being dragged 6-7, Kim Ha-sung hit a double that directly hit the left fence. The hit, which initially appeared to be a home run, was corrected to a recognized double, and the next batter, Luis Campusano, struck out and the game ended with San Diego’s one-run loss. San Diego stopped its seven-game winning streak and ended its Eastern expedition.
As it turned out, Kim Ha-sung’s hit didn’t go over the fence at once. He hit the ball over the fence and fell, and was hit by the glove of the left fielder before going over the fence. Strange hit. However, according to baseball rules, such situation is not a home run but a recognition double.
Kim Ha-sung, the main character of the hit, also turned around the base looking near the left fence as if he was curious about the exact situation. CBS Sports said, “When a fielder directly touches a flying ball and lets it cross the fence, it is a home run. However, this case is different. It was judged as a double because the ball touched the fence first.”
San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt, who ended his winning streak after losing the opportunity to tie the game, said, “(The referees) did not give any explanation. He just said that it was corrected to an admitted double. According to the rules, if you are hit by a fence and hit by a fielder, it is a double.” “I agree with the rules or not, it was a right decision. It feels like a home run, but the rules are different.”
However, the atmosphere of the team was different again as they lost the chance to continue their winning streak. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported, “The clubhouse was quiet. Kim Ha-sung rejected the request for an interview out of anger and disappointment.”
Kim Ha-sung’s hit flew 376 feet (114.6 meters) at 99.4 miles (159.9 kilometers) per hour. At 18 of the 30 stadiums in the Major League, it was a homerun. Even if it was Petco Park, it was a homerun. However, he was a little shy at Rondipo Park. Although he missed his 11th homer of this season, he had one hit in four at-bats for a third consecutive game and got on base for five consecutive games.
The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, displayed the potential to keep up with the game, which had been losing 0-5. While starting pitcher Dylan Shees struggled with allowing five runs (two earned runs) in five innings, the team also had additional runs in the bullpen.
Instead, he threatened Miami with Luis Aras’ three-for-four performance and Donovan Solano’s pinch-hit homerun in the eighth inning. Kim Ha-sung also joined the match with a homerun double, but failed to smile at the end.