"Finally, it exploded": Kim Hye-sung's first home run ignites the game, while Ohtani's "KKKKKKKKKK" performance perfectly secured his second win.

*This content was translated by AI.

Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Kim Hye-sung (27) hit his first home run of the season. On the mound, Shohei Ohtani, who did not bat, focused solely on pitching and recorded 10 strikeouts, showcasing overwhelming dominance to secure his second win of the season. The Dodgers achieved a three-game winning streak.

Kim Hye-seong started at shortstop and batted eighth in the 2026 MLB regular-season home game against the New York Mets at the Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, on the 16th (Korean time), recording one hit (one home run), two RBIs, one run scored, and three strikeouts in four at-bats.

Kim Hye-sung's performance for the season after today's game includes 8 games played, a batting average of 0.280 (5 hits in 18 at-bats), 1 home run, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 4 runs scored, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts, 1 stolen base (0 caught stealing), an on-base percentage of 0.391, a slugging percentage of 0.500, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.891.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani take the mound as the starting pitcher. The batting order was Kyle Tucker (right field), Freddie Freeman (first base), Will Smith (catcher), Teoscar Hernandez (left field), Max Muncy (third base), Andy Pages (center field), Dolton Rissing (designated hitter), Kim Hye-seong (shortstop), and Alex Freeland (second base).

The New York Mets started with Clay Holmes as the pitcher. The starting lineup was arranged as follows: Francisco Lindor (shortstop), Luis Robert (center fielder), Brett Baty (first baseman), Bo Bichette (third baseman), Francisco Alvarez (catcher), Carson Benji (right fielder), Marcus Semien (second baseman), M.J. Melendez (designated hitter), and Tommy Pham (left fielder).

Kim Hye-seong was substituted as a pinch hitter immediately after left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley, who previously played for the Lotte Giants in the KBO League, took the mound, despite having reached base in the previous day's (15th) game. Kim, who seemed determined to erase that disappointment, swung his bat sharply from his first at-bat.

Kim Hye-sung's home run was hit in the bottom of the second inning while both teams were locked at 0-0. With two outs, Rushing hit a double to right-center field, creating an opportunity. Kim Hye-sung then stepped up to the plate and gained a favorable count of 2 balls and 1 strike against Holmes. On Holmes' fourth pitch, Kim Hye-sung did not miss a 94.4 mph (approximately 151.9 km/h) sinker that was driven into the strike zone, instead crushing it squarely for a two-run home run that soared over the right-center field wall.

This home run was Kim Hye-sung's first of the season, recorded just eight games after his call-up to the major leagues, and marked his fourth career home run on the major league stage, having debuted there last year.

However, Kim Hye-seong struck out in all three of her subsequent at-bats, leaving her with a sense of regret. In the fourth inning, she recorded a three-pitch strikeout with two outs and a runner on second base. In the sixth inning, she again struck out on a fourth-pitch swing-and-miss with two outs and a runner on second base. In the eighth inning, with Rushing hitting a bases-loaded home run just before her at-bat, bringing in all the runners, she stepped up to the plate with no outs as the fourth batter. However, she was out once again on a fourth-pitch swing-and-miss strikeout, bowing her head in disappointment.

Meanwhile, on the mound, the resurrection of "the god of baseball" Shohei Ohtani stood out. Ohtani, who had not started a game since 2021 due to being hit by a pitch in the previous match, made his first start as a pitcher in nearly five years. Ohtani delivered a dominant performance, allowing just two hits over six innings (two walks, one run) while striking out 10 batters. He especially silenced the Mets batters with fastballs clocked at a top speed of 100.4 mph (approximately 161.6 km/h). Ultimately, the Dodgers secured an 8-2 victory, giving Ohtani his second win of the season and lowering his earned run average to 0.50.

That day, the Dodgers opened the scoring with a two-run home run by Kim Hye-sung, then widened the gap with a solo home run by Teoscar Hernandez in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, they added five runs on a bases-loaded home run by Rasmus and a solo home run by Kyle Tucker, securing the victory. The Mets' starter, Holmes, held the line for seven innings allowing only two runs, but the bullpen he relied on collapsed in the eighth. In particular, Raley surrendered the go-ahead run, once again facing a bitter defeat.

With this victory, the Dodgers swept all three home games against the Mets. The Dodgers, with a season record of 14 wins and 4 losses, maintained their sole lead in the National League West division. Meanwhile, the Mets fell into a seven-game losing streak.

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*This content was translated by AI.