'With' Kim Hye-sung, it's crazy! A fantastic throw to home plate stopped the comeback, followed by a multi-hit explosion and a clutch RBI hit... LAD ultimately suffered a defeat, pushing the Cubs to a 10-game winning streak [LAD Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Hye-sung (27, LA Dodgers) sent a clear signal in the race for a starting spot by recording multi-hit games and RBIs on consecutive days while also delivering spectacular defensive plays.

On the 25th (Korean time), Kim Hye-sung started at the eighth spot in the batting order and at shortstop in the home game against the Chicago Cubs in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, recording 3 at-bats, 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 stolen base, and 1 caught stealing.

It was truly a crazy performance. Kim Hye-sung was involved in every Dodgers scoring moment. He led off the bottom of the third inning with a double to center field, opening the scoring. He immediately stole second base, putting pressure on the opposing battery, and scored on Will Smith's three-run home run to left-center field.

Kim Hye-sung also recorded RBIs in two consecutive games. In the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on second, he drove a changeup that dropped outside to his right, resulting in a one-RBI single to center field. He failed to reach base again after a caught stealing and a groundout to first base. However, Kim Hye-sung continued his upward trend, raising his regular-season batting average from 0.324 to 0.351 and his OPS (on-base plus slugging) from 0.886 to 0.918.

He also received applause for a spectacular throw to home plate in defense. In the top of the eighth inning with one out and a runner on first, the score was tied 4-4 when Moises Ballesteros hit a massive two-run double that struck the wall in left-center field. Dodgers center fielder Andy Paredes threw the ball into the infield, and Kim Hye-sung fielded it and quickly and accurately threw it home.

The ball Kim Hye-sung threw bounced once directly in front of the catcher, and Will Smith tagged out runner Ian Happ, preventing the Cubs from staging a comeback. However, despite Kim Hye-sung's outstanding performance, the Dodgers suffered a comeback loss, 4-6, after giving up a three-run home run to Dansby Swanson in the top of the ninth inning with no outs and a runner on first.

In stark contrast, Ohtani showed a slump. Two days prior, in his own start, he went 0-for-4 in four at-bats, remaining hitless and ending his 53-game consecutive on-base streak. On this day, he went 0-for-3 with one walk and three strikeouts, falling into a slump with no hits in 11 at-bats over three consecutive games. Ohtani's regular-season batting average has now dropped to 0.237, and his OPS has fallen to 0.794.

The Dodgers' comeback loss also dimmed the shine on starting pitcher Emmet Shehan's strong outing of 6 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks (1 walk, 1 hit-by-pitch), striking out 10, and allowing 1 earned run, as well as on Smith's performance of 4 at-bats, 1 hit (1 home run), 3 RBIs, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.

The Cubs' starting pitcher, Jameson Taillon, struggled, pitching 5 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, striking out 4, and allowing 4 earned runs. However, the team avoided defeat thanks to their offense. In the lineup, Alex Bregman went 2-for-5 with 1 home run, 1 RBI, 1 run, and 2 strikeouts; Michael Bush went 2-for-5 with 2 strikeouts; and Swanson led the team to a 10-game winning streak with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including a go-ahead home run, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, and 1 strikeout.

The Dodgers' lineup for the day was Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Kyle Tucker (right fielder), Teoscar Hernandez (left fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Andy Paredes (center fielder), Kim Hye-sung (shortstop), and Alex Freeland (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Emmet Shehan.

The Cubs countered with a lineup of Nico Hoerner (second baseman), Michael Bush (first baseman), Alex Bregman (third baseman), Ian Happ (left fielder), Seiya Suzuki (right fielder), Moises Ballesteros (designated hitter), Carson Kelly (catcher), Pete Crow-Armstrong (center fielder), and Dansby Swanson (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Jameson Taillon.

Kim Hye-sung signaled the start of a big inning. In his first at-bat in the top of the third inning, he hit Taillon's 91.7 mph fastball squarely, resulting in a double to center field. He then attempted a steal of second base, successfully recording his fifth steal of the season.

Freeland walked after a full count, and Ohtani struck out swinging. Freeman was out on a fly ball to center field, but Smith's bat connected with the air. It was a go-ahead three-run home run that cleared the left-center field wall by a wide margin. Smith's third home run of the season.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Dodgers leading 3-0, Kim Hye-sung experienced both joy and sorrow. With two outs and a runner on second, he skillfully drove a changeup that dropped outside from Taillon, resulting in a one-RBI single to center field, extending the Dodgers' lead to 4-0.

However, another attempt to steal second base was thwarted by Kelly's strong arm, ending the inning. This was Kim Hye-sung's first caught stealing of the season. Despite the Dodgers' starting pitcher Shehan suppressing the Cubs' batters with excellent pitching, he could not finish the seventh inning. He struck out Suzuki on a fly ball to shortstop, gave up a single to Ballesteros on a ground ball to left field, and was then replaced by Alex Bae.

Bae got Kelly out on a fly ball to right field but walked Crow-Armstrong, creating a dangerous situation. He then immediately gave up a triple to Swanson and a single to Hoerner, surrendering three runs in an instant. He barely ended the inning by striking out Bush swinging.

Dave Roberts, the Dodgers' manager, ultimately brought trouble upon himself with his complacent pitching change. In the top of the eighth inning, Traynen allowed a solo home run to leadoff hitter Bregman to left-center field, tying the game 4-4. Despite giving up a single to Happ on a ground ball to left field and a two-run double to Ballesteros that struck the center field wall, no change was made. Fortunately, Kim Hye-sung's accurate and quick throw to home plate stopped the comeback.

In the end, the Cubs, riding their momentum, succeeded in taking the lead. Against reliever Tanner Scott in the top of the ninth inning, leadoff hitter Crow-Armstrong hit a single to left field. Swanson hit a three-run home run to left field, and the Dodgers could not recover, ending the game with a Cubs victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.