'Filling the Empty Seat' Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong, 'First Triple of the Season' with 7th Multi-hit... 'Pahes 3-Home Run Explosion' 12-2 Decisive Victory [LAD Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Hye-seong (27, LA Dodgers) continues to seize opportunities and assert his presence amidst consecutive injuries to key players.

On the 7th (Korean time), Kim Hye-seong started as the leadoff shortstop in an away game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, recording 2 hits in 5 at-bats with 1 run scored, including his first triple of the season.

As a result, his season batting average rose from 0.308 to 0.314 (70 at-bats, 22 hits), while his on-base percentage and slugging percentage increased from 0.370 and 0.400 to 0.372 and 0.429, respectively. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) reached 0.801.

In the top of the first inning, Houston's Bryce Matthews hit a low sinker from Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow toward the body, launching a solo home run to left field for the first run.

Kim Hye-seong stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first with the team trailing 0-1. After Kyle Tucker's double and Dalton Rushing's single put runners on first and third, Houston starter Lance McCullers committed a wild pitch, tying the game 1-1. With two outs and a runner on second, Kim Hye-seong swung at a low knuckle curve on a 2-1 count but was retired on a fly ball to right field.

Trouble arose before the second inning. Tyler Glasnow, known for his fragile body, felt discomfort in his back while warming up and was removed from the game. Fortunately, according to Dodgers Nation, manager Roberts stated that Glasnow would undergo an MRI examination and would not need to be placed on the injured list (IL).

The Dodgers' lineup created a big inning in the third. Starting with Alex Freeland's walk, Shohei Ohtani's double, and consecutive wild pitches by the opposition, the Dodgers took a 3-1 lead.

With runners on base following walks by Freddie Freeman and Tucker, Andy Pahes drove a low sinker on an 8-pitch at-bat over the left-field wall for a three-run home run. It was his sixth of the season.

In the fourth inning, Kim Hye-seong struck out swinging on a changeup that drifted outside on a 1-2 count. The Dodgers added another run when Freeman hit a double in a scoring position opportunity created by Ohtani's walk and a stolen base.

In the fifth inning, after Max Muncy's hit, Pahes launched another home run. The two-run shot extended the lead to 9-1.

Following Rushing's single, with one out and a runner on first, Kim Hye-seong stepped up again. He cleanly hit Jason Alexander's 83 mph (133.6 km/h) high cutter, dropping a hit in front of the center fielder. Although he was thrown out at second base on Freeland's ground ball to the first baseman, the Dodgers scored their 10th run on Ohtani's subsequent hit.

Leading off the seventh inning, Kim Hye-seong displayed persistent hitting by fouling off four pitches. He then connected with Alexander's 84.3 mph (135.7 km/h) pitch, sending a large hit toward left-center field. The ball struck the wall and took an unusual bounce, delaying play. Kim Hye-seong quickly advanced to first, then second, and finally reached third base. This marked his first triple of the season and his seventh multi-hit game. Freeland's hit followed, allowing Kim to score.

With a large lead, Houston brought in fielder Cesar Salazar to pitch in the top of the ninth. Pahes hit a very slow 53.7 mph (86.4 km/h) pitch over the left-field wall for a solo home run, his third of the day. He displayed ruthless hitting. However, Kim Hye-seong, who appeared with one out, was retired on a fly ball to shortstop on a 1-1 count.

Houston's Shae Whitcomb, a Korean-American player who represented the South Korean national team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth but ended with a disappointing strikeout swinging. Whitcomb hit 25 home runs in the minor leagues last year and 4 in 13 games this season, raising expectations, but has struggled in the big leagues with a season batting average of 0.071 (1 hit in 14 at-bats).

With this win, the Dodgers improved to 23-14, maintaining a 0.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres, who are aggressively chasing them in the National League West, and held onto first place.

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*This content was translated by AI.