Ah! Kim Ha-seong commits a fatal error, providing the opening for a broken five-game winning streak... batting average plummets to 0.111 with no hits

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves), who returned after shaking off an injury, committed a disappointing defensive error in just his third game back in Major League Baseball. Worse still, the critical mistake led to an early run, resulting in a frustrating game.

On the 15th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started at shortstop and batted eighth in the home game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, recording three at-bats with no hits and one strikeout.

After hitting his first hit of the season with one hit in three at-bats in the previous game on the 14th, Kim Ha-seong failed to add another hit, causing his season batting average to drop from 0.167 to 0.111. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) fell further from 0.453 to 0.311.

Atlanta started left-hander Chris Sale on the mound. The starting lineup was arranged as follows: Drake Baldwin (catcher), Adaelvis (second baseman), Matt Olson (first baseman), Michael Harris (center fielder), Odayon Mauricio (left fielder), Austin Riley (third baseman), Dominic Smith (designated hitter), Kim Ha-seong (shortstop), and Mike Yastrzemski (right fielder).

In response, the Cubs started right-hander Ben Brown on the mound. Their starting lineup was set as follows: Nico Hoerner (second baseman), Alex Bregman (third baseman), Ian Happ (left fielder), Seiya Suzuki (designated hitter), Matt Shaw (right fielder), Michael Bush (first baseman), Dansby Swanson (shortstop), Miguel Amaya (catcher), and Pete Crow-Armstrong (center fielder).

Kim Ha-seong's at-bats on this day were generally unlucky. In the bottom of the second inning with two outs and runners on first and second, he faced his first pitch of the game but could not handle a 96.8 mph (approximately 155.8 km/h) sinker, resulting in a fly out to the first baseman. In the bottom of the fifth, he hit a hard line drive off reliever Hobie Milner's fastball that looked like a hit to left-center, but due to the defensive shift, the ball rolled directly toward the second baseman near the base and was turned into a groundout. In his final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, he struck out on three pitches against Phil Maton, ending his day.

He also committed a fatal error. In the top of the sixth inning, while the score remained tied at 0-0, Suzuki Seiya hit a ground ball with no outs and a runner on first. The play looked like it could result in a double play, but Kim Ha-seong fumbled the ball while fielding it, causing him to lose his footing. His throw to second base was errant, sailing over the head of second baseman Adaelvis, creating a bases-empty, runners on first and third situation. This marked Kim Ha-seong's first error of the season. Ultimately, when the next batter, Matt Shaw, hit a ground ball, runner Ian Happ scored from third base, allowing Atlanta to concede a painful early run.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead, and in the top of the eighth inning, leadoff batter Ian Happ hit a solo home run over the left-center field wall, extending the lead to 2-0 and ending the game. Atlanta, which had been aiming for a five-game winning streak, unfortunately saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

Atlanta starter Sale did his part. He pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight, and gave up only one unearned run, effectively suppressing the Cubs' lineup. Thanks to his strong performance, his season ERA dropped to 1.96, but without full support from the offense, he took the loss, marking his third defeat of the season (with six wins).

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*This content was translated by AI.