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Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves) saw his season batting average tumble to the 10s amid severe hitting struggles. However, he stepped up as a pinch runner in extra innings and scored the team's dramatic walk-off run, becoming the hero of the victory.
On the 16th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started as the seventh hitter and shortstop in the home game against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in the "2026 Major League Baseball (MLB)" season, going hitless in four at-bats.
With a hitless performance on the day, Kim Ha-seong's season batting average dropped from the 10s to 0.077 (13 at-bats, 1 hit). The frustrating flow continued as all batted balls failed to leave the infield.
Entering his first at-bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second inning, Kim Ha-seong was retired on a third-base grounder after a great defensive play by Boston third baseman Caleb Durbin. In his second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth, he hit a powerful ball traveling at 102 mph (approximately 164.1 km), but it went straight at the second baseman, leaving him with regret.
There was no turnaround afterward. Facing reliever Greg Weissert in the bottom of the sixth, he hit a 93.7 mph (approximately 150 km) slider with a 2-2 count, but it resulted in a pitcher's groundout. In the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 2-2, one out, and no runners on base, he targeted the first pitch from Boston closer Aroldis Chapman but again ended up with a third-base grounder. It was a disappointing performance, retiring on groundouts in all four at-bats.
However, Kim Ha-seong did his part on the basepaths. With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th extra inning, under the tiebreaker rule, he started as a runner on second base with no outs. When Michael Yastrzemski's RBI hit landed, Kim Ha-seong rounded third base and scored freely at home plate. It was a dramatic walk-off run that sealed the team's 3-2 victory.
As a result, Atlanta defeated Boston after an extra-inning battle and became the first of the 30th MLB franchises to reach 30 wins.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead with a solo home run by Drake Baldwin in the first inning and a solo home run by Michael Harrison II in the fourth, but allowed a 1-RBI single by Boston's Mackey Gasper and a solo home run by Marcello Mayer in the sixth, tying the game 2-2. Ultimately, Kim Ha-seong's legs carried the game.
Atlanta starter Spencer Strider pitched decently with 5 1/3 innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out 4, and giving up 1 earned run, but the bullpen's collapse cost him the win.
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