Kim Hye-seong, completes multi-hit game with 3 on-base performances against LAA, the team that tried to sign him! Dodgers surge to 5-game winning streak

*This content was translated by AI.

LA Dodgers' "comet express" Kim Hye-seong (27) delivered powerful hits against the Los Angeles Angels, a team that had shown interest in him ahead of the 2025 season, propelling his team to a five-game winning streak ahead of the 2026 season.

On the 18th (Korean time), Kim Hye-seong started at second base and batted ninth in the road game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season. He recorded 3 at-bats, 2 hits, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, and 1 walk.

Leading with Kim Hye-seong's performance, which marked his eighth multi-hit game of the season and completed a three-on-base game, the Dodgers secured a decisive 10-1 victory and surged to a five-game winning streak. At the same time, they swept the three-game series on the road against the Angels. They now head to a three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.

Kim Hye-seong, who had failed to record a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats and temporarily lost his batting rhythm since May, successfully turned things around starting from the San Francisco game on the 15th. On this day as well, he shook up the Angels' pitching mound with his excellent contact ability and unique agility. As a result, Kim Hye-seong's season batting average rose from 0.261 to 0.274, and his OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) reached 0.698.

Coincidentally, the Angels were the team that showed interest in Kim Hye-seong during the posting negotiation period ahead of the 2025 season. In an appearance on a YouTube channel in February 2025, Kim Hye-seong, while conversing with Lee Taek-geun (46), stated, "It's a late thing to say, but offers came from four teams: the Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and Chicago Cubs. In fact, I agonized over the offers from the Dodgers and Angels until the very end." He displayed a decent performance against such a team.

On this day, Kim Hye-seong generated a run from his first at-bat. In the bottom of the second inning, with the Dodgers leading 1-0, two outs, and runners on first and third, Kim Hye-seong, stepping up to the plate, perfectly exploited Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez's 130 mph curveball, hitting a sacrifice fly to right field. It was the go-ahead RBI, bringing the runner from third base home.

In his second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kim Hye-seong's strength, his speed, shone. With two outs and runners on first and second, he hit a strong ball toward the first baseman, then did not miss the opening at the first base bag and sprinted at full speed. He completed his multi-hit game with an infield hit, and when Shohei Ohtani followed with a hit, Kim Hye-seong scored by crossing home plate.

Kim Hye-seong, who unfortunately struck out in the bottom of the sixth inning, stepped up as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth, displaying his eye for the strike zone and drawing a walk to record his third on-base appearance of the day. Later, when Kyle Tucker hit a double, Kim Hye-seong scored his second run of the game.

The Dodgers' lineup showcased its firepower on this day, building on Kim Hye-seong's performance. Ohtani went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats, Kyle Tucker also led the attack with 3 hits in 5 at-bats and 3 RBIs, and Andy Pages added strength with 1 hit in 5 at-bats and 2 RBIs.

On the mound, Japanese starting pitcher Roki Sasaki pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, no walks, striking out 8, and giving up only 1 run, washing away his recent slump and securing his second win of the season. Sasaki's season ERA dropped to 5.09.

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*This content was translated by AI.