'How could this be?' Kim Ha-seong's 4-game hitting slump continues with a batting average of 0.053, yet he calmly drew a walk to reach base as Atlanta suffered a shocking 0-12 defeat

*This content was translated by AI.

Atlanta Braves starting infielder Kim Ha-seong (31) unfortunately failed to record a hit in four consecutive games, but he successfully reached base by drawing a walk.

On the 19th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started at shortstop and batted eighth in the game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, the first of a four-game road series in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season. He went 0-for-2 with one walk and one strikeout.

After this game, Kim Ha-seong's season statistics stand at 6 games played, with a batting average of 0.053 (19 at-bats, 1 hit), 1 run scored, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of 0.143, a slugging percentage of 0.053, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.196.

For this game, Atlanta's starting lineup was arranged as follows: catcher Drake Baldwin, second baseman A.J. Albies, first baseman Matt Olson, third baseman Austin Riley, center fielder Michael Harris, left fielder Duvern Mauricio, designated hitter Dominic Smith, shortstop Kim Ha-seong, and right fielder Mike Yastrzemski. The starting pitcher was J.R. Ritchie.

In response, Miami's starting lineup was set as: second baseman Xavier Edwards, designated hitter Liam Hicks, shortstop Otto Lopez, left fielder Kyle Stowers, right fielder Owen Casey, center fielder Jacob Marsh, first baseman Connor Norby, catcher Joe Mox, and third baseman Javier Sanoja. The starting pitcher was Max Meyer.

Kim Ha-seong was called up to the major leagues on the 12th. He then recorded one walk without a hit in a game against the Chicago Cubs on the 13th, followed by his first hit of the season in his second game on the 14th. However, he went hitless in three consecutive games, including the game against the Cubs on the 15th, the game against Boston on the 16th, and the game on the 17th. Ultimately, he was excluded from the starting lineup for the game against Boston on the 18th and did not play at all.

And today, Kim Ha-seong returned to the starting lineup.

Kim Ha-seong stepped up to the plate as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third inning with Atlanta trailing 0-1. He watched the first pitch, a tight four-seam fastball on the outside corner, go by for a strike. He then carefully selected two outside balls on the second and third pitches. On the fourth pitch, a slider coming low and inside, Kim Ha-seong swung and missed. Ultimately, he struck out on the fifth pitch, a sweeper dropping sharply low and inside.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with Atlanta trailing 0-6 and two outs with no runners on base, Kim Ha-seong came to bat for the second time. He swung and missed at the first pitch, a slider low and inside. The second and third pitches were sliders and sweepers, respectively, both coming to the same location, which he successfully held off. The fourth pitch was a strike low and inside. Eventually, he carefully selected two more balls coming to a similar location and reached base via a walk. However, no runs scored due to a lack of follow-up hits.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, with Atlanta trailing 0-12, Kim Ha-seong stepped up to the plate for the third time as the leadoff hitter. Facing reliever Calvin Faucher, he attacked a cutter in the middle of the plate on the second pitch with a 0-1 count. However, the ball was caught by the right fielder, leaving him with a sense of regret.

Meanwhile, Atlanta allowed 10 hits and suffered a decisive 0-12 defeat. Miami scored five runs in the fourth inning and six runs in the fifth inning, securing a 12-run victory. In contrast, Atlanta managed only four scattered hits.

Atlanta recorded its 15th loss of the season (32 wins). Nevertheless, it maintained its first-place position in the National League East Division with ease. Meanwhile, Miami of the same division recorded 22 wins and 26 losses.

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*This content was translated by AI.