'On-base percentage by walks alone as high as 0.109' Song Sung-moon showcases his walk-walk on-base instinct... team loses 2-4 to Dodgers [SD Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Song Sung-moon (30, San Diego Padres) drew two walks, demonstrating his instinct for getting on base.

On the 29th (Korea time), Song started at second base and batted eighth in the home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA, recording two at-bats with no hits, two walks, and one strikeout.

Although he failed to add a hit, lowering his batting average from 0.222 to 0.214 (56 at-bats, 12 hits), his on-base percentage rose from 0.311 to 0.323.

The Dodgers took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Alex Freeland singled to left off San Diego starter Michael King, Chucky Robinson executed a sacrifice bunt to move to second base with one out, and Ohtani followed with a sacrifice single to left to score the first run.

In the top of the third, Song stepped up to the plate for the first time. Facing Dodgers right-handed starter Emmett Shehan, Song took three consecutive balls on the first three pitches, then took a low fastball on a full count to draw a walk. Rodolfo Duran's sacrifice bunt moved him to second base, but Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded into a foul pop-up, and Samad Taylor struck out swinging, so no runs scored.

In the bottom of the fourth, San Diego tied the game. With one out and no runners on base, Jackson Merrill pulled Shehan's slider over the left-field wall.

The Dodgers immediately pulled ahead in the top of the fifth. After Freeland drew a walk, Robinson's bunt was popped out, but Ohtani drew a walk, and Andy Paredes was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freddie Freeman then drew a walk to force in a run, and Mookie Betts singled to center-left field to bring in two more runners.

San Diego also seized an opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Song drew another walk. Shehan threw three balls as in the third inning, and Song watched a fourth strike before not being fooled by a fifth low curveball, successfully reaching base with a multi-hit opportunity.

After Duran struck out, Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch, allowing Song to advance to second base again, but Taylor struck out swinging, and another run was denied.

San Diego also launched a counterattack. In the bottom of the sixth, they targeted reliever Alex Vesia. Merrill hit an infield single and stole second base. Gavin Sheets struck out, nearly ending the inning without a run, but Xander Bogaerts hit a ball to center field off reliever Will Klein, scoring the runner from second.

Miguel Andújar was hit by a pitch to reach base. With two outs and runners on first and second, Song stepped up to the plate. On a 2-2 count, he swung and missed at a 98.2 mph (158 km/h) high fastball, swallowing his disappointment.

In the bottom of the ninth, Song led off against Edgaro Enriquez. He swung at a 100.2 mph (161.3 km/h) fastball and hit a hard ball at 99.1 mph (159.5 km/h), but it went to center fielder Paredes for an out. Freddie Fermin drew a walk, but Tatis Jr. hit into a double play, ending the game with a 2-4 loss.

Song, who signed with the San Diego Padres ahead of this season and moved to the U.S., made his big league debut on April 27 and has held his spot since.

Although his batting results remain somewhat disappointing, he showed improvement in June with a .242 average, and above all, his versatility has earned him the trust of manager Craig Stammen.

In his last five games where he had at-bat opportunities, Song reached base in all of them, raising his batting average to 0.364 (11 at-bats, 4 hits). Moreover, his exceptional plate discipline is evident, with an on-base percentage by walks alone of 0.109, and he is recording six stolen bases (two failed). He is being utilized effectively based on his ability to play second base, third base, and shortstop.

With today's loss, San Diego's record stands at 43 wins and 39 losses, leaving a 10-game gap behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League West, who have 54 wins and 30 losses. In the wild card race, they sit in fourth place, trailing the third-place St. Louis Cardinals by 0.5 games, still maintaining their chances of advancing to the postseason.

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*This content was translated by AI.