* Translated by AI

Starnews

'End of 20-hitless at-bats' Kim Ha-seong slams a triple and scores twice ahead of PS... Finally breaks through before fall baseball... ATL also wins 8-3 in dominant fashion

Published:

김동윤

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ha-seong./Photo=Reuters=NEWS1
Kim Ha-seong./Photo=Reuters=NEWS1

With the postseason just around the corner, Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves) finally delivered a refreshing extra-base hit.

On the 27th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started at shortstop and batted ninth in the game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, recording one hit, one walk, and two runs scored in three at-bats.

His only hit was a triple. With this first triple of the season, Kim Ha-seong's batting statistics are now: .118 average (127 at-bats, 15 hits), .211 on-base percentage, .142 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.353.

Atlanta also erupted for a total of ten hits, both long and short, defeating Miami 8-3. They quickly erased the sting of a shutout loss the previous day by securing their 94th win of the season (67 losses).

Most importantly, this was a welcome hit for Kim Ha-seong. After recording a hit and an RBI in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 11th, he struggled to find his hitting rhythm. In the following seven games, he went hitless in 20 consecutive at-bats. However, just days before the postseason, he broke his silence with an extra-base hit.

The opposing pitcher was right-hander Victor Vodnik, who made his second appearance of the game. Kim Ha-seong reached base via a walk after a full-count battle in his first at-bat in the second inning, contributing to a big inning for his team. After leadoff batter Mike Yastrzemski walked, Dominic Smith hit a two-run home run over the left-center field wall. Kim Ha-seong also scored when he took advantage of an error by Ronald Acuña Jr.'s batted ball. Atlanta added three runs in the second inning alone to take a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, he produced an extra-base hit himself. With a favorable 3 balls and 1 strike count, Kim Ha-seong drove a sinker right down the middle from Dax Fulton for a triple that split the left-center field outfield. He scored on the subsequent double by Michael Harris II to the left field, recording his second run of the day. Matt Olson's RBI single followed, extending Atlanta's lead to 6-0.

Miami managed to score two runs in the fourth inning and one in the seventh, but Atlanta sealed the game with a two-run home run by Drake Baldwin, his 25th of the season, in the ninth. Besides Kim Ha-seong, Harris II led the lineup with four hits in five at-bats, three runs scored, and one RBI, while Baldwin contributed three hits, one home run, and two RBIs in five at-bats.

Victor Mederos recorded a scoreless two-inning performance to earn his sixth win of the season (one loss), while Miami's starting pitcher Jack Ralston (three losses) took the loss.

Atlanta's focus now turns to fall baseball. After clinching a postseason berth on the 19th, Atlanta also secured the National League East division title on the 21st. Having failed to reach the postseason in fall baseball in 2025, Atlanta returns to the postseason stage after one year.

The team has also secured the third seed in the National League and will host a Wild Card Series at home stadium Truist Park starting on the 30th. For Kim Ha-seong, who is highly likely to be included in the postseason roster, the remainder of the regular season offers a final opportunity to boost his hitting rhythm. Attention is focused on whether this first triple of the season, which ended his 20-hitless at-bats, can mark the beginning of a comeback.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.

Recommended News

Editor’s Pick

Latest in Sports