San Diego’s chances of reaching the postseason may be mathematically slipping away, but the season isn’t over yet. You can see it in the body language of Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego), who is giving it his all until the end.안전놀이터
The Dodgers kept their slim hopes of making it to fall ball alive with an 11-2 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 9. The Astros scored first in the first inning, but a four-run second inning put the game out of reach, and a steady bullpen allowed the bats to chip away at the deficit.
On the mound, Blake Snell, a frontrunner for the National League Cy Young Award this season, was outstanding. Snell pitched six strong innings, striking out eight and allowing just two runs to earn his 13th win of the season. At the plate, Ha Sung Kim and Trent Grisham stood out, with Grisham going 2-for-4 with a home run and Ha Sung Kim going 2-for-4 with a walk and three stolen bases. The three players were named Top Performers of the game.
Kim fulfilled his duties as the team’s leadoff man by reaching base three times on the day, and he also contributed with his feet by stealing three bases in a game for the second time this season. He now has 32-34 steals on the season. The pace of his stolen bases continues to rise, putting him on pace to become the first Korean player ever to reach 40.
Kim singled to left field in the first inning. San Diego’s bats came alive in the second inning after falling behind 1-0. Machado led off the inning with a single, followed by Capusano’s RBI single and Grisham’s RBI double. Then, with runners on second and third and a 2-1 lead, Kim’s bat shined.
Facing Houston starter Brown for the second time, Kim waited out the first pitch, but the second pitch was not to be. He calmly drove a 92-mph slider down the line for a double to right. Both runners came home.
Kim went 2-for-4 at the plate with one walk and two RBIs.
Kim became the first player in San Diego history to record at least three doubles, three stolen bases, and two RBIs in a game.
In his third at-bat of the fifth inning, Kim drew a walk. He then stole second on a wild pitch by Tatis Jr. to ignite his stolen base pace for the day. Kim came home from third on Soto’s double in the next at-bat.
The fourth at-bat of the seventh inning made it a multi-hit game. He spun his bat when a right-handed pitch from Urquhart was up the middle. The ball hit the third baseman and flowed into left field. Kim then stole second base, his 33rd stolen base of the season. Soto then drew a walk to put runners on first and second, and this time, both runners stole to advance one base each. It was Kim’s third stolen base of the game.
It was a double celebration, as the team won and he had a great individual performance. It was also a first in San Diego franchise history. No other player in San Diego’s history has ever recorded three or more runs, three or more stolen bases, and two or more RBIs in a single game. Kim had it all: batting accuracy, quick feet, and clutch ability.
Only Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh) and Kim stole three bases in a game. Only Kim has more than two games with three stolen bases. Ichiro Suzuki and Norichika Aoki are the only Asian players to do so. He also had the honor of becoming the third Asian player to do so.
Local media also praised Kim’s performance. “Kim went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs, three stolen bases and two runs scored in Friday’s 11-2 win over the Astros,” said CBS Sports, adding, “Kim did his part to get on base and looked unstoppable on the basepaths. He has stolen two or more bases in five games this year, including three times.
“In 137 games this year, Kim has been a steady performer with a .273 batting average, .364 on-base percentage, .422 slugging percentage, 17 home runs, 57 RBIs and 79 runs scored, and he continues to perform well at the top of the San Diego batting order.
Kim is now three home runs and six stolen bases away from becoming the first Asian player in history to reach 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases. There’s still plenty of time left in the season, so it’s not out of reach with a strong finish. It will be interesting to see if Kim can make it a historic season.