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Kim Ha-sung's unusual expression of anger over a cool double play
Kim Ha-sung played as the ninth shortstop in the first game of the three consecutive home games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on the 11th (Korea time) and recorded two hits, one walk and two strikeouts in two at-bats.
The problem occurred in the last at-bat in the ninth inning with no outs and runners on second base.
Leadership Luis Campusano created a chance by hitting a double that fell on the left-field line. With Tyler Wade as the pinch runner, the San Diego bench ordered Kim Ha-sung to bunt.
Kim tried to hit right-handed Michael Grove's first pitch in a bunt motion, but failed to hit it, resulting in a swing and miss. He then took the bunt motion on the outer slider for the second ball and picked the ball. When the 95.6-mile sinker hit the same course for the third ball, Kim only took the bunt motion and did not touch it.
However, Mike Estabrook's centerpiece declared a strike. Kim Ha-sung expressed his dissatisfaction by jumping out of the batter's box. Even on the slow screen, it was a ball out of the strike zone. Kim Ha-sung even made a gesture that seemed to enter the first base dugout.
After returning to the batter's box, Kim lost his temper and struck out with a slider at the center of the 86.8 miles on the fourth pitch of Grove at the count of 1B2S. He stopped almost hitting the bat, looked at the centripetal, and said something before heading into the dugout. He clearly looked angry.
Fortunately, San Diego ended the game as its next batter Luis Arraez connected the 93-mile cutter in the middle of the Grove with a full-base hit to bring Wade home. Arraez's first walk-off hit since his transfer gave San Diego a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Although frustrating results came out at bat, Kim Ha-sung set up a decisive double play in defense to prevent additional runs.
Kim Ha-sung's stellar defense came out in the top of the eighth inning.
San Diego's left-hander Yuki Matsui, who took the mound in the eighth inning with a 1-0 lead, tied the game and Michael King's victory was eliminated. The Dodgers had a chance to second and third base with no outs due to the right-handed hit by leading Mookie Betts and a left-center double by Shohei Ohtani.
Freddie Freeman then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Betts home to tie the game 1-1. The San Diego bench ordered four intentional pitches to fill the empty first base when the next batter, Will Smith, entered the batter's box. The crisis continued with one out and runners on first and second bases.
Matsui threw an 87-mile slider for the fourth pitch at the ball count of 2B1S against the next batter, Max Muncy. Muncy swung his bat vigorously and swung it toward center field. However, Kim Ha-sung, who was waiting behind the left side of the second base, stepped on the base himself, force-out Smith, the first baseman, and quickly threw it to the first base to deal with the batter.
Both runners were out by a narrow margin, and they could have asked for a challenge from the Dodgers bench. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave up the challenge following the team's opinion that both runners were out, and the inning ended as it was.
If Kim Ha-sung had been delayed at any one of the catches, base touches, and throws to first base, he would have allowed the reversal or the crisis would have continued.
"Both of them were in a tight race, but the Dodgers bench gave up the challenge. It was Kim Ha-sung's great play (What a play by Kim). He stepped on the base himself to get out at second base and out at first base," a local broadcaster said.