Kim Ha-seong changed the flow of the game with two hits and two RBIs against Tampa Bay on September 11.
It was an opportunity he regained after being left out of the starting lineup for two consecutive games.
One decisive hit led not only to a personal statistical achievement but also to the team’s escape from its losing streak.
3-Line Summary
1. Kim Ha-seong: 2 hits and 2 RBIs against Tampa Bay
2. His RBI single in the 8th made it 3-0
3. The two runs provided breathing room in ending the three-game losing streak
Two RBIs in the 8th with 1 Out and Runners on 2nd and 3rd
Kim Ha-seong started at shortstop and batted 9th in Atlanta’s Major League home game against the Tampa Bay Rays on the 11th at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He went 2-for-3 with 2 hits and 2 RBIs. The Atlanta Braves won 3-1 to break a three-game losing streak.
The game remained scoreless at 0-0 through the 7th. In the bottom of the 8th, Atlanta created an opportunity with a triple by Ozzie Albies after 1 out, then scored the first run on an RBI single by Austin Riley. After Mike Yastrzemski followed with a double, the situation in front of Kim Ha-seong became 1 out with runners on 2nd and 3rd.
Facing Tampa Bay’s third pitcher, Kevin Kelly, Kim Ha-seong took a sinker with 1 ball and 2 strikes. The ball passed between the shortstop and second baseman and headed into center field, allowing both runners to score. The 1-0 lead became 3-0.
Tampa Bay recovered one run in the top of the 9th on a solo home run by Victor Mesa Jr. Atlanta, however, finished the game without allowing any additional runs. Since the final score was 3-1, the two runs Kim Ha-seong added in the 8th created a larger gap than simply being additional runs. The game-winning RBI was also credited to Kim Ha-seong.
The First Hit Created the Opportunity for the Third Plate Appearance
Kim Ha-seong went down on a flyout to the first baseman in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the 3rd. In the bottom of the 6th, he hit a pitch from Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez, producing an infield single that deflected off the third baseman’s glove. He was later picked off during the subsequent batter’s plate appearance, but the hit in his second plate appearance became the starting point for his multi-hit game.
The third plate appearance was a completely different situation from the first two. It was not a no-out situation or a simple chance to reach base, but a scoring opportunity with runners in scoring position and a one-run lead. Kim Ha-seong brought both runners home and created the game’s biggest insurance runs. According to reports by Yonhap News Agency and KBS News, the hit raised Kim Ha-seong’s season RBI total to 8.
This was his second multi-hit game of the season. His batting average rose from 0.110 before the game to 0.126, and his season total became 13 hits in 103 at-bats. The change in batting average is also a statistic, but the more striking numbers in this game were the two RBIs in the 8th. As the attack widened the margin from one run to three, Atlanta was able to preserve the victory even after allowing a run in the 9th.
The Result of His Return to the Starting Lineup After Missing Two Games
Kim Ha-seong had not been in the starting lineup for two consecutive games before this one. Yonhap News Agency reported that he started against Tampa Bay after missing two consecutive games. Recording 2 hits and 2 RBIs in his return to the starting lineup makes it difficult to view his performance simply as an increase in batting average.
Kim Ha-seong played as the 9th batter and shortstop. Although he started at the bottom of the batting order, in the 8th he directly converted the scoring opportunity created by the hitters ahead of him into runs. The infield single in the 6th and the RBI single in the 8th were both hits he produced in his three plate appearances, and the team held onto the insurance runs created by his second hit until the end.
With the victory, Atlanta recorded 86 wins and 61 losses and maintained first place in the National League East. For Kim Ha-seong, it was his second multi-hit game of the season; for the team, it was the game that ended a three-game losing streak. When reviewing the day’s statistics, the scene in which one of the two hits came with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 8th should be considered alongside the result of two hits.
References
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