Translation result
Hye-seong Kim shifted the Dodgers’ offensive momentum with a key hit. The pitcher on the other side was Ryan Weiss, a former KBO hurler with the Hanwha Eagles, and Kim’s knock helped trigger a lopsided Dodgers victory.
Kim started at shortstop and hit eighth in Houston on May 5, finishing 1-for-5 with a run scored. His batting average dipped slightly from .317 to .308 (20-for-65), but the quality of the at-bat mattered more than the line score.
After grounding out in his first plate appearance, Kim delivered in his second. In the third inning, with one out and a runner on first and the Dodgers leading 4-2, he turned on a high, inside fastball from Weiss and ripped a single to right. The hit put runners at first and second, and Los Angeles followed with a walk, an RBI single and an error to tack on three more runs — a sequence that effectively seized control of the game.
What made the moment more significant was the matchup. Kim had gone 0-for-3 against Weiss while wearing a Kiwoom uniform in the 2024 KBO season, but he got his revenge in the U.S., recording his first hit off the right-hander this time.
Weiss lasted 4 1/3 innings but had a rough day. He surrendered eight hits, including two homers, and issued four walks, allowing seven runs (six earned). The outing dropped him to 0-3 on the season and pushed his ERA to 7.62.
The Dodgers prevailed 8-3 and boosted the clubhouse mood, but Shohei Ohtani continued to scuffle. Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two walks, extending a hitless stretch to 0-for-17 over his last five games.
Jung-hoo Lee also remained silent. The leadoff right fielder for San Francisco went 0-for-4 against San Diego, leaving him 0-for-11 over his last three games and knocking his season average down to .272. Fortunately for the Giants, they beat San Diego 3-2 to snap a six-game skid.
Korean big leaguers produced mixed results, but the clearest impact on this day came from Hye-seong Kim, whose hit swung the game’s momentum.
Photo = AP / Yonhapn
Most Commented