It was a run-scoring hit and he was still angry with himself. He made an uncharacteristic choice and got injured.
Kim started at second base in the first inning of the 2023 Major League Baseball game against the New York Mets at Petco Park in San Diego, California, U.S., on Aug. 8 (KST) and went 1-for-3 with one run, one hit, one run scored, one stolen base and one strikeout before being replaced midway through the game. In the top of the ninth inning, Lugned O’Dowd replaced Kim in defense.
Given his recent form, the move was a bit of a surprise. Later in the game, both his batting and defense could have played a bigger role than O’Dowd. However, in the bottom of the seventh inning, the situation was ripe for a change.안전놀이터
With the game tied 3-3 and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Kim faced a familiar pitcher. Brooks Reilly, a left-hander who played for Lotte in the KBO from 2015 to 2019. In his KBO career, Reilly batted 2-for-8 with 12 doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, and an .826 OPS in 42 at-bats. In the majors, he was 1-for-2 with a double.
He hit a 90-mph sinker off Railey’s first pitch for a two-run double that sliced through the third baseman’s side and rolled to the fence. The pitch touched 103.4 mph, or about 166 kilometers. Kim got a little overzealous, though, as left fielder Tommy Pham took advantage of the hesitation and tried to steal third, but he was thrown out after sliding past third. There were no runners on second and third. After Kim struck out, Juan Soto hit a double to left-center field to end the inning. In the end, San Diego was unable to take the lead in the seventh inning.
MLB.com’s AJ Casabell was disappointed with Kim’s unnecessary run. He wrote on his social media account, “Kim, an elite baserunner, made a big mistake while trying to be aggressive. He was thrown out trying to steal third base after a double. Juan Soto was the next batter up and he had a chance to score the go-ahead run and put two runners in scoring position in front of Fernando Tatis Jr.”This one play ultimately cost Kim and his team the game. After failing to hold a lead in the seventh inning, San Diego scored four runs in the bottom of the 10th to lose 5-7. Their three-game winning streak was snapped. After the game, Kim lost his temper in the clubhouse and kicked a bucket full of water, causing pain in his right big toe. The pain forced him to be substituted.
After the game, Kim said, “I thought it was an empty bucket and kicked it. I was angry and didn’t think about it enough,” he said, explaining that it was a spur of the moment reaction.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “Kim said he thought Tommy Pham was trying to slow him down and believed he could beat him to third base, and that Mets third baseman Luis Guillorme pushed his foot out of the way. He could have easily scored on Soto’s subsequent double, and he knew the play could have been big.
Aside from kicking the bucket, Jurusa also blamed himself for the incident. “I was running full speed around second base and I saw that Tommy Pham was playing slow, so I decided to go for it. But it didn’t turn out the way I wanted,” he said, adding, “I feel that my play affected the outcome of the game. I take full responsibility for my plays and mistakes. This will not happen next time. My over-competitiveness led to this result,” he said.
Kim Ha-sung was on a good pace, but at the end of the first half, he faced an unexpected injury setback. First, an X-ray came back negative. There was nothing wrong with the bone. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “Kim was placed on the disabled list,” explaining that the injury will be monitored.