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Kim Ha-sung recorded more than three-run home runs…Three games and nine on base
"Jackpot Kim" Kim Ha-sung (28, San Diego) hit a three-run homer. It is more impressive that Gyeonggi Province recorded multiple on-base hits on the day. In the last three games, he got on-base hits nine times.
Kim Ha-sung started as the fifth batter and shortstop in an away game against the Milwaukee Brewers of the 2024 U.S. Major League Baseball at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the 17th (Korea time), and scored one hit, three RBIs and one run in three times at bat.
As a result, Kim's batting average for this season edged up from 0.221 to 0.225 (16 hits in 71 at-bats). San Diego won 6-3 thanks to Kim's performance.
Kim Ha-sung, who will become a free agent after the 2024 season, showed his disappointment by posting a low batting average early this season. However, he showed amazing baseball performance in two recent games. He had four walks against the LA Dodgers on Saturday, one hit and two walks against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, and recorded seven on-base hits over the past two days.
Kim Ha-sung, who gained momentum, hit a home run from his first at bat on the day. When he met Milwaukee right-handed starter Wade Miley with runners on the second and third bases with one out in the top of the first inning with his team leading 1-0, Kim hit a three-run homer by hitting an 87.9-mile-per-hour two-pitch cutter that hit the pole on the left side. It was Kim's third homer this season and his 49th in the big league.
Kim Ha-sung also performed the operation perfectly. With his team leading 4-1, a sacrifice bunt came out of first base with no outs in the top of the third inning, sending first baseman Manny Machado to second base.
Then, in the top of the fifth inning, Kim Ha-sung took the batter's box for the third time with one out and runners on the second and third bases. He removed the first pitch, two-pitch slider and three-pitch sinker of right-handed relief pitcher Avner Uribe to pull out the third pitch. In the end, Milwaukee gave up four pitches on purpose to Kim Ha-sung. Kim Ha-sung's eyes once again made it to multi-base.
With this, Kim had nine on-base hits in three days. The on-base percentage became 0.341. The gap between batting average and on-base percentage became 0.116. He also raised his OPS (slugging percentage + on-base percentage) to 0.792. The figure is 0.043 higher than last year's 0.749. Although it is still early in the season, he is emerging as an infielder with top-rated batting performance in the Major League along with the Snowball.
Kim Ha-sung won the National League Utility Gold Glove Award last year and became the best infielder in the Major League. This season, he has shown a huge on-base percentage compared to his batting average. Kim Ha-sung showed his growth again with new abilities.