▲ In this Associated Press photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Truist Park in Atlanta on June 20, 2021. (Yonhap)
▲ In this Getty Images photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Truist Park in Atlanta on June 20, 2021. (Yonhap)

MLB-Cardinals pitcher

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun takes hard-luck loss vs. Braves

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Kim Kwang-hyun was the hard-luck loser for the St. Louis Cardinals in Atlanta, getting zero run support while allowing just one run in four innings against the Braves.

The South Korean left-hander dropped to 1-5 for the season after the Braves beat the Cardinals 1-0 at Truist Park in Atlanta on Sunday (U.S. time). Kim gave up one run in four innings on three hits, with the only run being on a solo home run by Ronald Acuna Jr. in the third inning.

With the Cardinals down 1-0, Kim was lifted for a pinch hitter, Lane Thomas, in the top of the fifth inning. Reliever Ryan Helsley took over the mound to begin the fifth.

Kim lowered his ERA from 3.72 to 3.60, but he hasn't won since April 23.

This was a seven-inning affair as the second game of a doubleheader.

Kim had given up a season-worst five walks in his previous start last Tuesday. And true to form, Kim walked the leadoff batter Acuna to begin this game, though he retired the next three batters in a row and kept Atlanta off the board.

Kim also let the first batter of the second inning reach -- this time, with Dansby Swanson hitting a single to left -- and Kim again sat down the next three batters.

The Braves got to Kim in the third. With one out, Acuna drove a 2-0 slider into left-center field for a solo home run, putting Atlanta up 1-0. Catcher Andrew Knizner was set up outside, but Kim missed his spot and left it on the low, inner part of the plate, right in Acuna's wheelhouse.

Austin Riley opened the fourth with an infield single, as Kim allowed a leadoff man to get on base for the third time. But Kim retired Swanson on a flyball to center and then got Abraham Almonte to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Though Kim had only thrown 47 pitches through four frames, he got the hook in favor of the pinch hitter with the Cardinals trailing 1-0 and held without a hit by Atlanta starter Drew Smyly.

The Cardinals, who exploded for 12 hits in a 9-1 victory in the first game of the twin bill, only eked out a pair of infield singles in the sixth in the loss.

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