유지호
| 2021-05-17 10:45:16
(LEAD) MLB-S Korean players
(LEAD) 'Kim vs. Kim' duel in MLB ends in favor of hitter
(ATTN: ADDS details throughout)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- One Kim got the upper hand over the other Kim in Major League Baseball (MLB).
In a rare Korean pitcher-batter duel, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres drew an RBI walk against Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park in San Diego on Sunday (local time).
With the bases loaded and the Cardinals up 2-1 at one out in the bottom fourth, Kim Ha-seong worked a six-pitch walk against the left-hander to push in the tying run.
Kim Kwang-hyun was pulled from the game after that free pass.
Reliever Genesis Cabrera allowed two of the inherited runners to score. But because the Padres rally started with an error, Kim was only charged with one earned run in 3 1/3 innings. His ERA fell from 2.74 to 2.73.
The pitcher Kim struck out the batter Kim to open the third inning. Ha-seong battled Kwang-hyun for eight pitches before going down swinging on a high changeup.
This was the first meeting between a South Korean pitcher and a South Korean batter in the majors since April 2019.
Both Kims were among the biggest stars in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before taking their talents to the majors -- Kwang-hyun in December 2019 and then Ha-seong one year later -- and they faced each other 31 times in their native country.
Kim Ha-seong batted 10-for-30 with a walk, four RBIs, a double and a run scored against the left-hander. He struck out five times and hit into one double play.
Kim Kwang-hyun came into the game with a 1-0 record and a 2.74 ERA in five starts. The Cardinals had won all five of those games, though the team trailed 4-2 at the end of that disastrous fourth inning.
Kim Ha-seong batted seventh and played shortstop, earning his sixth consecutive start there after incumbent Fernando Tatis Jr. tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Kim had been a utility man for the Padres, having also played at second base and third base as a big league rookie.
Kim entered Sunday's game batting only .195/.236/.293 for the year with two home runs and eight RBIs in 32 games.
Kim Kwang-hyun looked to be in control through three innings. Nolan Arenado's two-run home run in the top of the first staked the left-hander to a 2-0 lead, and Kim retired the side in the bottom first on just 13 pitches.
The two Korean players briefly crossed paths at the second base bag in the top of the second.
Edmundo Sosa reached on a throwing error by Ha-seong to lead off that inning, but Kwang-hyun failed to put down a sacrifice bunt, as third baseman Manny Machado fielded Kim's attempt and threw out the lead runner at second.
On Tommy Edman's ensuing grounder, Kwang-hyun was forced out at second base, with Ha-seong covering the bag to field the throw from second baseman Tucupita Marcano.
Kim threw another clean inning in the second, with a lineout followed by two groundouts.
After striking out Ha-seong, Kwang-hyun recorded two more strikeouts in the third inning to keep the Padres at bay. San Diego had just one single off Kim over the first three frames.
But then the bottom fell out in the fourth.
It began inauspiciously enough, with Machado reaching on a rare throwing error by third baseman Arenado, he of eight Gold Gloves.
Machado was forced out at second on a groundball, but Kim walked Tommy Pham -- his first walk against a right-handed batter since last September.
Austin Nola's single to center loaded the bases, and Kim walked Marcano to gift the Padres their first run.
Following a mound visit, Kwang-hyun walked Ha-seong on six pitches for a 2-2 tie.
It was Kim's third walk of that fourth inning alone; he had given up five walks in 23 innings prior to this game. The tying run ended Kim's streak of holding opponents to a run ended at four games.
Cabrera took over with the bases still juiced and gave up a sacrifice fly and a single for two more San Diego runs.
(END)
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