San Diego Padres outfielder Ha-seong Kim hit his fifth home run of the season and reached the 100-run plateau in his big league career.
Kim went 1-for-3 with a home run, a double, a home run, one RBI, and one run scored while batting eighth and playing second base in the Padres’ 2023 스포츠토토 Major League Baseball opener against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
After a grounder to shortstop in his first at-bat in the top of the second inning, Kim got his first taste of excitement in his second at-bat in the top of the fifth. With his team trailing 5-2, he stepped to the plate and hit a solo home run off Washington starter Trevor Williams.
He took a 147-kilometer fastball and smashed it over the right-center field fence for a 123-meter blast that sent him spinning around the bases. It was Kim’s fourth home run of the season, 11 days after he hit his fourth against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 14. He also extended his hitting streak to six games.
With the home run, Kim also crossed home plate and scored his 100th major league run. He drove in his 15th run of the season, following 27 in his first season in the big leagues in 2021 and 58 last year.
Kim was later retired in order in the top of the seventh inning on a straight hit by the pitcher. His season batting average increased slightly to .237 (36-for-152).
Kim carried his home run momentum into his defense. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with San Diego trailing 5-3, he made an impressive catch on Joey Meneses’ infield grounder, making a quick backhanded throw to first and then a precise throw home to throw out third baseman CJ Abrams.
San Diego wasn’t smiling, though. They hung their heads in shame as they lost to Washington, 5-3, ending a two-game winning streak.