Kim Hye-seong of the LA Dodgers' Triple-A contributed to the team's victory with his speed.
On the 21st (Korean time), at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Kim Hye-seong started as the 1st baseman in the second game of the doubleheader against the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers (affiliated with the Seattle Mariners), going 1 for 4 with 2 stolen bases, 2 strikeouts, and 1 run.
In the first game earlier, Kim Hye-seong, starting as the 1st shortstop, went 2 for 4 (with 1 home run), 3 RBIs, and 1 run. In his fourth at-bat in the bottom of the 5th, he faced right-hander Will Klein, swinging and missing at an 87 mph slider on the first pitch. However, he did not miss a similar 85.6 mph slider that came in on the second pitch, hitting a decisive three-run home run with an exit velocity of 94 mph (151.2 km/h).
Thus, Kim Hye-seong performed well in the two games of the doubleheader, going 8 for 3 (with 1 home run), 4 RBIs, 2 runs, and 2 stolen bases. His season batting average is .265, and his OPS is .840.
Entering the second game of the doubleheader with good momentum, Kim Hye-seong recorded a hit right from his first at-bat in the 1st inning. Against Tacoma's starter Logan Evans, after watching an 86.1 mph cutter for the first pitch, he smacked an 84.7 mph sweeper for a base hit to left field. After that, he stole second base, marking his 5th stolen base of the season. However, the following batters did not produce any hits. In the bottom of the 3rd, he had a chance to drive in a run. With the leadoff batter Estuary Luis hitting a double and Justin Dean grounding out to third, Kim Hye-seong hit a grounder to the pitcher, bringing in the runner from third base, making the score 1-0.
In his third at-bat in the bottom of the 5th, he was struck out and erased the runner. After 1 out, Justin Dean reached base with an infield hit. However, Kim Hye-seong struck out on three pitches against Logan Evans, unable to react to the combination of cutter and sweeper. Justin Dean then failed to steal second, ending the inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, with the score tied at 3-3 and 2 outs and a runner on second, Kim Hye-seong stepped up to bat. Facing right-hander Troy Taylor, he watched the first pitch, recorded a foul on the second, and observed a 97.3 mph ball on the third, swinging and missing at an 85 mph sweeper for a strikeout.
Ultimately, it went to extra innings. Kim Hye-seong, the last batter in the regular inning, became the runner on second base. During Hunter Peducchia's at-bat, he attempted to steal third, creating an opportunity with no outs and a runner on third. Although Hunter Peducchia struck out, he successfully scored on Michael Chavis's walk-off hit, leading to a 4-3 victory.
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