Thanks to Kim Hye-sung, the atmosphere was created.

LA Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung once again confirmed that he is indeed a starting player. In a tightly contested game, he opened the scoring and completed a remarkable comeback. Manager Dave Roberts also acknowledged it.

On the 23rd (Korean time), Kim Hye-sung played as a starter batting 7th in a game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, achieving a performance of 4 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 run. He maintained a batting average of .372 and an OPS of .948 for the season.

This was his first starting appearance in 3 games. After recording 1 hit and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats against the San Diego Padres on the 20th, he was excluded from the lineup in the subsequent two games against Washington. He was not in the starting lineup for the game on the 21st against left-hander Mackenzie Gore and played in the 9th inning as a substitute. He was also excluded from the starting lineup in the game on the 22nd when right-hander Jake Irvin started but did not step onto the field.

Kim Hye-sung has consistently delivered in every game he has started. Despite inconsistent opportunities, he has maintained focus and continued his hitting form. While overlooked by Manager Roberts, Kim Hye-sung proved once again on this day that he is a 'starting player.'

Looking at the result of the game, it appears to be a complete victory for the Dodgers. However, upon closer inspection, the Dodgers were trailing until the 5th inning. Shohei Ohtani made his second start, pitching 1 inning with 18 pitches and 2 strikeouts without allowing any runs before leaving the game. However, the second pitcher allowed a three-run home run to Nathaniel Lowe in the 3rd inning. During this time, center fielder Kim Hye-sung attempted a jump catch in front of the fence, but the batted ball hit his glove and went over for a home run, a stroke of bad luck.

Above all, the batting lineup was silent. They were completely shut down by Washington's starting pitcher Michael Soroka. They were no-hit until there were two outs in the 5th inning. The player who broke this silence was none other than Kim Hye-sung. He effectively targeted Soroka's 94.2-mile fastball with a 2-ball count. The ball was sent to left-center field at a speed of 97 miles, resulting in a double. He was the owner of the Dodgers' first hit of the day. Although Michael Conforto struck out with two outs and a runner on second base, preventing any further scoring. By the 5th inning, Soroka had recorded 10 strikeouts. He had previously posted a record of 13 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 2.68 in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves, but has since been on a downhill trajectory, suffering the humiliation of a 0-10 record last year. He was about to face the possibility of another disastrous outing against this pitcher.

However, after Kim Hye-sung's hit, the top of the lineup eventually shook Soroka. In the 6th inning, lead-off hitter Dalton Rushing hit a double down the left field line, followed by a walk for Ohtani and a hit-by-pitch for Freddie Freeman, setting up a one-out bases-loaded opportunity. They ultimately chased Soroka from the game, and Max Muncy hit a grand slam off the second pitcher José Alvarado, leading the team to a 4-3 comeback.

In the bottom of the 7th, Kim Hye-sung stepped up to bat again as a lead-off hitter and played a pivotal role in extending the lead. He hit a ground ball toward second base, but the Washington second baseman Luis García Jr. committed an error, flustered by Kim Hye-sung's sprint. Following this, with a single from Michael Conforto and a walk from Dalton Rushing, they had a no-out bases-loaded situation, and Ohtani hit a three-run triple to right field, pulling ahead 7-3. The Dodgers' lineup had completely awakened, and Muncy's three-run home run and Ohtani's two-run shot added to the total, completing a significant victory.

The driving force behind the big win, Manager Roberts, mentioned Kim Hye-sung first. After the game, Manager Roberts said, "Kim Hye-sung broke the no-hitter with his hit, and thanks to that, he created the atmosphere of 'we can hit off this pitcher today.' After that came the walk, the hit-by-pitch, and then a big home run after the relief pitcher was brought in. It happened in the blink of an eye. The first five innings and the last four innings were entirely different games," acknowledging that Kim Hye-sung's hit was the catalyst for the remarkable comeback victory.

Despite sporadic play and still being trapped in the platoon system, Kim Hye-sung's performance is nearing that of a regular starter. According to 'FanGraphs', his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for position players is 0.9, ranking 8th among all Dodgers position players. Kim Hye-sung has played 33 games this year. He began the season in the minor leagues and was called up to the big leagues in May. Despite starting later than other players, he has shown performance sufficient to be included in the regular lineup. 'Baseball Savant's' batting run values rank him 6th among hitters who have seen more than 250 pitches, with a value of +7.

Various metrics show that it's fine to send Kim Hye-sung out as a starter. Will the Dodgers and Roberts still overlook him, despite this performance? The Dodgers will take a rest on the 24th as a travel day. They will head out on a road trip to face the league's weakest Colorado Rockies starting on the 25th. The starting pitcher on the 25th will be right-hander Germán Márquez.

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