Senior Korean big leaguer Choi Ji-Man (32-Pittsburgh Pirates) and junior Kim Ha-Sung (28-San Diego Padres) battled it out on the field.
Choi and Kim faced off against each other in the 2023 Major League Baseball game between Pittsburgh and San Diego at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on July 27. Choi started as the fourth outfielder and Kim as the first baseman.
From the first at-bat, Choi’s bat made a difference. In the top of the second inning, with the score tied at 0-0, Choi led off with a sinker from Seth Lugo. The pitch took a 26-degree launch angle and traveled 384 feet (117 meters) at 101.7 miles per hour (163.6 kilometers per hour) for a solo shot over the right-field fence, his sixth of the season.스포츠토토
One out later in the fourth inning, in his second at-bat, he struck out swinging. In the top of the seventh inning, he led off with a big hit that was blocked by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and sent back to the dugout. In his final at-bat, with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, Choi grounded out to third base on a full count. Choi’s final line was 1-for-4 with one home run, one RBI and one run scored, raising his season batting average to .188 from .183.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong also had a big game. In his first at-bat, a leadoff single in the top of the first inning, he took a sinker from starter Johan Oviedo for a single to right. One out later in the inning, he drew a walk to load the bases. Manny Machado then hit a line drive that landed between the left fielder and shortstop, allowing Ha-Sung Kim to round all the bases and score. It was one of Kim’s standout moments.
Later, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kim hit a pitcher’s muffed grounder. In his final at-bat, with one out in the bottom of the eighth, he was retired on a foul fly to the catcher. Kim’s final line was 1-for-3 with a run, a walk, and a stolen base, raising his season batting average to 0.273 from 0.272.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a solo shot by Choi. In the bottom of the third inning, Choi gave up an RBI single to Machado to tie the game at 1-1.
In need of an insurance run, Pittsburgh came out of the gate with a cannon. In the top of the fourth inning, leadoff hitter Brian Reynolds hit a solo home run to make it 2-1. The offense went quiet after that, but in the top of the ninth, leadoff hitter Carlos Santana hit another solo home run to make it 3-1.
Pittsburgh’s biggest threat came in the bottom of the ninth. Closer David Bednar was hit by a pitch to load the bases. He gave up a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Juan Soto to cut the deficit to 3-2, but struck out the next batter, Trent Grisham, on a swinging strike to preserve the win.
Veteran Carlos Santana came through with the game-winning hit.
Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo picked up his fourth win of the season.
Oviedo pitched six innings of three-hit ball, striking out five and walking one to improve to 11-4 on the season. At the plate, Choi, Reynolds, and Santana led the way with home runs.
San Diego, meanwhile, suffered the loss despite Lugo’s seven innings of three-hit ball (two homers), no walks, eight strikeouts and two runs. The offense was held to just four hits in nine innings.