Three consecutive first-ball buns, which are rare in the Major League, came out. Kim Ha-sung (28) of the San Diego Padres was the starting point.
Kim Ha-sung started as the eighth batter and 메이저사이트 second baseman in the 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on the 18th (Korea Standard Time) and made a surprise bunt hit in the fifth inning.
In the fifth inning, a tight pitching match took place at 0-0. Kim Ha-sung, who appeared as the leadoff hitter, made a surprise bunt to Tampa Bay right-hander Jack Eflin’s first pitch sinker and rolled the ball slowly toward third base. Tampa Bay third baseman Isaac Farredis caught the ball and threw it to first base, but Kim Ha-sung, who sprinted at full speed, passed first base first.
The next batter, Trent Grisham, also continued his chances of first and second base with no outs with an exquisite bunt hit that slightly exceeded the pitcher’s height on the first pitch. Here, even big gun Fernando Tatis Jr. bunted the first pitch. He went straight to the pitcher and became a sacrifice bunt.
San Diego scored the first run with Juan Soto’s sacrifice fly to center field with one out and runners on second and third bases, which were made with three consecutive first-ball bunt. In the meantime, second baseman Grisham added one point to Manny Machado’s infield hit to third base with two outs and third base.
It was the third consecutive bunt that made San Diego’s 2-0 victory, and Kim Ha-sung opened the door. According to “MLB.com ,” it is the first time in four years that three buns have appeared on three balls since the Kansas City Royals recorded it against the Baltimore Orioles on September 1, 2019.
At that time, after Kansas City’s leadoff hitter Mabris Villoria made a bunt hit on the fourth pitch in the eighth inning when he faced 5-5, Brett Phillips made a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch, which became the first and second bases with no outs due to the fielder’s choice. Nicky Lopez, the next batter, also attempted a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch and set the stage for two runs as the opponent was loaded with no outs due to an error. Kansas City won 7-5, taking advantage of three consecutive buns.
In interviews with local media including MLB.com after the game, Kim Ha-sung said, “I saw the third baseman defending a little deeply. “I thought it was a perfect opportunity for Eplin to play aggressively toward his body and bunt toward third base,” he said.
Kim Ha-sung then said, “Starting pitcher Blake Snell’s pitch was really good. Snell watched from behind was amazing. It showed why it was a Cy Young Award winner. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to win if we scored first,” he explained. As Kim Ha-sung said, two runs in the fifth inning brought the team a 2-0 victory.
San Diego left-hander Snell, who won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award in 2018, pitched well with two hits, three walks, 12 strikeouts and no runs in six innings. He overwhelmed his former team Tampa Bay by throwing a mix of changeups (22), curves (21), and sliders (13) around a maximum of 98.2 miles (158.0 km) and an average of 96.4 miles (155.1 km) four-seam fastball (46). Snell, who earned his third win (6 losses) of the season, lowered his ERA from 3.78 to 3.48.