Kim Hye-sung, who was showing off his peak hitting sense to beat multi-hitters in the last three consecutive games, was firm in manager Dave Roberts' decision.
Kim Hye-sung was excluded from the starting list against the Los Angeles Angels in the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season, which will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 18th (Korea time). He started on the bench for the first time in four games since the game against the Athletics on the 14th.
On this day, the Dodgers formed a lineup consisting of Angels starting left-hander Tyler Anderson, Ohtani Shohei (designated hitter), Mookie Betts (striker), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Andy Farggs (right fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Kique Hernandez (center fielder), Michael Confoto (left fielder), Dalton Rushing (catcher) and Miguel Rojas (second baseman).
Both teams exchanged three runs each from the first inning, heralding a fierce battle between the two teams. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, who took the mound in the big league for the first time in 260 days, allowed five hits (one homer) and five runs during four innings. The Dodgers trailed the game 5-4 at the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run by Kieke Hernandez.
The Dodgers' full-fledged counterattack came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hernandez and Michael Confoto, the Angels' new pitchers Hector Neris, walked and set the table. Rushing, the "new catcher" who came to the batter's box, tied the game with an RBI double, and succeeded in turning the tables with a pitcher's wild pitch at the next Rojas' at-bat. Later, Ohtani's double play led to a 7-5 run, with Rushing, who was a third baseman, homered.
Then, the Angels didn't stay put. Jack Neto and Surprised Shanuel made back-to-back doubles in the top of the seventh inning to start the chase. Logan Ohafi's three-run shot succeeded in turning the game around again, and Kevin Newman added a timely hit to run away 10-7. The Dodgers trailed it by one point in the seventh and eighth innings due to rushing and Muncy's timely hit, but the Angels widened the gap again with Matthew Lugo's solo shot in the top of the ninth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, which was the Dodgers' last attack in the regular innings, Kenley Jensen, who pitched in all innings, kept the mound. After leadoff hitter Rushing retired with an ordinary infield fly, Will Smith, who came in as Rojas' pinch hitter, got on base with a hit. The Dodgers immediately put fast-paced Kim Hye-sung as its pinch runner.
However, Kim Hye-sung was forced out by a slight difference from the second base due to Ohtani's ordinary grounder to the second base. After two outs, runner Ohtani succeeded in advancing to third base with a steal and an opposing pitcher balk, but the game ended as Betts, the last batter, stepped down with a fly ball to center field.
The Dodgers' batters played well enough that all hitters except Ohtani had hits on the day, but it was a bit disappointing that Kim Hye-sung, who had been boasting the hottest hitting sense recently, never entered the batter's box. The timing was mixed as the opponent's left-handed pitcher took the mound at the timing of the pinch-hitter, and there was a better pinch-hitter option called Smith at the end of the ninth inning.
This is not the first time Kim Hye-sung has been absent from the game despite his good condition. Kim Hye-sung, who started the home game against the Athletics on the 15th, made his first at-bat hit and even made his first home run in his second at-bat. However, when left-hander Hogan Harris took the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning, Roberts decided to remove Kim Hye-sung and put Rojas as a substitute.
As a result, Rojas hit an RBI double, and Roberts' operation was successful. 온라인카지노
Kim Hye-sung has never faced a left-handed pitcher since his big league debut. This means that no matter how good Kim is currently performing, she is still a platoon resource in the Dodgers squad. Therefore, if Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez, who had been sidelined due to injury, return soon, it will be unclear whether Kim will remain in the Major League.
Roberts said something significant about Kim Hye-sung's future course of action on the 17th.
"Kim Hye-sung seems to have a magic wand right now. He is batting well and producing in-play balls. When he does that, he is producing good results," he said. "He may argue that he needs to play six to seven days a week, or that it is more beneficial to be with the players. However, I cannot predict how the roster will be changed."