The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter

Jun 19, 2025

The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter
LA Dodgers Kiké Hernández looks sorry right after he was thrown out to right field with a fly in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and second bases at Dodger Stadium on the 19th (Korea time). AP Yonhap News



The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter
Director Dave Roberts. AFP Yonhap News
The same situation was repeated again. This time, the team won, so it didn't matter much, but it was a replacement with no other reason or justification. It's stubbornness.

LA Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung started for the first time in a long time and hit a decisive double to win the team, but when a left-handed pitcher came out in the second half of the game, he was forced to pass on the batter's box to a pinch hitter again.

Kim Hye-sung started as the eighth center fielder and scored one hit and one point in two at-bats in a home game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on the 19th (Korea time). Based on Kim Hye-sung's decisive double, which took place four days after the San Francisco Giants match on the 15th, the Dodgers won 4-3.




The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter
Dodgers Kim Hye-sung stepped on the ground in four days. AFP Yonhap News
He struck out in his first at-bat. He went out as a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third inning, trailing 0-1, and just watched right-hander Stephen Colleck's fastball through the low strike zone 93.1 miles in the seventh pitch of the full count. It must have been because I was at bat for the first time in a long time. Kim Hye-sung stepped down after tilting his head when Jacob Mets' centripetal declared a strike. It was considered low, but Game Day pitching analysis accurately penetrated the strike zone.

But it was different in the second at-bat. The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple by leadoff Max Muncy and a sacrifice fly by Andy Paz. Tommy Edman then hit a heavy hit, and Kim Hye-sung took the batter's box. The opposing pitcher is still Colek.

Kim Hye-sung pulled a 92.2 mile fastball on the third pitch from the ball count 1B1S into the strike zone at an appropriate height on the body and flew it onto the right-wing line. The ball hit the inside of the right foul line at a speed of 86.1 miles, then entered the foul area, bound once more, and entered the stands. a ground-rule double.




Already, first baseman Edman was able to start and rush home, but he had to stop at third base. With Kim Hye-sung's feet, he could have tried a triple, but he had to be satisfied with a double. a chance for runners on second and third bases with no outs. Then, with Dalton Rushing's right-handed hit, Edman and Kim Hye-sung homered and turned the tide 3-1.

The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter
Kim Hye-sung is making a high five with Tommy Edman, who scored first after hitting a double in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dalton Rushing hit a timely hit. AFP Yonhap News
the bottom of the seventh inning. The Dodgers had a chance to get the first and second bases with no outs with Muncy's walk and Pazs' four pitches. After Edman stepped down on a fly to left field, the opposing bench replaced the pitcher. It was Kim Hye-sung's at-bat.

Starting Kolek was replaced by left-hander Wandy Peralta. Roberts again excluded Kim Hye-sung and used right-handed batter Kique Hernandez as a pinch hitter.




Hernandez, who was sluggish in 14 consecutive at-bats (including one walk) until the previous day because his opponent was a left-handed pitcher, pushed Peralta's low changeup well, but the right fielder caught it with ease. So, he continued his hitless silence for 15 consecutive at-bats.

Hernandez now seems to be playing as Kim Hye-sung's substitute specialist on days when he does not start.

The Dodgers received a bases-loaded chance with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, but Shohei Ohtani struck out swinging and failed to add to the score. In the end, he allowed a tie in the top of the ninth inning. Justin Roblesky showed a lack of control and allowed three hits, and third baseman Muncy's throwing error overlapped, allowing two runs to tie the score 3-3.

The stubbornness of putting in 14 consecutive hits as a pinch hitter, Kieke now plays a KIM double → scoring performance specializing in Kim Hye-sung as a pinch hitter
Dodgers Will Smith hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and is happy to high-five Freddie Freeman. ImagesYonhap News
The Dodgers won 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Will Smith pushed right-hander Robert Suarez's changeup and hit a walk-off home run to the right-center. Smith was the pinch hitter for Hernandez. Roberts' pinch-hitting operation was a success this time.

However, Hernandez, an ordinary right-handed hitter with a batting average of 0.206, and Smith, the main catcher with a batting average of 0.333 and an OPS of 0.966, are not the same pinch hitter.

Kim Hye-sung marked a batting average of 0.386 (27 hits in 70 at-bats), two home runs, four doubles, 11 RBIs, 14 runs, six steals, an on-base percentage of 0.427 and a slugging percentage of 0.557 and an OPS of 0.984. Kim Hye-sung's batting average, who stepped on the ground in four days, rose 4 li again.

The Dodgers continued their five-game winning streak and led the NL West with 46 wins and 29 losses. The gap with the second-place San Francisco Giants widened to 4.5 games.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.