There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi

Sep 24, 2025

There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi



There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi
'Why are you catching so well today?'

Atlanta Braves' main shortstop Kim Ha-sung missed his personal record of 11 consecutive hits. I had no luck. He made three strong hits that could be a hit, but the opponent's infield team boasted too solid defense on the day.

Kim Ha-sung started as the fifth shortstop in the home game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on the morning of the 24th (Korea time), but had no hits in four at-bats. Although he was sluggish in attack, he played a stable role in defense, helping his team win 3-2. Atlanta has won 10 consecutive games.




The team achieved the most 10 consecutive wins in the season, but Kim Ha-sung's chance to set a new record for consecutive hits was unfortunately lost. Before the game, Kim Ha-sung had a hit in 10 consecutive games. A hit in consecutive games, which started against the Houston Astros on the 14th, filled 10 games, breaking the personal record. Kim Ha-sung's previous record of hits in consecutive games was nine games. I wrote it last year when I was with the San Diego Padres.

However, after setting a tie at Atlanta, he added a hit to the game against Washington on the 23rd, setting a new personal record. As a result, Kim Ha-sung raised his market value, which had fallen to the bottom, again.

There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi
Instead of maintaining a $16 million salary contract with Atlanta, which is guaranteed next season, he declared an opt-out after this season, and there is a possibility that he will appear in the FA market early. Some analysts say that if Kim Ha-sung is on the market with his current skills, he can sign an average of $18-20 million a year. Atlanta is also well aware of this situation. There is also a possibility that Kim Ha-sung will be offered a multi-year contract before the FA.




For Kim Ha-sung, it was very meaningful to break a new record with '11 consecutive hits'. Kim Ha-sung entered the batter's box with enthusiasm.

However, he did not record a single hit in his four at-bats. As a result, Kim Ha-sung's batting average for the season fell from 0.257 (39 hits in 152 times at bat) to 0.250 (39 hits in 156 times at bat). After joining Atlanta, his batting average in 20 games fell below .292 (21 hits in 72 at-bats). He has three home runs, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.785.

It can be said that it is the result of not being lucky. On this day, Kim Ha-sung hit 'hard hit (normal hit)' over 95 miles per hour (about 152.9 kilometers) three times in his four at-bats. Of course, a hard hit doesn't necessarily mean a hit. However, because it is a strong and fast hit, the probability of hitting increases. Therefore, the Major League is also emphasizing the importance of hard hits in recent years.




All of these strong balls were caught by the Washington infield's net defense.

There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi
Kim Ha-sung came to his first at-bat as a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second inning. The opponent was young right-hander Brad Lord. Kim Ha-sung swung the bat quickly when Rod's first-pitch sinker (94.1 miles) entered the strike zone slightly higher. The batting speed reached 97.4 miles (156.8 kilometers). However, Washington second baseman Nasim Nunes accurately caught a fast grounder and threw it to first base to catch Kim Ha-sung.

Kim Ha-sung then appeared as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning, trailing 0-1. This time, he continued to play up to 10 pitches against Lord's. He made as many as six fouls, biting the rod. Kim Ha-sung, who hit three fouls in seven to nine consecutive pitches in the ball count of 2B2S, pulled the 10th changeup (86.9 miles) strongly. Again, the batting speed reached 96.9 miles.

However, this hit also failed to escape the infield. This time, the ball was caught in the glove of Washington shortstop CJ Abrams, drawing a big bound. Abrams threw to first base, and Kim Ha-sung was late.

Kim Ha-sung came out to bat for the third time in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on first base and met with Rod again. This time, he pulled a changeup (85.4 miles) that came deep into his body for the fifth time in the ball count 2B2S. But he stepped away with an ordinary fly ball to left field. The batting speed was 84.4 miles, the only non-hitting hit on the day.

There is no gap in the Washington infield. Atlanta's Kim Ha-sung has no hits in four times at bat, and failed to hit 11G in a row, three hard hits → frustrated by Hoosobi
Kim Ha-sung's last at-bat was after two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. The opponent is Julián Fernández, a Washington bullpen pitcher who throws a 100-mile fastball. Kim Ha-sung strongly pulled the changeup (87.2 miles) that came into the middle of the third pitch in the ball count 1B1S. The strongest hit of the day came out. The batting speed was as high as 103.9 miles (about 167 kilometers).

However, this ball was also caught by the Washington infield's net defense. Washington third baseman Brady House's location was exquisite. He caught a one-bound fastball immediately and threw it to first base to catch Kim Ha-sung. In the end, Kim Ha-sung dropped his head in regret. It was a terribly unlucky day.



Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.