The San Diego Padres snapped a three-game losing streak with three straight surprise bunts, starting with Ha-Sung Kim (28). Kim led off with a bunt single and scored the game-winning run.
Kim went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while batting eighth and playing second base in the Padres’ 2023 Major League Baseball home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA, on Monday (Nov. 18).
With his three-game hitting streak, Kim improved his season batting average from 2-for-4 to 2-for-5 (51 hits in 208 at-bats).
In his first at-bat of the second inning against Tampa Bay right-hander Zach Eflin, Kim lined out to right field. He pushed a five-pitch sinker, but it was caught by right fielder Manual Margot.
But in the top of the fifth inning, 메이저사이트 Kim caught his opponent off guard with a surprise bunt. Eflin’s first pitch, a high sinker on the body, was bunted toward third base and he sprinted to first for the hit.
The next batter, Trent Grisham, also tried to bunt. Another hit, this time on an exquisite bunt that sailed just over the pitcher’s head. With runners on first and second, Fernando Tatis Jr. bunted on the first pitch he saw.
It’s a fly ball, right in front of Eflin. After rattling the Tampa Bay defense with three consecutive first-pitch balls, San Diego put runners on second and third with one out when Juan Soto hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Kim scored from third base to break the scoreless tie. The final run of the game.
Tampa Bay center fielder Jose Siri threw home, but the throw went wide, allowing Grisham to advance to third. On the next at-bat, Manny Machado hit an infield single to third, allowing Grisham to score.
Kim was retired on an infield single to shortstop in the seventh inning, when he came up to bat again. He scooped up a four-pitch low slider from Tampa Bay right-hander Shawn Armstrong but couldn’t get it over the plate.
The Rays scored two runs in the fifth inning, but San Diego held on for a 2-0 victory. Starter Blake Snell improved to 3-0 on the season with six innings of two-hit ball, three walks and 12 strikeouts. The bullpen of Steven Wilson, Nick Martinez, and Josh Hader each pitched a scoreless inning to preserve the lead. Hader earned his 17th save of the season.
San Diego, which snapped a two-game losing streak, improved to 34-36 and a half-game over .500. Tampa Bay, which had its three-game winning streak snapped, is 51-23.