Padres' Kim Ha-seong achieves big comeback win with triple; Giants' Lee hits 1st MLB double in loss
Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres celebrates with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres after defeating the Chicago Cubs 9-8 in a game at Petco Park in San Diego, California, April 8. AFP-Yonhap
After getting dropped to the No. 6 spot for the first time this season, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres responded with his first triple of 2024 in a huge comeback win at home.
Kim batted 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, as the Padres rallied from an 8-0 deficit to defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday (local time).
Kim's lone hit was the two-run triple during the seven-run sixth inning, which cut the Cubs' lead to 8-7.
Kim had started his previous dozen games in the No. 5 hole, but batted from the sixth spot in this game after batting just .205 out of the gate.
Kim grounded out to third and then struck out in his first two at-bats, before coming through with the big hit in the sixth inning.
With the Padres down 8-2 and runners at the corners with nobody out, Kim hit a line drive to right-center field. Right fielder Mike Tauchman, a former Korea Baseball Organization player, let the ball go under his glove and roll all the way to the wall, allowing both runners to score. Kim slid safely into third for his sixth career big league triple.
Kim scored the Padres' fifth run of the inning on a Luis Campusano groundout, and Xander Bogaerts' two-run blast made it an 8-7 game. The Padres then went ahead for good thanks to a two-run homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the eighth.
Kim is now batting .208/.291/.354.
San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo watches batting practice before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, April 6. AP-Yonhap
Also in the National League, the San Francisco Giants' Korean rookie Lee Jung-hoo hit his first career double while going 2-for-3 from his customary leadoff spot against the Washington Nationals.
Lee also scored a run and drew a walk in the Giants' 8-1 loss at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
That lone run came in the first inning. Lee led off the game with a single and reached third base on a double by LaMonte Wade Jr. And when left fielder Jesse Winker's throw to second bounced off second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., Lee alertly sprinted home to put the Giants up 1-0.
The Giants didn't score again but Lee had his moment in the bottom third. Facing Trevor Williams, Lee sent a flyball to left field out of Winker's reach and took the extra base for the double.
It was Lee's third multihit game.
On defense, the Korean center fielder threw out Ildemaro Vargas when he tried to go from first to third on a single by Trey Lipscomb in the eighth inning.
Lee has a .238/.306/.333 line through 11 games. (Yonhap)