Kim Hye-seong benched in Dodgers' opening MLB postseason win
Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers, right, chats with teammate Clayton Kershaw in the dugout during Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap
Korean utility player Kim Hye-seong remained on the bench as his Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed a home victory to begin their World Series title defense.
The Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday (local time). Game 2 is back in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Kim made the Dodgers' 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series, after batting .280 with three homers, 17 RBIs and 13 steals in 71 games during his first regular season in Major League Baseball (MLB). Kim played three different positions during the regular season -- as second baseman, shortstop and center fielder -- and could serve as a late-inning defensive replacement or a pinch runner in the postseason.
Kim is also the only Korean whose MLB team reached the postseason. Lee Jung-hoo and the San Francisco Giants and Kim Ha-seong and his Atlanta Braves both missed out on the party.
Shohei Ohtani blasted two home runs to lift the Dodgers to the victory, as they try to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win consecutive World Series titles.