Kim Ha-seong delivers walk-off hit for Braves
Infielder Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves hits a walk off single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park, Atlanta, Wednesday (local time). AFP-Yonhap
Kim Ha-seong has come through with a walk-off hit for the Atlanta Braves, a rare bright moment for the veteran infielder mired in his least productive season in the majors.
Kim delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time) to cap a 6-5 victory.
With left-hander Brock Stewart on the mound and runners at first and second, Kim pinch-hit for Victor Mederos. Kim took three straight balls before taking a fastball for a strike and then fouling off three straight fastballs.
On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, another fastball, Kim roped a base hit to left fielder Teoscar Hernandez. Lane Thomas scored as he beat Hernandez's throw easily, and a wild celebration ensued, as Kim was mobbed by teammates halfway between first base and second base.
Kim came into this game having batted just 5-for-76 for the season. The 30-year-old former Gold Glove winner had been relegated to the backup role recently, and the walk-off single was Kim's first hit since June 3.
"I am so happy to have helped the team win. As I ran toward first base, I was hoping the ball would drop for a hit," Kim said. "I have been trying to do the best I can, even though I don't know when I will get into games. I think the work paid off today."
Kim spent the second half of the 2025 season with the Braves and signed a one-year deal with them as a free agent in December.
But then Kim suffered a right middle finger injury after falling on ice while in Korea in January and did not make his 2026 season debut until May 12.
Kim never got into his groove, going 1-for-28 in June, and missed a month of action, from early July to early August, with inflammation in his surgically repaired finger.
After his heroics, Kim is batting .078 for the season and is still looking for his first extra-base hit of 2026.