Korean rookies enjoy big days in MLB

Song Sung-mun of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park in San Diego, California, July 8. AFP-Yonhap

A pair of Korean rookies each had a big day at the plate and on the mound in Major League Baseball (MLB) this weekend.

Song Sung-mun of the San Diego Padres enjoyed the first three-hit game of his career to help his team hammer the Kansas City Royals 19-2 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Sunday (local time).

The shortstop batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs and scored twice, even though he only entered the game in the top of the eighth inning as a pinch hitter for Luis Campusano.

Song singled in his first trip to the plate and scored on a grand slam by Ty France.

With the Cubs putting infielder Tyler Tolbert on the mound in the ninth to finish out the lopsided affair, the Padres batted around and put up a six-spot.

Song came to the plate twice in that frame, hitting a double and then delivering a two-run single to cap a perfect day with the bat.

Song raised his batting average from .212 to .239 through 44 games.

Elsewhere in MLB, Minnesota Twins right-hander Go Woo-suk tossed a scoreless inning in relief against the Chicago Cubs, though it came in a 10-1 loss at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

With the Twins down 10-1, Go took over from Kody Funderburk to begin the bottom of the eighth. He walked Justin Dean to begin the inning before striking out Michael Conforto.

Go then served up back-to-back singles to Michael Busch and Alex Bregman to load the bases. The Korean pitcher then struck out Kevin Alcantara on three pitches and then escaped the jam unscathed as Nico Hoerner grounded into a force out.

Go joined the Twins earlier this month in a trade from the Detroit Tigers and made his MLB debut on July 9. He gave up a run in one inning then and has since thrown two scoreless frames across two outings to lower his ERA to 3.00.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, another Korean in MLB, batted 1-for-4 in a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Lee is batting .303, the sixth-best mark in MLB.