Kim Ha-seong homers twice at his old home park
The San Diego Padres’ Korean shortstop Kim Ha-seong smacked a pair of home runs in an exhibition game on his home soil Monday.
Kim blasted a two-run homer off LG Twins starter Im Chan-kyu in the top of the second inning at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
Then in the top of the sixth, Kim smoked another two-run shot, this time off reliever Jung Woo-young, to stake the Padres to a 4-1 lead. They took the game by 5-4.
This is the second of two exhibitions for the Padres before they open the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a twogame Seoul Series set for Wednesday and Thursday. These will be the first MLB games to take place in Korea.
Before joining the Padres, Kim played for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) from 2014 to 2020, and Gocheok was his home park for the final five of those seasons.
Kim batted fifth and played shortstop Monday, as he had done Sunday against the South Korean national team. He went 1-for-4 in that game and wasted little time making his impact in the second game.
Im struck out the side in the first inning but then gave up a leadoff double to Manny Machado to begin the second inning. Kim stepped up and drilled a 1-2 changeup into the seats in left-center field. The ball went 419 feet.
In the sixth inning, Kim increased the Padres’ lead to 4-1 with another two-run homer. Kim jumped on a 1-2 changeup offering from sidearm reliever Jung, and the ball traveled 379 feet to left field.
“Hitting home runs always feels great, no matter where you hit them,” Kim said. “I think I got lucky. I am thankful to be playing in Korea in the Padres uniform.”
Kim said he took advantage of his knowledge of the pitchers he’d faced in the KBO in the past.
“I kind of had an idea on what kind of pitches they could throw,” Kim said. “I was able to put a good swing on those pitches. I hope I can maintain this form throughout the regular season.”
In his pregame chat with South Korean media Monday, Kim thanked South Korean fans for their warm welcome home.
“I was so grateful for that,” Kim said of fans’ cheers before his first plate appearance Sunday. “I felt really happy. It was a touching moment. I just had so much fun out there. Seeing talented young guys from the national team made it an even more special game.”
As the South Korean face of the Seoul Series, Kim has been pulled in many different directions, doing interviews, appearing in youth clinics and checking in with his old teammates on the national team.
Kim said he’s only happy to make himself available.
“I am just thankful that we’re here to play MLB games. It’s been a lot of fun,” Kim said. “Obviously, games against the Dodgers are important, but I take these exhibition games seriously, too.”
Hitting home runs always feels great ... I am thankful to be playing in Korea in the Padres uniform.