Ha-Sung Kim’s (San Diego Padres) circus defense had managers and teammates alike stunned, but his name had everyone smiling.

Kim started at first base against the Los Angeles Angels at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on Friday (May 5) and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. The team went on to win 8-5.

There were honorable mentions all over the place, including Xander Bogaerts, who homered for the second straight night; Jake Cronenworth, who had three long balls, including a leadoff double and home run, to chase Angels starter Shohei Ohtani; and Joe Musgrove, who pitched seven innings of three-hit ball (one homer) with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

However, the contributions of Kim Ha-seong, who made some stunning defensive plays in the middle and end of the game, cannot be overlooked. In the top of the fourth inning, Kim picked off Mike Moustakas’ grounder to second base to end the inning. The ball itself wasn’t fast, but it deflected off the glove of first baseman Jake Cronenwirth, complicating the play. Kim ran to second base, but the ball deflected backwards. Kim blocked the ball with his bare right hand, not his gloved left, and calmly caught it again to make the out at first base. Cronenwirth and Musgrove, the starter, were the first to high-five. 메이저놀이터 추천

Leading 8-1 in the ninth, Kim struck again. Jose Castillo struggled with four hits and two walks, and it was 8-3. With the bases loaded, they brought in closer Josh Hader, who gave up two more runs on two walks.

It was 8-5 and things were getting weird. With the bases loaded and two outs, Taylor Ward’s pitch was deflected and sailed just past Hader. It was a tough pitch for the outfielders to handle, but Kim Ha-seong raced to the plate and snagged the ball for a running throw. The boundary also bounced in the opposite direction of Kim, making it difficult to catch, but he managed to get the out. It was a clear out on the challenge.

Heather had to be adorable as she swept the ball across her chest. The San Diego team’s official social media account posted a photo of Heather smiling at Kim with an adorable and admiring look in her eyes. In fact, the way she looked at him was the same as the San Diego fans. “We all look at Kim the way Josh (Hader) looks at him,” San Diego’s official social media account wrote.

“I think he’s the best defender in the game, and I think a lot of his records show that,” said manager Bob Melvin after the game, referring to Kim’s two “trick plays.” “It was a tremendous defense to end the game, and there aren’t many players who can do that,” he added.