August 23, 2023 09:30
Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres hit the first grand slam of his Major League Baseball career on Monday.
Kim went two-for-four with the slam, four RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in a home game against the Miami Marlins, helping his team win 6-2. His season batting average rose from 0.278 to 0.280 and he now has 49 RBIs and 71 runs scored.
In the bottom of the second inning with his team leading 1-0 with the bases loaded, Kim crushed a fastball from starter Ryan Weathers over the left fence. It was his 17th homer of the season, coming just two days after his previous homer during a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was also his 36th homer and 300th hit since his MLB debut in 2021.
The Padres shared their congratulations on social media by changing Kim's name to "Ha-Slam Kim" and writing "The 'S' in HSK stands for slam."
With 17 homers and 28 steals so far this season, Kim is closing in on the 20 homers and 20 steals milestone in a season. If he adds three more homers in the remaining 36 games, he will become the first Asian infielder and only the second Korean player to achieve the feat after Choo Shin-soo, currently an outfielder for the SSG Landers.
The Padres remained fourth in the National League West with 60 wins and 66 losses.
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