Atlanta's Kim Ha-seong Records 3-Hit Game in 353 Days... Batting Average Rises Above .100

Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves, who had been struggling with the aftermath of an injury, has recorded a three-hit game in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the first time in a year.

Starting as the 9th batter and shortstop in an away game against the Washington Nationals for the 2026 MLB regular season held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on the 2nd (KST), Kim went 3-for-3.

Struggling at the plate and hovering with a batting average below .100, he raised his season batting average to .112 (10 hits in 89 at-bats) through this game.

This is Kim's first three-hit game in 353 days since September 15 of last year against the Houston Astros.

In his first plate appearance in the 3rd inning, Kim attacked the 4th pitch from Washington's right-handed starting pitcher Jake Irvin to hit a clean single to left field.

It was a bullet-like batted ball with a velocity of 170 km/h.

In his second plate appearance in the 5th inning, he also produced a left-field single with a batted-ball speed of 167 km/h against Irvin, and in his final plate appearance in the 8th inning, he struck a 175 km/h single to left field facing Washington's right-handed relief pitcher Clayton Beeter.

All three hits were solidly struck off the center of the bat and headed toward left field.

Kim also showed his presence on defense by making a stellar defensive play on Abimelec Ortiz's hit-like ball in the 2nd inning.

Moving toward second base according to the defensive shift, he slid to field a sharply rolling ground ball heading toward center field, and threw it while sitting down to secure the out.

Despite Kim's performance, Atlanta lost to Washington 5–9.

(Photo: Getty Images)
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