San francisco: Two former South Korean league All-Star teammates met as opponents in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the first time this season in San Francisco, with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays edging out the home team Giants 7-6.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Ha-seong, the Rays’ shortstop, went 1-for-4 and scored a run, while his fellow countryman, Giant’s center fielder Lee Jung-hoo, batted 1-for-3 with a run, a walk, and a steal. This matchup marked the opener of a three-game series, and these two teams, playing in opposite leagues, will not meet again this season.
Friday also marked the start of MLB Players’ Weekend, allowing players to personalize their equipment. Both Kim and Lee used bats bearing the pattern of their national flag, Taegeukgi. Lee, batting sixth, drew a walk in the second inning and stole second base, marking his ninth steal of the season. He scored on a double by Christian Koss to give the Giants an early lead.
Lee grounded out twice before singling in the eighth inning, mai
ntaining his batting average at .257. He has been hitting .333 in August, with hits in 12 of 13 games so far this month.
Kim, hitting eighth in the lineup, struck out in the third inning but managed an infield single in the fourth, eventually scoring to tie the game at 6-6. His batting average increased slightly from .209 to .211 after the game.
The Rays broke the tie in the ninth inning, while the Giants left the potential tying run stranded at third. The two players were previously teammates with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) from 2017 to 2020. Kim debuted in the KBO in 2014, and Lee joined him three years later. Kim carved out a successful career with multiple 20-homer seasons before joining the MLB, while Lee won the KBO MVP Award in 2022 and signed with the Giants after the 2023 season.
Last year, both players were in the National League West with Kim playing for the Padres, facing off seven times early in the season. However, neither was available for their teams’ later m
atchups due to injuries. This season, Lee has been a regular feature in the Giants’ lineup, while Kim has dealt with various injuries, limiting his appearances for the Rays.