The highly anticipated Major League Baseball matchup between close friends Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-seong took place on Tuesday (KST), but neither player could celebrate a strong performance. The result was more of a sad ending than a happy one.
Lee’s San Francisco Giants faced Kim’s Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in California. Lee batted leadoff and played right field, while Kim started at second base and batted ninth for the Dodgers.
Kim had reason to be optimistic before the game. Although star shortstop Mookie Betts returned from a side injury, Kim kept his spot on the major league roster, with the Dodgers optioning infielder Alex Freeland to the minors. However, the joy did not translate into on-field success.
In the bottom of the third, Kim grounded out to third base on the first pitch he saw, a 93.9 mph sinker. His second at-bat came in the fourth with two outs and runners on first and third, but he swung through an 86 mph slider for a strikeout, wasting a run-scoring opportunity.
Lee also struggled early. In the top of the first, he flied out to left. In the third, he struck out swinging on a 91 mph splitter after a full count. His third at-bat in the fifth resulted in a groundout to shortstop on a 86.6 mph splitter.
Kim’s third plate appearance appeared to come in the bottom of the sixth with the game tied 3-3 and a runner on first. But after the Giants replaced starter MacDonald with left-hander Matt Gage, the Dodgers countered by pinch-hitting right-handed Miguel Rojas for Kim. Kim finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout, dropping his batting average to .282.
Ironically, Lee recorded his first hit right after Kim was removed. In the top of the seventh against Dodgers reliever Vesia, Lee lined a first-pitch 91.7 mph fastball into right field for a single. He advanced to third on hits by Luis Arraez and Casey Schmitt, then scored on a walk by Rafael Devers, giving the Giants a 4-3 lead.
Lee came up again in the eighth with a runner on third, but his grounder to first baseman Freddie Freeman resulted in a fielder’s choice, with the runner thrown out at home. In the ninth, with two outs and runners on second and third, Lee was hit by a pitch, but no follow-up hit drove in a run.
Lee finished the game 1-for-5 with one run scored and one strikeout, lowering his season average to .268 and his OPS to .692. The Giants went on to win 9-3.
The reunion between the two close friends ended without a smile for either player—a truly sad ending to their head-to-head battle.
