"Back in the postseason for the first time in four years, and another consecutive strikeout"... The bitter timing of Austin Riley's go-ahead three-run homer right after Ha-seong Kim was removed

[Financial News]  He earned a spot in the postseason starting lineup largely on the strength of his defense, but the hitting slump that plagued him throughout the regular season did not lift on the October stage. Ha-seong Kim (31) of the Atlanta Braves hung his head after striking out in consecutive at-bats in his first MLB postseason game in four years.
Kim started at shortstop and batted ninth in Game 1 of the 2026 Major League Baseball National League Wild Card Series (NLWC; best-of-three) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 30th Korea time. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before being replaced by a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kim had posted an abysmal .116 batting average during the regular season, going 15-for-129 after suffering a tendon injury in his right middle finger before the start of the season. Nevertheless, his solid defense across every infield position earned him not only a spot on the postseason roster but also an opportunity to start. It was his first emotional appearance on the postseason stage in four years, since 2022, when he played for the San Diego Padres.
The results at the plate, however, were unforgiving. Kim came to the plate in the bottom of the second with two outs and runners on first and third in a prime scoring opportunity, but he struck out on a foul tip against Philadelphia's left-handed starter, Jesús Luzardo.
In his second at-bat, leading off the bottom of the fifth, Kim chased a sharp inside sweeper from Luzardo and struck out swinging. When his turn came again as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh with Atlanta trailing 2-3, the Braves' bench brought in a pinch-hitter without hesitation.
Kim walked back to the bench bitterly, but Atlanta's bats exploded late in the game. Trailing 2-3 and on the verge of defeat in the bottom of the eighth, the Braves put runners on first and second with two outs after a single by Michael Harris II and a hit-by-pitch issued to Ozzie Albies.
Austin Riley, the team's star hitter, then stepped to the plate and did not miss a mistake by the opposing bullpen. He launched a dramatic go-ahead three-run homer over the right-center-field wall. Atlanta suddenly took a 5-3 lead, and closer Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure the Game 1 victory.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter