Kim Ha-seong hit a tying single with two outs in the 11th inning and scored on Drake Baldwin's walk-off hit as Atlanta beat Philadelphia 6-5 on Friday.
Atlanta trailed 5-4 with automatic runner Ozzie Albies still at second when Kim came to the plate. With two strikes, Kim singled between third base and shortstop to drive in Albies. Baldwin followed with a hit into the outfield gap, scoring Kim from first.
The victory extended Atlanta's lead over Philadelphia in the National League East.
Kim has delivered key hits in consecutive games and hit a walk-off single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in late August. His recent production follows a prolonged slump during which his batting average remained below .100 for much of the season.
ATL All Day, an online outlet covering Atlanta, wrote Saturday that Kim's recent contributions were rewarding the club's decision to keep him on the roster despite his struggles.
The outlet attributed his improvement primarily to renewed confidence following the walk-off hit against Los Angeles, rather than a significant change in his hitting approach.
Kim's recent results give Atlanta another option off the bench heading into the final weeks of the regular season. His contributions against the Dodgers and Phillies have been particularly useful as Atlanta works to secure its postseason position.
The recent stretch remains too short to establish whether Kim has moved past his season-long hitting problems, but he has provided timely offense after struggling to produce for much of the year.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
