Shohei Ohtani hit a home run Monday night—his hardest hit ball of the season at that—but he was happier for his teammate, second baseman Hyeseong Kim, when the two returned to the dugout.
Kim earned his first major league start as the Los Angeles Dodgers took on the Miami Marlins Monday. He quickly turned his first start into his first MLB hit, on a single to left field. He then stole second base before Ohtani homered to bring him in to score.
And Ohtani jumped for joy for Kim after the two-run blast.
"Just an amazing performance by Kim," Ohtani said postgame through his interpretor via Spectrum SportsNet LA. "Just really good overall, even yesterday as well. I'm very happy for him."
After eight seasons in the KBO League, Kim signed with the Dodgers on a three-year contract over the offseason. L.A. called up Kim from Triple A Oklahoma City on Sunday, setting the stage for his first MLB start Monday in Miami. He pinch ran in the Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves over the weekend for his first appearance.
He also earned his first RBI Monday on a sixth-inning single—ending the night with two hits. The Dodgers beat the Marlins 7-4 in the opening game of their three-game series. L.A. advanced to 24-11 on the season, sitting atop the National League West with the most wins in baseball.
