LA Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong returned to the starting lineup but was replaced after only two plate appearances. The "Korean derby" between Kim Hye-seong and Riley 'Junyoung' O'Brien did not take place.
Kim Hye-seong started at shortstop in the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 3rd (all times KST), started at eighth in the batting order, went 0-for-2 and was replaced. His season batting average fell to .293 and his OPS dropped to .761. He had appeared as a pinch hitter in the previous day's (2nd) game and went 1-for-2, but after returning to the starting lineup that day he was silent with no hits and was replaced.
The Cardinals' starter was right-hander Michael McGreevy. Kim Hye-seong came to the plate in his first at-bat in the top of the second with two outs and runners on first and second. With a 1-1 count he swung at a third pitch 87.9-mph outside changeup and hit a weak grounder to second base. He left a regret in the top of the fifth with one out and a runner on first as well. With a 2-2 count he again tapped an 86.3-mph changeup and hit a grounder to the pitcher. He failed to prevent a double play.
He was scheduled to bat leadoff in the top of the eighth, but Kim Hye-seong did not return to the plate. When left-hander JoJo Reyes came in, he was replaced by right-handed batter Alex Cobb, ending his day.
He left the mound after six innings, allowing five hits (one home run), two walks, one hit by pitch, four strikeouts and three runs. He threw a personal single-game high of 104 pitches and delivered his first quality start of the season.
However, the Dodgers' offense was silent and they lost 2-3, marking their fourth consecutive loss. In particular, Ohtani recorded his third straight game without a hit. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts that day. In the bottom of the third, Ivan Herrera opened the scoring with a double to left field, and Alex Verdugo followed with an RBI double to right to give up the early run. And against Jordan Walker, after establishing a favorable 2-2 count, on the fifth pitch he threw an 84.2-mph slider that Walker launched over the fence for a two-run homer, making it three runs allowed. After that, Sasaki retired 10 straight batters through the sixth to prevent further runs, but the Dodgers could not find a turning point. They managed to score two runs with a rally after two outs in the ninth, but it was already too late.
With St. Louis leading 3-0, Korean-descended pitcher Riley 'Junyoung' O'Brien was brought in. He struck out leadoff hitter Freddie Freeman on three pitches and, after a full-count battle with Will Smith, induced a fly out to right field. After two outs he allowed infield singles by Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández, creating a two-out, runners on first and second threat. He gave up an RBI single to Max Muncy up the middle. In the following two-out, runners on first and third situation, he yielded an RBI single to Andy Pages to be chased to within one run. But he struck out pinch hitter Dalton Rushing swinging and, after a hard-fought effort, recorded his ninth save of the season. St. Louis extended its winning streak to six games.
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