Orioles’ Kim Hyun-soo posts 3rd multihit game of June

In this Associated Press photo, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles connects for a single against the Kansas City Royals in their Major League Baseball game in Baltimore on June 7, 2016.

SEOUL, (Yonhap) — Having hit his way on to the Baltimore Orioles’ starting lineup, South Korean outfielder Kim Hyun-soo has continued to swing the hot bat.

Kim went 2-for-5 with a run as the O’s defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 at home Tuesday (local time). It was already Kim’s third multihit game of June, and his eighth for the season.

Kim spent the better part of April on the bench and didn’t get regular playing opportunities until late May. Kim made six consecutive starts beginning on May 25, and has been batting .378 (17-for-45) in a dozen games since.

Kim has started in five of six games this month and has recorded at least a hit in all five games.

Batting second, Kim wasted little time adding to his hit tally, as he went the other way off Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura in the bottom of the first.

Then with heads-up base running, Kim went from first to third on Manny Machado’s single to left. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert failed to make a diving grab on the ball and stayed on the ground, leaving the bag unoccupied momentarily — but long enough for Kim to take the extra base.

Kim then came home on Mark Trumbo’s double.

Kim got his second hit off Venture with one out in the bottom of the second. He grounded out and flied out twice in his next three at-bats. He’s now batting .378 for the season.

In the National League, Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates also had a pair of hits, helping the club beat the New York Mets 3-1 in the first game of their doubleheader in Pittsburgh.

Batting cleanup, the third baseman went 2-for-3 with a walk, raising his batting average to .298.

Kang started the second game of the twin bill, and came off the bench in the seventh to draw a walk. The Pirates also took the second game with a score of 3-1.

Elsewhere, Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners got the start at first base, but went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored against the Cleveland Indians. The M’s won 7-1.

In interleague action, Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins went 0-for-3 with a walk against the Miami Marlins. Park hit a couple of deep flyballs that died on the warning track, in the first and then in the fourth. Park is batting .217 this season with 10 homers, but just one since going deep twice on May 13.