Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo blasts his 1st homer of season

Reduced to a part-time role in 2017, Baltimore Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo has finally hit his first home run of the season in his 10th game.

The South Korean outfielder blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Monday (local time).

Kim, who bats left-handed, has been playing almost exclusively against right-handers. With Tampa Bay starting right-hander Chris Archer, Kim got into the lineup batting seventh and playing left field.

In this Associated Press photo, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles (right) hits a solo home run off Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 24, 2017. (Yonhap)

After flying out and walking in his first two plate appearances, Kim jumped on a 93-mph fastball and drove it over right-center field.

It came on Kim's 25th at-bat of the season. He had six home runs in 95 games last season, his first in the bigs.

Kim's shot cut the Orioles' deficit to 3-2. Jonathan Schoop then went back-to-back with a solo homer of his own to tie the score at 3-3.

The Orioles broke the tie with Adam Jones' two-run home run in the seventh, and a sacrifice fly by Schoop in the eighth rounded out the scoring in the O's 6-3 victory.

The home run was Kim's only hit of the day. He was lifted in favor of Craig Gentry in left field in the ninth inning.

Kim is now batting .269 for the year with a homer and three RBIs. (Yonhap)