Another day, another leadoff man: Kim talks about batting atop order

The Orioles will use their fifth different leadoff hitter in the last six games and their third different one in this series tonight. Hyun Soo Kim will hit leadoff for the first time as an Oriole in the series finale against Toronto.

"It is always important for someone to do right on the first time you go out," Kim said today through his translater Danny Lee. "So I will make sure I do everything that I need to as leadoff and whatever the team wants, I will do it. I will probably have the same approach as usual, but I will try to see as many pitches as possible as a leadoff."

Kim is batting .316/.391/.428 in 74 games on the year with 14 doubles, a triple, four homers and 15 RBIs. Kim has hit .341 this year with an on-base percentage of .407 against right-handers. The Orioles will see one tonight in Toronto's Aaron Sanchez (12-2, 2.99 ERA), who ranks third in the league in ERA.

Did Kim bat leadoff much in Korea?

"Not that I can think of," he said.

Going back to Friday night in New York, Adam Jones hit leadoff but then left that game after one at-bat with a hamstring strain. Manny Machado hit leadoff Saturday and then Steve Pearce did so in Sunday's series finale. Monday versus Toronto, Jonathan Schoop batted first and Pearce hit there last night with Kim atop the order tonight.

Kim was asked about facing Sanchez, a pitcher that is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts against the Orioles this season. Kim is 2-for-8 against him.

"He has a good fastball to respect and great movement and there are things that he has that we'll be able to pull things off," Kim said. "As a team we'll have to probably attack his pitches."

Last night Kim entered the game as a defensive replacement, essentially for Mark Trumbo. Pearce went from left to right where Trumbo was playing and Kim entered the game in left field.

"I felt nervous," Kim said of entering for defense. "Tried to make sure not to make any mistakes out there, especially when the team was winning."