WATCH: K-pop boy band ATEEZ throws ceremonial first pitch at Dodgers vs. Mets game
Yunho of ATEEZ threw the ceremonial pitch to start the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Accompanying him on the diamond were fellow members of the K-pop boy band, Yeosang, Wooyoung and Jongho.
"It was an honor to step onto the mound. As a baseball fan ... this will be an unforgettable day," Yunho said.
KQ Entertainment created the K-pop boy band, ATEEZ. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho lead the roster. They debuted in October 2018 and have so far dropped nine EPs. Their upcoming 10th EP will be released on May 31 and is titled "GOLDEN HOUR: Part 1."
Ever since signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to blockbuster long-term deals last winter, the Dodgers have been at the forefront of embracing Japanese and South Korean culture and entertainment.
When they were in Gocheok Sky Dome, many K-pop groups were in attendance and some of them even performed ahead of the two-game series between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.
A few days ago, Japanese musician Yokishi was at the Dodgers clubhouse and performed the US National Anthem on piano.
Dodgers 'super-team' chants dry out following a less ambitious start
Following a historic offseason where the Dodgers signed deals worth over a billion dollars to acquire the league's best stars, everyone was on notice, with some even singing praise of them as 'super-team.'
Fast forward to today, and the Dodgers are barely above .500 (12-11) and lead the NL West but not by a considerable margin. More so, after Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Mets at home, they have now lost seven of their last 10 games.
There is much to be desired by the Dodgers pitching, which is giving up crucial runs in late innings. Secondly, the team is not able to advance runners consistently, adding only individual performance with no substantial value to the actual scoreboard.
The club has dropped three consecutive series now, starting with the Padres, followed by the Nationals and now the Mets have won the first two games of the three-game series.
The final game of the series will be played on Sunday, after which, the Dodgers will head to Nationals Park for a three-game series, starting Tuesday.