On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 272

Yoo Seon-ho and Kim Wook continued to indulge in the generously prepared spread.

Gote tallied 31 points during the 3-game series.

Despite failing to set a new home run record, they swept the Pegasus, overtaking the Bulls to claim sole possession of second place.

The remaining schedule includes matchups against just four teams.

Scorpions, Wolves, Astro Boyz, and Phoenix.

With the exception of the first-place Astro Boyz, all are in the lower ranks, raising the possibility of Gote seizing the top spot.

They trail the Astro Boyz by a mere two games.

Overcoming a two-game deficit in eleven games wouldn’t be easy, but the dynamic KS [Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun] duo fueled the fans’ hopes.

The difference between 1st and 6th place is 7 games.

Given the tight standings from 1st to 6th place, the rankings were volatile, making the final two weeks of the season more intense than ever.

Gote initiated the 11-game stretch in Daegu.

Catching Success

Final Spurt (1)

“The atmosphere is intense.”

“Yeah, you can’t even talk to them,” Yoo Seon-ho and Lee Ji-sung remarked, clicking their tongues.

Gote’s first game in Daegu.

They usually visited the opposing dugout for friendly banter, but this time, they only exchanged brief glances before returning to their own side.

“They’re also feeling the pressure, so they don’t have time to socialize, huh?”

Yoo Seon-ho clicked his tongue at Kim Jung-ryul’s observation.

“True, but… we’re also under pressure, but they seem even more so.”

“We’re aiming for first place, while they’re fighting for a postseason berth. It’s a different kind of urgency. How long has it been since the Scorpions made it to fall baseball [Korean Series playoffs]?”

“Hmm, almost never. Was there even a time when I was playing?”

“Hyung [older brother/senior player], missing the postseason can impact support. It’s not just about bonuses; salary negotiations will suffer.”

“It’ll be tough if they’re playing with that kind of desperation.”

“Aren’t we desperate too? Hyung, I’m still hungry. I want more championship rings,” Kim Jung-ryul said, spreading his fingers.

Yoo Seon-ho smiled and pointed at Song Seok-hyun.

“Tell that to Seok-hyun.”

Song Seok-hyun responded while taking a drink of water, “We all need to contribute; why are you singling me out?”

“Hit more home runs. You might let In-hwan steal the home run title.”

“It’d be nice if In-hwan hyung won the home run title.”

“Don’t you have any ambition?”

“It’d be better if I win.”

The players erupted in laughter.

Kim In-hwan, returning to the bench late, joined in the laughter without knowing the reason.

“But what’s so funny?”

When Kim In-hwan asked Song Seok-hyun, the players laughed even harder.

Kim In-hwan laughed along, observing their reactions.

“Anyway, we need to give it our all today too. Let’s aim for eleven consecutive wins. Okay?”

The other players responded to Yoo Seon-ho’s call.

“Okay!”

* * *

Top of the 5th inning, Gote’s at-bat.

Yoo Seon-ho eyed the scoreboard, bat in hand.

The score was tied 1-1.

Gote’s ace, Fish, and the Scorpion’s foreign ace were proving difficult for opposing hitters.

Although Daegu Stadium was known for yielding home runs, Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun had only managed one and two walks, respectively.

[Full count. The pitcher needs to make a crucial decision here.]

Champion threw an outside curveball to Song Seok-hyun.

Song Seok-hyun connected with the pitch, sending it to right-center field.

It wasn’t a powerful hit, but enough for a double.

Hwang Gi-deok dove, extending his glove.

[Out! He’s out! Great catch by Hwang Gi-deok! Fantastic defensive play!]

[That’s Hwang Gi-deok! Fully recovered from his injury. The Scorpion players are flying today, showcasing exceptional defense.]

Song Seok-hyun smiled wryly as he reached first base.

“Did he really catch that?”

Yoo Seon-ho took a deep breath and stepped up to the plate.

His record for the game so far was 2 at-bats, no hits.

Just two ground balls and no walks.

[Recently, with the intensifying home run race between Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun, pitchers are increasingly avoiding facing them. This leads to more walks, putting pressure on the hitters behind them, right? But today, Yoo Seon-ho and Kim Wook aren’t delivering.]

[Gote has only scored 1 point, despite numerous opportunities. They haven’t been able to capitalize.]

[Champion started shaky, but has been bailed out by some amazing defensive plays.]

The duel between Champion and Yoo Seon-ho dragged on.

Eventually, it reached a full count.

With two outs and no runners on base, and the pitcher having thrown many pitches, Yoo Seon-ho was the last hope.

Champion’s decisive pitch was an outside fastball.

Yoo Seon-ho swung with all his might.

[Center field! Center field! Will it go over~~?]

The ball soared high, and center fielder Hwang Gi-deok sprinted back.

The ball, after a long flight, landed directly in Hwang Gi-deok’s glove.

The distance to the fence was less than 20cm.

[Out! He’s out! Another super play by Hwang Gi-deok!]

[It was incredibly close. A gust of wind would have carried it over, but it’s a shame.]

[Gote, with their powerful lineup, has only managed 1 point through the 5th inning. The Scorpions are putting on a dazzling performance.]

Yoo Seon-ho sighed deeply.

Returning to the bench, he immediately went on defense, but he misplayed a surprise bunt by the 8th hitter, resulting in a hit.

“I’m going crazy, really.”

Yoo Seon-ho gestured an apology to the pitcher.

Fish signaled it was okay, but then the 9th hitter got a hit, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs.

[Gote’s momentum is faltering. A hit followed by an error. No outs, runners on 1st and 3rd, and up to bat is national team center fielder Hwang Gi-deok.]

[A short hit scores a run immediately, and a long hit scores two. The following batting order is also strong.]

Song Seok-hyun positioned himself close to Hwang Gi-deok’s body.

The sign was for a fastball.

Fish threw the first pitch close to the batter’s body.

-Strike!

[Hwang Gi-deok takes the first pitch.]

[Fish’s fastball still has a lot of velocity. Most hitters can’t touch it when it’s thrown that close.]

The next pitch was also a fastball aimed at the body.

Hwang Gi-deok tilted his head.

[Two strikes. He gets ahead in the count with two fastballs.]

[I expected him to be cautious with no outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, but he’s attacking the zone. Well, that’s Song Seok-hyun’s style. There’s no pattern to his pitch selection. He can be overly cautious, not giving up a single strike, or he can throw high fastballs three times in a row.]

[Doesn’t that make it harder for the hitters to guess?]

[Judging by Fish’s style and Song Seok-hyun’s tendencies, he’s likely to attack quickly. Song Seok-hyun adjusts his pitch selection based on the pitcher’s style, and Fish is confident in his fastball, so he prefers fast-paced games. Of course, the opponent knows this, so they might try to exploit that and expect a changeup.]

Fish’s third pitch was a fastball.

A high outside fastball.

Hwang Gi-deok held back his swing.

-……No swing.

The umpire called it no swing, despite Song Seok-hyun’s protest.

[He holds back. He endures it.]

[He attacked the zone perfectly. A fastball that’s slightly outside and high. A hitter expecting a changeup might swing instinctively at that fastball. A ball like that is a foul at best.]

[In this case, the count is still 1-2. Very advantageous for the pitcher.]

Song Seok-hyun’s fingers moved rapidly.

Fish nodded and threw the ball.

A curveball that starts high and drops down.

Hwang Gi-deok, already in motion, connected with the falling curveball.

[Ground ball to the pitcher! The pitcher fields it and throws to 2nd base! Force out at 2nd, throw to 1st! Double play! A double play! The runner on 3rd scores, making it 2-1. He gives up a run, but gets out of the inning with a double play.]

[That’s a great way to minimize the damage. It’s not easy to prevent a run with no outs and runners on 1st and 3rd.]

Fish induced a ground ball from the next hitter and left the mound.

Both teams failed to score in the 6th and 7th innings.

Top of the 8th inning, Gote’s at-bat.

The pitcher intentionally walked leadoff hitter Song Seok-hyun.

Yoo Seon-ho’s at-bat.

The pitcher was sidearm pitcher Seong Hoon-gi, and the hitter was left-handed Yoo Seon-ho, but there was no pitching change.

Having only faced three hitters, Seong Hoon-gi’s pitches were still sharp.

The Scorpion’s catcher positioned his mitt low.

He was hoping for another double play, but Yoo Seon-ho swung with all his might at the first pitch.

[Right field~!]

The ball, heading straight for the fence, quickly cleared it.

[Home run! It’s a home run! Yoo Seon-ho hits it directly over the fence! He breaks out of his slump with that home run!]

[He really timed that one perfectly. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going and swung accordingly.]

[In this case, it’s a comeback. It’s 3-2. The veteran steps up when the KS duo is quiet.]

With Gote taking the lead, manager Ham Seong-hoon made a decision.

Bottom of the 8th inning, Scorpion’s at-bat.

Gote’s closer, Kim Jung-ryul, took the mound.

[Gote is going for a two-inning save. Kim Jung-ryul is warming up.]

[In this case, manager Ham Seong-hoon is unlikely to use Kim Jung-ryul in tomorrow’s game. Manager Ham Seong-hoon is playing it safe.]

[The closer with a 1 ERA [Earned Run Average] is a sure thing.]

Song Seok-hyun, receiving Kim Jung-ryul’s pitches, nodded.

The sound of the ball hitting the mitt was as sharp as at the beginning of the season.

Kim Jung-ryul, carefully managed, was the best closer in the league.

Invincible was the word associated with Kim Jung-ryul.

Kim Jung-ryul finished the game without allowing a single hit in the 8th and 9th innings.

Two-inning save.

Kim Jung-ryul threw only seventeen pitches.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Song Seok-hyun smiled as he handed the ball to Kim Jung-ryul.

Kim Jung-ryul put his arm around Song Seok-hyun’s shoulder.

“Let’s win decisively. I get nervous with a one-point lead, you know.”

“The Scorpions are no joke today, huh? It was really tough.”

“That’s why you need to hit home runs.”

“How can I hit a home run if they don’t pitch to me?”

“Make them pitch to you. Provoke them. Subtly mess with their heads.”

“…If I do that, it’ll turn into a bench-clearing brawl.”

“Just have a bench-clearing brawl. We’re not lacking in size either. We also have a secret weapon.”

Kim Jung-ryul pointed to Kim In-hwan, who was jogging in from the outfield.

“If In-hwan stands at the front and Seon-ho hyung supports the center-”

“What about you, sunbae [senior]?”

“I’m the commander. I’m the one and only precious closer.”

“Would it be rude to say that looks a little… sly?”

“Pitchers are aristocrats. Remember that.”

Gote suffered two losses after winning the first game of the three-game series against the Scorpions.

Losses of 1-0 and 4-2.

This was due to the Scorpion’s strategy of intentionally walking dangerous hitters but preventing hits.

The Scorpions used twelve pitchers during the three games.

It was a losing series, but the first-place Astro Boyz also had one win and two losses, so the gap with first place didn’t widen.

A three-game series against the Wolves after a day off.

The fate of the fifth-place Wolves and the second-place Gote, the Jamsil [stadium in Seoul] rivals, was cruel.

From the first game, Gote achieved a big win with Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun hitting three home runs in a row.

The next day, Gote’s starting pitcher, Jung Cheon-woon, was knocked out in the second inning, resulting in a big loss, but they won the following day and secured the series.

The Astro Boyz swept their series, widening the gap by one more game.

In the meantime, the good news was that Kim In-hwan set a new Korean home run record in the three-game series.

With five games remaining until the end of the season.

The away game against the first-place Astro Boyz in Busan drew attention from baseball fans.

Kim In-hwan’s home run record was being updated, and it was a three-game series between the first and second-place teams.

In addition, the third-place Bulls were trailing Gote by 0.5 games, so the first, second, and third-place rankings could change overnight.

Amid the tense atmosphere, the game between the first-place Busan Astro Boyz and the second-place Seoul Gote began in Sajik Stadium, Busan.

Catching Success

Final Spurt (2)

“A counterattack?”

One of the two Korean coaches of the Busan Astro Boyz asked the manager.

“That’s right. We will play the game our way.”

Coach Jang Hyun-seok looked troubled by manager Young Jefferson’s words.

“But Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun are on a hot streak. Looking at the games against other teams, we’ve had the best results when we avoided those two and challenged Yoo Seon-ho and Kim Wook. There’s no need to pitch to Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun…”

“No. We have to stick to our style, even if we lose. We reached first place playing our way, and we’re still doing well. Our hitters are also great. There’s no need to be intimidated by the opponent.”

“It’s not about being intimidated, but we could become victims of the opponent’s record. It’ll be in the record books forever.”

“Records are the essence of baseball. Just like you don’t bunt in a perfect game, avoiding a matchup because the opponent is setting a record isn’t baseball. We’re in the entertainment business. There’s no need to intentionally give up a home run, but avoiding a head-to-head battle in a game that many baseball fans are looking forward to is a disgrace to baseball and disappoints the fans.”

“…….”

“If we give up one run, we can score two. That’s our baseball. Let’s not avoid it. Fair and square. Sports are about winning and losing, not avoiding.”

…Manager Jefferson, who spoke confidently, fell silent before the first inning was over.

[57th home run! Kim In-hwan’s 57th home run! A new era of Korean professional baseball home runs has begun! Hulk Kim In-hwan! He is truly unstoppable!]

[54th home run! Song Seok-hyun’s personal best home run record! He’s closely chasing Kim In-hwan’s home run record! Back-to-back! All records of the two players are being rewritten in Sajik. The two players have a combined 111 home runs! That’s comparable to the total number of home runs for other teams. Who can stop them? No pitcher can stop Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun’s home run barrage!]