Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 182

The Difficult Growing Pains (3)

The game commenced with the Angels’ starting pitcher taking the mound.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

Tick!

“Out!”

The Jaguars’ batters struggled to make solid contact against the Angels’ pitcher’s breaking balls.

Eventually, the top of the 1st inning concluded with the Jaguars failing to get a runner on base.

Now, it was the bottom of the 1st, and Jung Min-woo, the Jaguars’ starting pitcher, stepped onto the mound.

Behind him, Seo Seong-min at second base and Donald Watson in center field assumed their positions.

Jung Min-woo initiated his pitching with caution.

Thump!

“Ball!”

Thump!

“Ball!”

Contrary to his cautious approach, the ball consistently missed the strike zone.

-Jung Min-woo’s pitching appears shaky right from the start.

-He seems to be aiming for the corners too much from the get-go. It would be better for him to be more aggressive and challenge the hitters.

“Ball!”

“Ball!”

Jung Min-woo’s pitches seemed to have lost their mark, resulting in a walk for the leadoff batter.

He then threw two consecutive balls to the subsequent batter.

Eventually, the catcher approached the mound to confer with Jung Min-woo briefly.

-He’s thrown six pitches, and not a single one has been a strike.

-He definitely seems to have lost his confidence. But he needs to compete. It’s never a good sign for a pitcher to issue too many walks.

The catcher returned to home plate and relayed the sign.

And the seventh pitch came.

Tick!

A weakly hit ball bounced towards second baseman Seo Seong-min.

Seo Seong-min calmly fielded the ball and threw it to shortstop Kim Jae-hyung, who was covering second base.

“Out!”

The ball was then relayed swiftly to first base, and

“Out!”

Two outs were recorded with ease.

Then came the confrontation with the third batter.

Jung Min-woo’s pitching seemed to have stabilized somewhat, but

Crack!

As soon as he heard the sound of the ball connecting with the bat, Jung Min-woo lowered his head in disappointment.

The left fielder pursued the long hit, but was unable to make the catch.

“Home run!”

As the third base umpire signaled the home run, cheers erupted from the Angels’ stands.

“Waaaaah-”

-A home run on the very first at-bat of the inning.

-That pitch was too hittable, right down the middle. Giving up a home run isn’t ideal, but being aggressive like this is preferable to giving up walks by trying to be too fine with the corners.

Tick!

He then induced a weakly hit ball from the next batter, bringing a difficult first inning to a close.

Trailing 0-1, the Jaguars’ batters attempted to retaliate and score runs, but

Tick!

Whoosh-

They struggled to make solid contact against the Angels’ pitcher’s offerings and failed to score.

And now, the 3rd inning arrived.

Finally, number 7 batter Donald Watson stepped up to the plate.

The Jaguars’ fans didn’t seem to harbor high expectations for Watson anymore, as enthusiastic cheers were noticeably absent.

-It’s number 7 batter Donald Watson’s turn at bat.

-He’s been in a deep slump recently. His batting average has plummeted to .148. It’s far from the performance the team or fans are hoping for.

-When will Watson be able to deliver a timely hit?

As Watson approached the plate, the data he had reviewed with Kang Hyun-woo and Jung In-gyu replayed in his mind.

The opposing pitcher relies heavily on sliders.

He occasionally throws curves to disrupt timing, but his primary weapon is the slider.

Simultaneously, the trajectory of the slider he throws to right-handed batters was vividly visualized in his mind.

“Play ball!”

At the umpire’s call, Watson prepared to hit.

The Angels’ pitcher took a deep breath and began his pitching motion.

‘There’s no way he’ll throw a slider on the first pitch.’

Watson was in his batting stance, but

Thump!

“Strike!”

The pitcher’s ball painted the outside corner of the strike zone.

-He threw an amazing pitch just now.

-Unless it’s two strikes, it’s wise not to swing at a pitch like that.

Thump!

“Strike!”

This time, the ball came inside.

-He’s showcasing some great pitches while getting ahead with two strikes?

-It was such a good pitch that Watson didn’t even flinch.

-The count is unfavorable with no balls and two strikes. I don’t know if Watson will be able to get a good hit.

Contrary to the commentators’ concerns, Watson’s mind was already working.

‘The fact that he threw an inside strike just now must have been a setup to throw a sweeping slider.’

Watson gripped the bat tightly and mentally traced the trajectory of the opposing pitcher’s slider.

And,

‘Got it!’

Judging that it was the trajectory he had been anticipating, Watson unleashed a powerful swing.

Crack!

It was a clean hit, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The batted ball rolled into the gap between the center fielder and right fielder.

-He connected solidly!

-Watson’s long hit in a while. It’s a hit that splits the center-right field.

“Waaaaah-”

“Watson, run! Run!”

Hearing the fans’ cheers, Watson touched first base and sprinted towards second base without hesitation.

The right fielder retrieved the ball and threw it to second base, but Watson had already slid into second safely.

-It’s a refreshing hit to watch. Is Watson finally rediscovering his batting form?

-They say baseball is a mental game. After getting such a timely hit, his confidence will surely be boosted.

After Watson’s double, subsequent batters failed to produce any hits, and the rally didn’t translate into a score.

And then came the Jaguars’ defensive half-inning.

Trailing the Angels 0-1, with a runner on second base.

It was a precarious situation where the Jaguars risked conceding additional runs.

Crack!

The batted ball, struck confidently by the batter, was weakly hit and lofted into the air, creating an ambiguous trajectory.

It was a ball that seemed difficult for both the center fielder and second baseman to catch.

The runner on second base, convinced that it would be a hit, ran towards third base without looking back.

But Watson focused solely on the batted ball and sprinted towards it with determination.

From his initial reaction the moment the ball was hit to the subsequent steps he took, he was perfectly aligned with the ball’s path.

Then, as anticipated, he dove forward, sliding and extending his glove.

Thwack!

The ball nestled securely into Watson’s glove.

Watson confirmed that he had secured the catch and confidently raised his glove.

“Waaaaah-”

The runner on second base, who was rounding third base and heading towards home, froze in his tracks.

Meanwhile, Watson casually threw the ball to the second baseman, completing a double play.

-Wow! He caught it. Watson made an incredible catch on that batted ball.

-Not only did he record an out with a great defensive play, but he also managed to turn a double play, getting the runner at second.

-Watson is showcasing several impressive plays in today’s game.

Thanks to Watson’s stellar defense, the Jaguars concluded the inning without allowing a run.

The Jaguars’ offensive half-inning.

Before they knew it, the batting order had cycled through once, and it was number 6 batter Seo Seong-min’s turn to step up to the plate.

Since the opposing starting pitcher was a left-hander, Seo Seong-min positioned himself in the right-handed batter’s box from the start.

Thump!

“Ball!”

Thump!

“Strike!”

Tick!

Seo Seong-min stubbornly battled at the plate, laying off borderline pitches and fouling off tough strikes.

Thump!

“Walk!”

Eventually, he managed to reach base via a walk.

-Seo Seong-min drew a walk to get on base.

-The next batter is Donald Watson. He had a timely double in his previous at-bat. What will he do this time?

“Watson! Watson! Watson!”

In contrast to the beginning of the game, the cheers for Watson resonated loudly from the Jaguars’ cheering section.

‘Since he walked the previous batter, there’s a high probability he’ll try to throw a strike on the first pitch. To do that, it’s more likely to be a fastball than a breaking ball. If it looks like it’s coming into the strike zone, I’ll swing.’

Watson organized his thoughts and settled into his stance at the plate.

The pitcher, after exchanging signs with the catcher, glanced at Seo Seong-min on first base and unleashed the ball with full force.

‘This is it!’

The moment the ball left the pitcher’s hand, he was certain it was the pitch he had been anticipating.

Watson swung the bat with all the power he could muster.

He was worried that the ball might be torn apart upon impact.

Crack!

Watson watched the ball soar high into the sky and began his trot around the infield diamond.

Seo Seong-min on first base also sensed a home run and clenched his fist as he started running slowly.

“Watson is amazing!”

At the same time, all the Jaguars players raised their hands and cheered in unison.

-Finally! Watson has hit a home run!

-It’s a towering home run that reaches the upper deck of the Angels’ stadium stands!

-His power is truly something else. Is he comparable to the Buffaloes’ Park Seong-joo [a famous power hitter] ?

“Waaaaah-”

“Watson! Watson! Watson!”

The Jaguars fans erupted in excitement as Watson delivered a massive home run, a come-from-behind shot that instantly turned the game around.

“Watson, get in here!”

In the Jaguars’ dugout, the players celebrated the moment by giving Watson enthusiastic high-fives as soon as he returned.

It was his first home run on the domestic stage, so he could have opted for a nonchalant celebration, but perhaps because it was a crucial home run hit in an important situation, all the players couldn’t contain their excitement.

“Watson! Great!”

“Crazy power.”

Short English phrases were heard here and there.

In particular, Michael Scott came running and jumping as if he had springs attached to his feet.

“Wow, Watson fantastic home run!”

“Whew- Thank you.”

Relief finally washed over Watson’s face.

However, the lead created by Watson’s home run was short-lived.

Crack!

-Huh? Is that going out again?

-Home run! Another home run from the Angels here.

-The Angels are retaking the lead once again today.

Jung Min-woo, who had taken the mound in the 7th inning, had to hang his head in disappointment once more.

As the game progressed into the later innings, the Jaguars had no choice but to replace the pitcher after conceding the lead.

And before they knew it, it was the top of the 9th inning.

The score stood at 2-3, with the Angels still holding a one-point advantage.

As the 9th inning commenced, Jang Soo-young, the Angels’ closer, entered the game to secure the victory and protect the one-run lead.

-Jang Soo-young is on the mound to handle the Angels’ 9th inning.

-It’s the logical move. There’s no reason for the Angels to hesitate.

-He’s been in excellent form recently. I’m curious to see if the Jaguars’ batters will be able to mount an attack against Jang Soo-young.

Confidence radiated from Jang Soo-young’s pitching on the mound.

Thump!

Thump!

Even though his fastball velocity wasn’t exceptionally high at 146 km/h [91 mph] and 148 km/h [92 mph], the quality of his pitches, combined with his pinpoint control that consistently hit the corners of the strike zone, proved challenging for the opposing batters.

The Jaguars fans, who had remained in the stands until the very end, were hoping for a dramatic home run, but

Thump!

Thump!

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

It wasn’t easy to score against a closer in top form.

“Nice!”

Jang Soo-young, who secured another save by striking out the final batter, clenched his fist and celebrated the victory.

Despite Watson’s home run, which had ignited the hopes of the Jaguars fans, the game ended in defeat.

With today’s loss, Jung Min-woo’s losing streak continued.