Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 192

A Minor Uproar (1)

As the weather grew hotter, the competition in professional baseball intensified.

The gap between the 1st place Wolves and the 4th place Jaguars was less than 5 games, making it a tight race.

Equally fierce was the competition between 9th and 10th place.

The Pelicans and Hawks, who had been languishing at the bottom for the past few years, were the main contenders in their own league.

Today was the day of the game between the Pelicans and the Hawks.

While other teams’ fans showed little interest, it was a crucial game for the fans of these two teams.

-The Pelicans seemed to be falling behind in 10th place, but they have closed the gap to just 1 game behind the 9th place Hawks.

-They didn’t start strong, so it seemed like they would finish in 10th place again this year.

-What should we focus on in today’s game?

-The player to watch is definitely So Young-joon. Since the middle of last season, he has been showing a stable performance in both batting and fielding. He continues to perform well this year.

So Young-joon started as the 4th batter and shortstop.

The game began with the Pelicans on defense in the top of the 1st inning.

Clang!

The batters’ bats were swinging non-stop from the beginning.

Since both teams’ starting pitchers weren’t top-tier, the batters were aggressively attacking.

The Pelicans faced a crisis in the 1st inning.

Two outs, bases loaded.

-The Pelicans are in trouble from the 1st inning.

-If they lose the early momentum, today’s game could be difficult.

The Pelicans pitcher carefully threw the ball,

Clang!

The batted ball, hit by the batter, was speeding through the infield.

At the same time, So Young-joon quickly stepped forward and dove, stretching out his arm.

The ball went into So Young-joon’s glove.

Then, he jumped up and threw it with all his might towards the first baseman.

-Oh, So Young-joon caught it well. And the throw is accurate!

The ball thrown by So Young-joon arrived well before the runner.

“Out!”

The first base umpire raised his fist without hesitation.

-I thought that ball would definitely get through the infield. But So Young-joon was there.

-So Young-joon seems to be at his peak in shortstop defense. I can’t help but praise him.

-The Pelicans managed to finish the inning without giving up a run in the bases-loaded situation.

“Waaaaah-”

“So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!”

The Pelicans fans cheered enthusiastically for So Young-joon as he returned to the dugout.

So Young-joon responded by clenching his fist and raising it.

In the Pelicans’ attack in the 1st inning, one batter successfully got on base with a walk, and it was the 4th batter So Young-joon’s turn.

Two outs, runner on 2nd base.

A runner was in scoring position.

Whump!

“Ball!”

Whump!

“Ball!”

Tick!

So Young-joon picked out the balls and swung at the strikes, gaining an advantage.

As the pitcher’s sixth ball came flying,

Clang!

The ball hit by So Young-joon’s bat landed cleanly in front of the center fielder.

Meanwhile, the runner on 2nd base was running with all his might, heading to home via 3rd base.

“Safe!”

As the runner easily stepped on home base, the scoreboard recorded the Pelicans’ 1 point.

-The Pelicans’ first hit of the game came from So Young-joon.

-A good defensive play in the previous inning, and now an RBI [Run Batted In] in the batting. His performance is already impressive.

However, the following batters were out, and So Young-joon failed to step on home base.

During the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, the Pelicans’ mound struggled to find stability.

Clang!

The Hawks’ batters swung their bats freely.

-The Hawks’ batters are aggressive today. They are swinging at almost every ball that comes in for a strike.

-The strategy of aggressively attacking the pitcher seems to be working well. But the score doesn’t reflect the number of hits. They need to concentrate more in scoring situations.

Without the help of the Pelicans’ fielders, including So Young-joon, they would have given up a lot of runs.

The Pelicans’ starting pitcher, who had thrown over 100 pitches, was taken off the mound before completing the 5th inning, and several bullpen pitchers were brought in to barely hold off the attack.

Instead, the Pelicans’ batters shone.

Although they had fewer hits and walks than the Hawks, they were much more effective at converting them into runs.

At the end of the top of the 7th inning, the score was 4:2, with the Hawks leading.

Considering that the two teams had a difference of more than 5 hits, the difference in clutch ability was significant.

And now, the Pelicans’ attack inning in the bottom of the 7th.

The preceding batters succeeded in creating opportunities with hits.

Two outs, runners on 1st and 2nd base.

Now, the batter coming to the plate was So Young-joon.

-Finally, a situation has been created where there are runners in front of So Young-joon.

-When the 4th batter is at the plate, it doesn’t matter how many outs there are. Even with two outs, if he hits it over the fence, they score. And So Young-joon has already recorded a hit in today’s game. The Hawks’ battery [pitcher and catcher] will have to be careful.

The Hawks’ pitcher carefully started pitching.

Whump!

“Ball!”

Whump!

“Strike!”

Whump!

Not the ball he was waiting for, So Young-joon didn’t swing his bat even once while watching the four pitches.

And at the moment the fifth ball came flying, he swung his bat for the first time.

Crack!

As soon as So Young-joon hit the ball, he seemed to expect a home run and threw his bat away.

Then, he slowly ran towards 1st base.

-So Young-joon hits a game-changing three-run home run here! The score is 4:5, and the Pelicans take the lead in one fell swoop!

-The Hawks were far ahead in terms of hits and getting on base. But the Pelicans’ concentration is much better in today’s game.

So Young-joon rounded all the infield diamonds, stepped on home base, and shared enthusiastic high-fives with the preceding runners.

“So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!”

The Pelicans’ home fans were shouting So Young-joon’s name at the top of their lungs.

So Young-joon received not only the cheers of the fans but also the warm support of his teammates in the dugout.

As they took the lead again, the cheerful cheering song didn’t stop in the Pelicans’ cheering section.

Top of the 9th, 4:5.

The score that went up with So Young-joon’s RBI was maintained.

With the Pelicans leading, it was the Hawks’ attack inning.

-If the Pelicans finish this inning well, they can reduce the difference with the Hawks to 0.

-Of course, the gap between the Pelicans and 5th place is too large to make it likely that they will advance to the post-season, but 10th and 9th place have a different feel, right?

-That’s right. Especially since the Pelicans have recorded 10th place for the past 3 years in a row. Just getting out of 10th place this season could be a motivation for the players.

-The score is a one-point difference. Can the Pelicans finish this inning well?

The Pelicans’ closer confidently started pitching.

But,

Clang!

The Hawks’ batters succeeded in hitting the ball as if they already knew what the pitcher was going to throw.

They managed to get one out with difficulty in the middle, but they allowed three runners to get on base.

-One out, bases loaded. We really can’t know the outcome until the end of the game.

-If they get a hit here, they can tie the score and even take the lead.

-The Pelicans’ infielders’ judgment is important. They need to decide whether to throw home or go for a double play the moment they catch the ball.

Pitchers warming up in the Pelicans’ bullpen caught the eye.

The Pelicans’ pitcher on the mound had sweat streaming down his face.

He threw another ball with difficulty,

Tick!

The ball hit by the batter bounced and rolled between shortstop So Young-joon and 2nd base.

Checking the direction of the batted ball, So Young-joon quickly moved towards 2nd base to catch the ball.

-Okay, the batted ball is flying towards a double play course!

-So Young-joon should be able to catch that ball!

As soon as So Young-joon caught the ball, he was about to throw it to the second baseman,

“Ugh!”

But he couldn’t find the ball in his glove.

The ball, which seemed to have gone into the glove, bounced out and rolled backwards.

So Young-joon quickly turned around and tried to catch the ball and throw it to 1st base, but in the meantime, the batter had already arrived at 1st base.

The runner on 3rd base also stepped on home base and scored.

-Safe at home! In the end, an important point is scored in the top of the 9th!

-A fatal error came from So Young-joon here. He showed good defense throughout the game. Why did the error have to come at such an important time?

The score on the scoreboard changed to 5:5.

The atmosphere in the Pelicans’ dugout, as well as in the stands, turned cold.

So Young-joon was hunched over, messing up his hair.

In the heavy atmosphere, the game continued.

They hoped to finish the inning with a tie score,

Clang!

The Hawks’ batter succeeded in sending the ball far into the outfield.

“Out!”

The left fielder caught the ball without difficulty and got an out.

But at the same time as the umpire’s call, the 3rd base runner ran towards home base.

“Safe!”

They succeeded in getting a point while giving up an out.

-In the end, the Hawks succeed in taking the lead in the 9th!

-The Pelicans can’t get past the 9th.

The scoreboard changed to 6:5.

At the same time, the Pelicans’ pitcher was replaced.

The Pelicans’ closer, with slumped shoulders, weakly left the mound.

Fortunately, the replaced Pelicans’ pitcher got the last out and finished the 9th inning without giving up any additional runs.

Following the bottom of the 9th.

This time, the Hawks’ closer came to the mound to protect the one point lead.

The Pelicans’ last attack in the regulation innings.

So Young-joon and his teammates, watching from the dugout, encouraged the batters with loud voices.

Everyone desperately hoped for a score,

Tick!

“Out!”

Whump!

“Strike out!”

Whoosh-

The third batter’s bat in this inning swung in vain, and the last out count of today’s game went up.

At the same time, the Hawks’ players burst out of the dugout and ran onto the field.

“Hawks! Hawks! Hawks!”

The Hawks’ spectators couldn’t hide their joy,

On the other hand, a silence was felt from the disappointed Pelicans’ fans.

-It was an important game where the Pelicans could have tied with 9th place. It’s really disappointing that they recorded a loss and the difference widened to 2 games again.

-Although they failed to close the gap in an important situation, there are still many games left in the season. I hope they show a good performance in the next game.

So Young-joon couldn’t say anything and hung his head.

Other Pelicans teammates came over and patted him on the back.

Kim Seok-won, the Pelicans’ general manager, who was watching this scene from the stands, left the stadium with a displeased expression.