Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 249

The Best Match (1)

The showdown between the Jaguars and the Buffaloes.

With the Jaguars trailing by 1.5 games, the outcome of this 3-game series could potentially determine the top spot in the league.

Conversely, if the Buffaloes won 2 out of 3 games, they could increase their lead over the Jaguars.

Moreover, the head-to-head matchup between Michael Scott and Go Ji-hoon, who were competing for the most wins title last year, was another highly anticipated aspect of the series.

Michael Scott with 11 wins, and Go Ji-hoon with 10 wins.

The fact that these two pitchers, fiercely competing for the most wins, were facing off was enough to draw significant fan attention.

As befitting a game with such high stakes, all seats were sold out less than an hour after ticket sales began.

– We are heading into a crucial game that could determine the leading team this season. The fans’ excitement is palpable.

– It’s a match between two teams vying for the championship, and a showdown between Michael Scott and Go Ji-hoon, who have been delivering outstanding pitching performances since last season. Missing today’s game would be a real disappointment.

– What are the key points to watch in today’s game?

– It will likely be a pitching duel. Both pitchers have been in excellent form recently, so scoring will be difficult. The team that maintains better focus will likely win.

– So, the performance of the hitters will also be crucial.

– Absolutely. Especially in situations like today, where they are facing the opposing team’s ace pitcher, it’s essential to concentrate on both defense and offense. Even a small advantage can make a big difference.

The two teams’ lineups were largely unchanged.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo of the Buffaloes held the 3rd and 4th spots, while Han Gyo-jin, Donald Watson, and Seo Seong-min of the Jaguars were lined up at 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively.

The performance of the key hitters on each team was also a major point of interest.

“Jaguars! Jaguars! Jaguars!”

“Buffaloes! Buffaloes! Buffaloes!”

Even before the game started, the stadium was filled with the cheers and chants of both teams’ fans.

As Michael Scott and Go Ji-hoon briefly appeared on the field to warm up, the roar intensified.

“Scott! Scott! Scott!”

“Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon!”

Shortly after, the game began with the Jaguars, the visiting team, at bat.

Go Ji-hoon took the mound first.

– The Buffaloes’ starting pitcher, Go Ji-hoon, is on the mound. He has been performing exceptionally well since last season, hasn’t he?

– It’s interesting to note that since Go Ji-hoon joined the Buffaloes last season, he has become a reliable pitcher who consistently pitches many innings [innings eater: a pitcher who can pitch for many innings in a game].

“Play ball!”

With the umpire’s call, Go Ji-hoon’s pitching began.

Thump!

“Strike!”

There was nothing particularly remarkable about Go Ji-hoon’s first pitch being called a strike.

Whoosh-

“Strike!”

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

He easily struck out the batter with two consecutive breaking balls [breaking ball: a pitch that curves or moves erratically].

– Go Ji-hoon’s pitching in today’s game feels very controlled.

– It seems difficult to hit a ball that moves like that. Moreover, he’s accurately throwing the ball to the exact spot where the catcher is waiting.

– It’s clear that recording 10 wins in the first half of the season alone was no accident.

Go Ji-hoon’s pitching remained steady in his subsequent matchup with the next batter.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

He induced a swing and a miss with a breaking ball, securing the second out.

Tick!

“Out!”

He successfully induced a weak ground ball, securing the third out.

“Wowww-”

“Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon!”

He cleanly finished the first inning and returned to the dugout amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the Buffaloes fans.

And then, Michael Scott appeared.

“Scott! Scott! Scott!”

This time, cheers erupted from the Jaguars’ stands.

Scott, who took the mound, began his practice pitches as Han Gyo-jin, wearing the catcher’s mask, took his position.

– It’s time to see the Jaguars’ Michael Scott, who is ranked first in ERA [Earned Run Average: a measure of how many earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings], wins, and strikeouts.

– He recorded an impressive 11 wins in the first half of the season alone. At this rate, we might see 20 wins this season. A pitcher needs the team’s support to become a winning pitcher, and the Jaguars are playing well enough to make that happen.

– Moreover, Scott is particularly strong against the Buffaloes.

– It clearly demonstrates that there is such a thing as a favorable matchup. There’s no logical explanation for why he pitches best against the team that’s in first place.

– Let’s see if Scott will perform well against the Buffaloes in today’s game as well.

Thump!

152km/h!

Thump!

153km/h!

Scott gradually increased his velocity and finished his practice pitches.

As the Buffaloes’ first batter entered the batter’s box, the umpire called out.

“Play ball!”

It didn’t take long for Han Gyo-jin and Scott to exchange signs [signs: hand signals used by the catcher to communicate with the pitcher].

Scott felt that he was in good condition and confidently threw a powerful fastball right into the center of the strike zone.

Thump!

150km/h!

“Strike!”

The following pitch also headed towards the strike zone.

The batter tried to swing, but struggled to time the faster ball.

Whoosh-

153km/h!

“Strike!”

0 balls, 2 strikes.

After confirming Han Gyo-jin’s sign, Scott started his windup without hesitation.

The last ball headed towards the upper part of the strike zone.

Whoosh-

156km/h!

“Strike out!”

– Scott cleanly retired the first batter with just three pitches!

– More than anything, watching Scott’s pitching is so exciting. It’s great to see him throw fastballs exceeding 150km/h so effortlessly into the strike zone.

– This is the appeal of the matchup between Go Ji-hoon and Scott. It’s a game where you can see both a top finesse pitcher and a power pitcher.

Scott’s confidence was evident in his matchup with the second batter as well.

Thump!

Thump!

The batter was overwhelmed by the powerful fastball and couldn’t even swing his bat.

Tick!

He barely made contact with the bat, but failed to hit it into fair territory due to the force.

In the end,

Whoosh-

155km/h!

“Strike out!”

He couldn’t time the fastball that Scott threw with all his might as his final pitch.

He had no problem retiring the first and second batters, relying solely on fastballs without throwing a single breaking ball.

And now, the third batter, Oh Seok-hoon, approached the batter’s box.

“Wowww-”

The Buffaloes fans cheered with anticipation.

– It’s Oh Seok-hoon’s at-bat. He currently leads the league in batting average. He has an amazing .368 batting average and a .575 slugging percentage through the last game.

– His record speaks for itself. Except for stolen bases, which he is intentionally avoiding, all his stats have improved compared to last season. He declared that he would focus solely on hitting this season, and he is showing a different level of performance.

– What will be the result of the showdown between the league’s best pitcher and the best hitter?

With Oh Seok-hoon’s recent power hitting and the home run leader Park Seong-joo waiting in the on-deck circle [on-deck circle: the area where the next batter warms up].

Because he was facing dangerous hitters, Scott’s expression was serious even though there were no runners on base.

He carefully exchanged signs with Han Gyo-jin and prepared to pitch.

As Scott’s windup began, Oh Seok-hoon gripped his bat.

The ball that left Scott’s hand headed far from where Oh Seok-hoon was standing.

Seeing this, Oh Seok-hoon swung his bat.

Clack!

The batted ball sped away.

However, thanks to Scott’s excellent pitching, it did not result in a hit.

“Ahhh.”

A sigh of disappointment came from the Buffaloes’ stands.

– Oh Seok-hoon swung aggressively at the first pitch. Is it because he thinks Scott is in good form? It seems like he’s trying to make something happen before he gets behind in the count [ball count: the number of balls and strikes on a batter].

– It’s a smart choice. No matter how well Oh Seok-hoon is hitting, his chances of getting a hit decrease when he’s behind in the count.

0 balls, 1 strike.

Scott carefully prepared the next ball with Han Gyo-jin.

After exchanging signs, he took a deep breath and started his windup forcefully.

Scott’s ball headed high.

Oh Seok-hoon, who was about to swing his bat this time as well, struggled to hold back.

Thump!

Oh Seok-hoon’s bat stopped just barely.

“Ball!”

Han Gyo-jin, hearing the umpire’s call, signaled the third base umpire to determine if a swing had occurred.

The third base umpire signaled that a swing had not occurred.

1 ball, 1 strike.

– Scott doesn’t want to give in either. He continues to challenge Oh Seok-hoon, the league’s best hitter this season, with fastballs.

– I thought he would throw at least one breaking ball to disrupt Oh Seok-hoon’s timing since he had a good swing on the first pitch. But that’s not the case at all. It’s a direct battle of strength against strength.

– Han Gyo-jin agrees. He keeps calling for fastballs.

– It’s clear that the two players have great chemistry, judging from the fact that Scott hasn’t shaken his head once in today’s game.

Scott and Han Gyo-jin exchanged their third sign.

After confirming Han Gyo-jin’s sign, Scott nodded immediately.

They chose a fastball again.

Moreover, Oh Seok-hoon, who was facing it, didn’t want to back down either, and he swung his bat without hesitation.

Clack!

The ball hit by Oh Seok-hoon flew straight towards the outfield.

“Wowww-”

The Buffaloes fans, full of anticipation, jumped up and cheered.

However, Watson quickly judged where the ball would fall and moved swiftly, making it difficult to avoid his glove.

“Out!”

Seeing that the ball had entered Watson’s glove, Scott clenched his fist and showed his joy.

“Watson! Watson! Watson!”

“Scott! Scott! Scott!”

The Jaguars fans also jumped up and cheered for Scott, who showed impressive pitching, and Watson, who made a great defensive play.

Both Go Ji-hoon and Michael Scott finished the first inning without allowing a single batter to reach base.

The game continued into the top of the 2nd inning.

The first batter that Go Ji-hoon would face in this inning was the 4th batter, Han Gyo-jin.

Following that, he had to face the 5th batter, Donald Watson, and the 6th batter, Seo Seong-min, who are considered the core of the Jaguars’ offense.