Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 370

#369. World Series (8)

Squeeze.

As Josh Oliver walked, creating a two-out, runner-on-second opportunity from a sacrifice bunt, Manager Benjamin clenched his fist without realizing it.

Han Su-hyeok’s placement at leadoff was finally paying off.

Of course, they hadn’t scored any additional runs yet.

Even if it was Han Su-hyeok, he couldn’t get a hit every time at bat.

Nevertheless, Manager Benjamin couldn’t imagine Han Su-hyeok grounding out or striking out in this situation.

Regardless of whether they scored or not, the Han Su-hyeok leadoff effect was already apparent.

With two runners on base and down by two points, Han Su-hyeok stepped up to the plate.

If he were the pitcher, he might have fainted right there on the mound.

The immense pressure, hard to describe, would be weighing heavily on the pitcher’s shoulders.

But avoiding Han Su-hyeok meant facing Ty Johnson with the bases loaded.

This kind of pressure would inevitably erode the pitcher’s mental and physical stamina.

In the final game, with both teams’ top two starters spent, how long the starting pitcher could last would be a crucial turning point early in the game.

Look at the mound.

Han Su-hyeok, standing at the plate with a calm expression, glaring at the pitcher, and the 45,000 fans chanting his name.

Wasn’t the pitcher’s face pale, crushed by that immense energy?

Feeling that his somewhat bold and reckless choice had paid off, Manager Benjamin smiled contentedly.

All that remained was to sit on the bench and wait for the result Han Su-hyeok would produce.

And,

Crack!

Han Su-hyeok perfectly lived up to those expectations.

Han Su-hyeok lifted a slider that was drifting outside the zone.

The moment his artistic hit slightly cleared the right-field fence,

“Oh, damn it, God! Is this really happening? Is this not a dream!”

“Han Su-hyeok! Our hero! God of baseball! Mr. Baseball!”

Manager Benjamin could finally exhale the breath he had been holding.

The god of baseball had not ignored his prayers.

* * *

– The game is now entering the middle innings. It’s as exciting as we had hoped. Don’t you agree, Commissioner Go Dong-sik?

– Yes, this is really, well, if you just look at the score of 5 to 3, it’s not that impressive, but the concentration shown by both teams is truly amazing. It’s a game that shows what happens when the world’s best talents play with a do-or-die attitude. It’s a classic match worthy of the name World Series final.

– I agree. Let’s recap the game so far. In the bottom of the first, Seattle scored two runs with Antonio Garcia’s triple and Derek Fleming’s squeeze bunt, right? Of course, that was preceded by Han Su-hyeok’s double.

– That’s right. Manager Benjamin’s decision to put Han Su-hyeok at leadoff has really paid off.

– And in the bottom of the second, Seattle scored another run. This time, the bottom of the lineup got on base, and Han Su-hyeok hit a three-run home run, bringing all those runners in. Ah, even watching it again, it’s a tremendous home run that sends shivers down your spine.

– The home run is great, but Manager Benjamin’s guts to order a sacrifice bunt with a runner on first and one out, and Josh Oliver’s composure to draw a walk and connect the opportunity to the top of the lineup, also deserve praise.

– That’s right. On the other hand, the St. Louis Cardinals followed up with Grant Dixon’s two-run home run in the top of the third and Marquis Daily’s solo home run in the top of the fifth, closing the gap to three runs. So, with Seattle leading 5 to 3, the Cardinals’ counterattack begins in the top of the sixth. Mike Warren is still on the mound for Seattle.

– Now, we need to watch how both teams’ dugouts move. As always, the timing of pitcher changes will determine the outcome. That’s especially true today. Both teams have all the pitchers registered on their roster ready to pitch. It’s an all-out war. Which pitcher comes out, and at what timing, will determine the victory or defeat of today’s game.

– I see. Ah, Commissioner Go Dong-sik, look at Han Su-hyeok over there. He’s signing autographs for a young fan during the changeover. It’s a great sight, isn’t it?

– Yes, one of the things that is highly valued about Han Su-hyeok here is his fan service. Think about it. Being able to thank fans like that in such a tense situation is an amazing thing in itself. Frankly, I wouldn’t even be able to look at the stands if I were him. I’d be too busy trying to survive.

– That’s probably the average person. In that respect, Han Su-hyeok’s mentality is truly amazing. Let’s take a short break and come back to follow the new history of baseball being made by such a great player. This is T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.

* * *

“Mike, the bullpen is ready. Don’t worry about anything and pitch with all your might.”

“Of course, Boss. I’ll do my best.”

The Cardinals’ sixth-inning attack starts with a left-handed hitter.

The manager, who had been considering replacing him with left-handed pitcher Hayashi Rentaro to counter, decided to give Mike another chance.

There are times in baseball when that happens.

Moments when you want to rely on gut feeling rather than accumulated data and precisely calculated indicators.

For Manager Benjamin Reynolds, this was one of those moments, and he decided to trust the older pitcher, who had just begun to blossom as a knuckleballer, a little longer.

“Play!”

Travis Reed, who had made a good hit in the previous at-bat, glared at the pitcher with sparkling eyes.

The most important thing when facing a knuckleballer is not to lose composure.

To hit a ball that flutters erratically in front of you and land it inside the foul lines requires cool judgment and precise bat control.

“Hmph!”

With a firm shout, Travis Reed’s swing began.

Crack!

But it wasn’t a clean hit.

The bat caught on the knuckleball that came into the zone and then dropped with backspin, and the ball, which didn’t travel far, was sucked into the left fielder’s glove.

“Out!”

One out.

A faint smile appeared on Mike Warren’s lips.

He remembered what Han Su-hyeok had told him before the game, something he knew but always found difficult to put into practice:

Throw it right down the middle and pray to God.

He thought.

Maybe the god he was looking for was none other than Han Su-hyeok.

He even imagined that the man who was lightening his load by getting on base every time and even hitting a home run today was the true god.

[Number 3 hitter, First Baseman A.J. Jones]

If it weren’t for Han Su-hyeok, it might have been hard to breathe properly under the weight of this lineup of power hitters appearing one after another from number 1 to number 4.

But it’s okay.

Thinking of his teammate, who deserved to be called the god of baseball, he wasn’t afraid at all of some punk who acted like he was the best, relying only on his strength up there at the plate.

A.J. Jones, whom the Cardinals were carefully nurturing as Ty Johnson’s successor, even resembling him in his towering height of nearly 2 meters [approximately 6’6″].

Mike Warren’s knuckleball flew into the deepest part of his body.

Crack!

The knuckleball didn’t change as much as usual. A.J. Jones hit the ball cleanly as it went into the zone in a bland state.

His spine tingled the moment it was hit.

It was a tremendous force, a batting sound worthy of the title of the number one rookie of the year in the National League this season.

The trajectory of the hit, not as great as Han Su-hyeok’s but clearly distinct from other players, flew powerfully toward the center fielder.

Derek, who had thrown off his hat, sprinted towards the fence with all his might, and the landing point of the hit and his full sprint met at one point.

Thud.

“Out!”

“Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!”

“That’s it!”

“Who is the best center fielder in the world?”

“Derek! It’s Derek Fleming!”

T-Mobile Park vibrated greatly once again at Derek Fleming’s play, who had retrieved the hit while falling right in front of the fence.

The battle with the Cardinals’ number 2, 3, and 4 hitters, which would be the biggest crisis in the middle of the game.

Mike was overcoming the crisis step by step with the help of his teammates.

* * *

Bang!

“Strike! Out!”

“Awesome! Mike! You’ll be recorded as the best knuckleballer in history!”

“Mike Warren! The championship contractor from LA!”

Mike Warren poured everything he had against the St. Louis Cardinals’ powerful lineup.

In the top of the 7th inning, the Mariners’ bench, which had been quietly waiting for its chance throughout the game, moved the moment he struck out the Cardinals’ strong hitters Malcolm Peters and Marquis Daily in succession.

“Time!”

It was Manager Benjamin, not a coach, who went to the mound.

6 and 2/3 innings, 3 runs allowed.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a better result than he had initially expected.

“Mike, you pitched well. I respect your dedication. Now, let’s leave the rest to your teammates.”

“It’s a bit disappointing, but… I understand. My fall baseball ends here.”

“No, it’s just beginning. Go in and get ready to lift the trophy, champion.”

Although he had gotten two outs, the next opponent was Corey Nelson, who had recorded two hits against Mike Warren today.

If he allowed him to get on base again, the Cardinals would immediately pull out a pinch hitter card. There were hitters lined up in the dugout who could send the ball over the fence at any time.

[Pitcher change, Mike Warren out, Hayashi Rentaro in]

The card that Manager Benjamin chose to protect the two-run lead was Japanese pitcher Hayashi Rentaro.

A left-handed pitcher who had experienced many important games in Japan, including the Japan Series [Japanese professional baseball championship] and international competitions.

There were definitely better pitchers in terms of pure stuff, but Manager Benjamin decided to trust Hayashi’s experience.

“Okay, I’m a little nervous, but that’s only natural. Anyway, I’m ready.”

“Hayashi, keep it low, induce ground balls as much as possible. I’ll catch them somehow.”

“Of course. Damn, I suddenly feel a little nauseous. But don’t worry. I know well enough what I have to do.”

Hayashi Rentaro, encouraged by his teammates, began his practice pitches.

In such a big game, a two-run lead in the 7th inning didn’t really mean much.

One big hit and it’s immediately tied or reversed.

Hayashi Rentaro, feeling like he was walking on thin ice, looked at the hitter he would face.

Corey Nelson, the best second baseman in the major leagues, who had been relentlessly tormenting the Mariners on both offense and defense throughout this series.

Looking at him holding the bat short and standing close to the plate, his head already ached. He could feel his strong will to get to first base even if he got hit.

‘Calm down, calm down. Hayashi, remember the feeling from the Japan Series. It’s nothing. It’s just a baseball game.’

Hayashi, muttering to himself as if making a vow, slowly began his pitching motion.

The zone he could throw into had narrowed considerably because the hitter was standing so close, but he still had to throw the ball there.

Corey Nelson’s weakness is ultimately that inside pitch.

Don’t be greedy, pay more attention to control than speed,

Bang!

“Strike!”

“That’s it! That’s it!”

A full fastball that came in almost touching his body.

Corey Nelson, caught off guard, shook his head and stood closer to the plate again.

In the end, it’s a battle of nerves.

A hitter with an absolute weakness for inside pitches, and therefore trying to prevent the pitcher from throwing there as much as possible, and a pitcher trying to cram the ball into the shrunken inside course.

Swoosh.

At this moment, Hayashi Rentaro’s gaze was fixed on the inside strike zone, half-hidden by the hitter’s body, so narrow that it felt faint.

Yeah,

Even if I don’t have anything else, I’m the best at control. Isn’t it thanks to this control that I conquered the Japanese stage and advanced to the United States?

Don’t be scared, don’t be afraid, and don’t back down.

Hayashi vowed.

And he acted.

Bang!

“Strike!”

“Yahoo!”

A ball that drew almost the same trajectory as the previous one, so well controlled that it elicited admiration.

The moment that ball was called a strike, Hayashi cheered without realizing it.

And Corey Nelson, caught off guard twice in a row, shook his head and stepped back half a step.

The battle of nerves over the inside pitch ultimately ended in the pitcher’s victory.

Against the hitter who had returned to his normal batting position, the outside breaking balls that Hayashi was most confident in came in one after another.

And,

Whoosh.

“Swing! Out!”

Corey Nelson’s bat weakly cut through the air at his signature forkball.

Manager Benjamin, who had been sitting on the bench, jumped up and applauded, and the infielders on the ground rushed to hug Hayashi’s shoulders.

It was the moment when the Mariners took another step towards their first World Series victory since their founding.