Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 156

156. The Fairy of Victory

One win, two losses.

That was the result from the first series after the halfway point of the season.

One win and two losses? Hey, it happens. No team wins every series throughout the season; there are bound to be losing days.

Thwack-!

Waaahhh-!!

Go Myung-hyun! Go Myung-hyun! Go Myung-hyun!

…But the stakes were too high to just brush it off like that.

The game difference with the Sangsoo Tigers before the All-Star break was two games. Even if you can’t always win, the timing wasn’t great.

And then there’s the flow, which I always emphasize.

The original plan was to secure at least two wins and one loss in the Sangsoo series, fielding our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd starters. Then, against the relatively weaker Dongsung series, we’d aim for a similar 2-1 record with our 4th, 5th, and 1st starters.

“Well, that’s screwed.”

But the Sangsoo series ended 1-2. And as of Thursday, Tae-woong pitched decently, but the batting lineup failed to deliver, resulting in Won-ha’s loss being confirmed.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Why did I swing at that earlier…”

“It happens. Don’t dwell on it too much.”

“I’m sorry…”

If the team wins, there’s a hero; if the team loses, there’s a villain. If there’s no hero on the winning team, then the hero is on the opposing side.

Today’s villain was none other than Jin-hyung.

He squandered bases-loaded opportunities with no outs in the first inning and runners on second and third with one out in the sixth, leading to a narrow 3-1 loss for the team.

You can lose. Sure, you can lose.

In fact, the Wonha Challengers’ success this season is close to an upset. Their doing well was predictable, but not to this extent; even I didn’t expect it.

Was it time for a slump?

If there’s a period of continuous success, there’s bound to be a period of decline. Maybe that time is now.

“…Sangsoo won.”

Joint first place.

I folded the standings, which outwardly remained the same but practically represented a step down, with a heavy heart and headed home.

* * *

Clap clap clap!

“Let’s go, let’s go!!”

“Batting, fighting-!!”

The game on Friday, after a weekly record of one win and three losses, started with a blazing hitting battle.

Myeong-jin hit a triple as soon as the game started, and Seong-hyun cleanly added an RBI [Run Batted In, a statistic for runs scored off a player’s hit] with a sacrifice fly.

After Ki-sung calmly walked, Jin-hyung appeared as if to atone for yesterday’s blunders,

Thwack-!

“It’s gone!!”

“Jin-hyung, I love you!!”

He launched a two-run home run from the first pitch, securing a solid 3-0 lead for the team.

Clap clap clap―

“Seung-joo, hit it!”

“Seung-joo hyung, knock it out of here!!”

After adding another run, taking a comfortable four-run lead from the top of the first inning, the team’s fifth starter, Dong-gyun, scurried to the mound.

Considering he’s still a rookie and the fifth starter… he deserves high praise for ‘doing well, very well’ this season.

An ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of runs allowed per nine innings] in the low 4.00s is definitely a good result compared to Dong-gyun’s ceiling.

However, Dong-gyun’s average innings per game this season is about 5 innings. Applying the ERA in the low 4.00s to that, it comes out to about 7 runs.

In other words,

Thwack-!

“Oh dear.”

The 3 runs earned in the top of the first inning are woefully insufficient.

Dongsung’s leadoff hitter, Choi Yong-hwan, a right-handed hitting shortstop exactly matching Myeong-jin, hit a triple to start, precisely matching the record of the first at-bat.

The second hitter, Jo Hee-jin, also scored a run with a sacrifice fly, just like Seong-hyun, and the third hitter, Go Myung-hyun, and the fourth hitter, Nam Dong-geun, all had the same records as the top of the first inning.

So far, 4 to 3.

Okay, if we defend well from here, I thought, but the synchronization wasn’t over yet.

The fifth hitter’s double, the sixth hitter’s bunt, the seventh hitter’s sacrifice fly.

And just like that, 4 to 4, tied.

It’s okay, we’ve got two outs now. If the synchronization is in progress, the eighth hitter, Jang Dong-woon, will surely strike out…….

Thwack-!

“…….”

…Or so I thought.

Jang Dong-woon, practically a hole in the Dongsung Hornets’ lineup, reminded me of Gyu-hak’s swing right after his awakening.

Really, with a perfect swing that even a pitcher could admire, he cleared the left-field fence of Gocheok Dome [a baseball stadium in Seoul] and celebrated the team’s comeback.

“Wow…this is.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “This is bad,” fearing it would demoralize the team members who were listening.

Clap clap clap!

“Looks like a comeback, keep hitting!”

I plastered hypocrisy on my face and kept clapping. Kept shouting.

However,

Wham-!

“Strike!”

The Wonha Challengers’ score was stuck at 4 points, fixed there,

Tap-!

“Oh my.”

The Dongsung Hornets’ score continued to grow.

“Something’s off.”

“Right, that’s it.”

Huh?

Turning my head at the strange feeling, I saw Gyu-jin hyung [older brother or respected male figure] nodding at my words.

“What is.”

“If you’re going to raise a flag [tempt fate], that’s how you do it.”

“What are you talking about.”

“Things will go well, the flow is good, let’s just keep going like this. I’ve never seen things work out well after you say stuff like that.”

“…….”

I couldn’t say anything in response to his surprisingly convincing words.

“It’s not like I can just, uh? Hope our team loses! Our team is trash! Hope they keep screwing up!”

“No. It might be better if you did.”

That’s harsh.

Still, I’m the team’s captain, and I play a central role in the team, so I can’t have such pessimistic thoughts…….

Wham-!

“Strike!”

…Can I.

“See, you little punk.”

Perhaps thanks to, or because of, thinking like Gyu-jin hyung said, Dong-gyun managed to finish the bottom of the 4th inning, which felt like an eternity.

By this point, the score was 4 to 8.

A 4-point difference is certainly a big and beautiful difference, but it’s okay, the 4th inning just ended. We can definitely make a comeback.

Wham-!

“Strike!”

…As soon as I thought that, Wonha’s top of the 5th inning ended neatly with three strikeouts.

“You thought positively again, didn’t you.”

“Noooo.”

At this point, is it science?

This time, following Gyu-jin hyung’s words, I started to view the bottom of the 5th inning very pessimistically.

Ah, Dong-gyun needs to narrow his arm angle a bit.

“Strike!”

Ah, Ki-sung’s footwork is a bit sluggish.

“Out!”

Ah, that’s not how you do it.

“Strike!”

Hmm…….

“Hyung.”

“What.”

“I think we’re going to be last place this season.”

“That’s right, that’s the attitude.”

Son of a bitch.

This terrible flow, which was strong today, continued whether we were attacking or defending.

Ah, Seong-hyun’s elbow is a bit high.

Thwack!

Ah, Ki-sung’s back foot isn’t turning properly.

Tap!

Ah, that’s not how you do it.

Thwack-!

“It’s goooone!!”

“Comeback, comeback three-run-!!”

“Turn, Jin-hyung, turn around!!”

Crazy.

I hesitated for a moment whether to be happy seeing Jin-hyung, who had 5 RBIs with two home runs today, or to maintain this terrible mood.

“I want to do stuff like that too.”

“What.”

“Fairy of victory, fairy of RBIs, championship contractor, son of a bitch, I want to do stuff like that. How did I end up like this…”

“There’s such a thing as fate in life. Accept it.”

I’ve experienced too many phenomena that deviate from fate to accept it.

“Han-wool, you’re going out in the 8th!”

“…Yes.”

After flailing around, I picked up my glove with a heavy heart at the coach’s words. I trudged down to the underground bullpen and started warming up listlessly.

“Senior.”

“Huh?”

“You must be happy, senior. Fairy of victory, I’m jealous.”

“What are you talking about, all of a sudden.”

Then I made eye contact with Senior Kyung-seok, who was waiting next to me.

“I want to do something like that too, like the fairy of victory.”

“You’re already enough of a fairy of victory, aren’t you?”

“No….”

Of course, in terms of performance, he’s the perfect fairy of victory.

What else would a relief pitcher with a 0 ERA and 0 inherited runners scoring be if not a fairy of victory?

“It’s just emotional.”

But it feels like wearing clothes that don’t fit me. Or maybe I feel like exchanging them for bigger clothes.

It’s just a simple logic. If I want to win, I win. If I think I’ll win, I win.

“Emotion…you’re already emotional enough on our team.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t know if you remember. During the playoffs in the 2018 season. Ah, the opposing team was Dongsung back then too, wasn’t it.”

“Ah…which game was it?”

“It was the 4th game. When you pitched last.”

“Ah…ah. I remember.”

“I still remember it. Rather than remember…it’s like you’re just engraved in my mind when I think of ‘you’.”

A game I can never forget in my entire baseball career.

I bore the burden of defeat, but it was a day I truly felt what it meant to ‘lose but fight well’.

“You came back to the dugout after that inning. Wow…I thought it was really cool. Ugh, man, I still get goosebumps when I think about it.”

“Why are you getting goosebumps.”

“It’s emotional. There’s something like that. Like, it makes you tear up and stuff.”

“Hmm….”

I don’t know.

“The person involved usually doesn’t know. It might be weird if they did.”

Senior Kyung-seok laughed heartily with a blank expression.

“It’s easier to just accept it as it is. I think everyone else thinks that way too?”

“What do they think? Do they think I’m cool?”

“Cool…more like. Ah, we’re on the same team as someone like that, so we’ll win…no, we have to win, that kind of thought.”

“They think that when they see me? Everyone?”

“Yeah.”

“…….”

I put aside the bullpen pitching time, where every second is precious, and pondered Senior Kyung-seok’s words.

“So, just don’t get hurt. I’m always nervous that you might get hurt…”

“Han-wool, let’s go out now!”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Cutting off Senior Kyung-seok’s words, the coach came down urgently and announced the start of my appearance.

I wondered if the top of the 8th inning ended a bit quickly, so I quickly followed the coach up to the ground.

But…….

“What the.”

The runners were packed on each base, and only one red light was on, indicating the end of the inning.

“Oh dear.”

Even worse, the inning was still the 7th.

“Am I going to pitch the 8th too?”

“I’m counting on you.”

The coach asked with an apologetic expression, but

Thumbs up!

“Yes, yes. I’m fine since I rested for a long time.”

I gave a thumbs up in front of him, demanding reassurance.

I organized the current situation, which had turned very urgent, while doing the eight practice pitches given to me.

One out, bases loaded, one-point difference, the opponent’s batting order starts from 8th hitter Jang Dong-woon. And if I somehow manage to stop this inning, I have to stop the next inning, the 8th, as well.

“Play!”

After finishing the practice pitches, I dusted off my body and stepped onto the plate.

It would be best to block it without giving up any runs, but if things don’t go well, it’s okay to let them tie the score.

Just don’t give up two points.

I felt very comfortable after throwing the do-or-die spirit far away into the stadium.

Jang Dong-woon, who came out as the lead hitter, seemed to know my recent fame well and waited for my pitch with a tense expression.

Hey, if you’re that nervous, things won’t work out.

Wham-!

“Strike!”

See?

After easily getting the count with an outside fastball, I threw the next ball almost without an interval.

It’s a waste to give these hitters time.