Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 171

New Season’s Start (2)

Ko Ji-hoon’s pitch hurtled towards the strike zone.

Yang Hee-chan, anticipating this, swung his bat with all his might.

Whack!

“Strike!”

The ball landed in the catcher’s mitt just after the bat completed its swing.

-Wow! Ko Ji-hoon threw an amazing changeup [a pitch thrown with the same arm action as a fastball but arrives much slower] right from the first pitch. The falling trajectory and the decrease in speed were perfectly executed.

-He completely disrupted the batter’s timing from the get-go.

-Yang Hee-chan might be getting a little frustrated.

-It’ll be interesting to see how this battle of wits plays out between these two.

Yang Hee-chan wore a faint smile, as if he’d been caught off guard.

0 balls, 1 strike.

The game continued.

Ko Ji-hoon carefully delivered another pitch.

The ball sharply curved outside the strike zone.

Whack!

“Ball!”

But Yang Hee-chan didn’t move, as if he had expected it.

However, he swung and missed the next ball.

It was a pitch that accurately targeted the bottom edge of the strike zone.

“Strike!”

1 ball, 2 strikes.

The pitcher had the advantage once again.

Ko Ji-hoon cautiously threw his fourth ball.

It was a ball that barely missed the strike zone.

Whack!

But Yang Hee-chan’s bat remained still.

“Ball!”

-Yang Hee-chan is holding back on this pitch.

-He’s in a two-strike situation, so you’d expect him to swing at a pitch like that, but he didn’t move at all.

-Did he predict that Ko Ji-hoon would throw a decoy [a deceptive pitch intended to trick the batter] at that moment?

-Even if he predicted it, it’s amazing that he didn’t swing his bat at such a tempting pitch with two strikes.

Soon, the count was 2 balls and 2 strikes.

Ko Ji-hoon carefully exchanged signs with the catcher and threw the ball.

Clang!

The ball, struck by Yang Hee-chan’s bat, flew to a spot that neither the left fielder nor the center fielder could reach.

Yang Hee-chan sprinted with all his might.

He rounded first base and headed towards second.

The center fielder, who caught the ball, threw it towards the second baseman, but

“Safe!”

Yang Hee-chan had already reached second base.

-Yang Hee-chan gets his first hit of the game today.

-Holding back on that earlier pitch paid off. It’s not that Ko Ji-hoon pitched poorly, but Yang Hee-chan played it perfectly.

Ko Ji-hoon shook his head in disbelief.

Yang Hee-chan responded with a smile from second base.

After that, both teams’ starting pitchers continued to perform well, and the game remained tight.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju tried to ignite the offense, but their teammates’ subsequent hits failed to bring them home.

Even as the bottom of the 5th inning ended, the scoreboard remained at 0:0.

-It’s a really exciting game right from the opening.

-Both teams’ pitchers and defense are playing flawlessly, without any errors.

And then came another showdown between Ko Ji-hoon and Yang Hee-chan.

This time, too, the two players engaged in a fierce battle of wits.

Clang!

The batted ball soared high into the sky.

Surprised, Ko Ji-hoon immediately turned to watch its trajectory.

Ko Ji-hoon, along with the fans, desperately hoped it wouldn’t clear the fence, but

The batted ball barely went over the fence.

“Home run!”

The second base umpire twirled his finger, signaling a home run.

“Waaaaa-“

The Doubles fans erupted in joy as the long-awaited first run was scored.

-Waa! Finally, a home run!

-The tight 0:0 game is now 1:0! Yang Hee-chan notches his first home run of the season.

-Is Yang Hee-chan trying to become Ko Ji-hoon’s nemesis? He hit a sharp double in his last at-bat, and now he’s hitting a home run.

-I’m looking forward to their next face-off.

Ko Ji-hoon shook his head, unable to hide his disappointment as he watched Yang Hee-chan round the bases.

In the subsequent at-bat against the next batter,

Whack!

“Strike out!”

He finished the inning without allowing any further runs.

But the Doubles’ 1:0 lead was short-lived.

Clang!

As soon as Oh Seok-hoon swung his bat, he sprinted towards first base.

The weakly hit ball bounced high and trickled between the shortstop and third baseman.

Even though the Doubles’ third baseman tried to field it, he failed, so the shortstop behind him scooped it up and threw it towards first base.

“Safe!”

Oh Seok-hoon’s foot barely touched the base before the ball arrived.

-Oh Seok-hoon’s speed turns a lucky hit into a single!

-Giving up a hit like that in a tight situation is never good.

-Moreover, the next batter is last season’s home run king, Park Seong-ju. We need to be careful.

Immediately following was Park Seong-ju’s at-bat.

The Doubles pitcher focused and delivered the ball, but

Clang!

A resounding crack echoed through the stadium.

“Waaaaa-“

Everyone in the stadium turned their eyes to the ball soaring through the sky.

It was a hit that screamed home run even before it landed.

-Hooooome run! Park Seong-ju hits a *gyeokjeon* [reversal] two-run home run that instantly puts them ahead!

-He celebrates Ko Ji-hoon’s debut with a massive home run at a crucial moment!

-It’ll be a nice debut gift for Ko Ji-hoon, right?

“Park Seong-ju! Park Seong-ju! Park Seong-ju!”

Park Seong-ju, after touching home plate, returned to the dugout and celebrated the comeback with his teammates.

Finally, he met the waiting Ko Ji-hoon.

“Seong-ju, thank you.”

“Senior, I told you I’d have your back, didn’t I?”

Park Seong-ju playfully bumped into Ko Ji-hoon, expressing his joy.

Ko Ji-hoon couldn’t suppress his smile, even after being jostled by Park Seong-ju’s strength.

Soon, it was the top of the 7th inning.

Ko Ji-hoon returned to the mound for another inning.

Tick!

“Out!”

Tick!

“Out!”

He induced ground balls from the first two batters, easily securing two outs, and then,

Whack!

“Strike out!”

Against the last batter, he struck him out with a curveball, one of Ko Ji-hoon’s signature pitches.

He finished the 7th inning cleanly, retiring all three batters.

Ko Ji-hoon, anticipating this would be his final inning, removed his hat and acknowledged the Buffaloes fans as he left the mound.

“Waaaaa- Ko Ji-hoon! Ko Ji-hoon! Ko Ji-hoon!”

The Buffaloes fans showered Ko Ji-hoon with generous cheers, appreciating his strong performance.

-Ko Ji-hoon pitched brilliantly, allowing only 1 run in 7 innings in his first game wearing the Buffaloes uniform.

-If he continues to pitch like this, the Buffaloes’ acquisition of him will be a resounding success.

Bottom of the 8th inning.

The Buffaloes scored an additional run in the middle of the inning, extending their lead to 1:3.

-We’re now in the bottom of the 8th, potentially the Buffaloes’ last chance to score.

-From the Doubles’ perspective, they need to prevent any further runs this inning and focus on the top of the 9th.

-The problem is that the Buffaloes have a strong batting lineup coming up this inning. The number 2 hitter is up next.

-Are they showing their determination not to give up despite being behind? The Doubles’ bench is sending in the closer [a relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning of a close game] even though it’s not a save situation [when a closer enters the game with their team leading by three runs or less].

-I think he’s coming in to prevent any further runs, giving them a chance to win.

-Let’s watch the debut of Choi Jeong-hwan, who’s taken over as the new closer this season.

Choi Jeong-hwan, on the mound, focused intently on each ball and practiced his pitching.

Whack!

150km/h [approximately 93 mph]!

Whack!

151km/h [approximately 94 mph]!

Whack!

153km/h [approximately 95 mph]!

-Wow! Look at that heat. Choi Jeong-hwan’s fastball is arguably the best among domestic players.

-When he was a starter, he had to conserve his energy because he had to pitch multiple innings, but as a closer, it’s a different story. I expect his fastball to be even more powerful.

Choi Jeong-hwan unleashed the ball towards the catcher.

Whack!

“Strike!”

-Wow! Choi Jeong-hwan’s first pitch clocked in at 154km/h [approximately 96 mph]. The spin rate is 2600rpm [revolutions per minute]! The season has just started, and the weather isn’t even warm yet, but he’s already hitting those speeds.

-Actually, his control isn’t perfect. But with that kind of speed and spin rate, it’ll be tough for any batter to get a good hit.

The batter shook his head, recalling the sheer velocity of the previous pitch.

Meanwhile, Choi Jeong-hwan prepared to throw his second ball.

Whack!

“Strike!”

He painted the strike zone with another blazing fastball.

0 balls, 2 strikes, now the third ball.

Choi Jeong-hwan took a deep breath and threw the ball with everything he had.

The batter, recognizing the pitch type, quickly swung his bat.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

With the unfavorable count, he couldn’t hold back his swing, even at the high pitch.

-Choi Jeong-hwan gets the first out cleanly with just three pitches.

-But the real test starts now. The next batter is Oh Seok-hoon, followed by the 4th batter, Park Seong-ju. Last season’s batting champion and home run king are coming up.

-Can the Doubles navigate this inning successfully?

As Oh Seok-hoon stepped up to the plate, Choi Jeong-hwan smiled faintly.

But as if nothing had happened, he immediately refocused on pitching.

Then,

Whack!

“Strike!”

Whack!

“Strike!”

He quickly got ahead in the count with two more fastballs.

-How many pitchers can throw strikes like that against the batting champion?

And Choi Jeong-hwan threw his third ball without hesitation.

Whoosh-

154km/h [approximately 96 mph]!

“Strike out!”

-He gets a swing-and-miss strikeout with a fastball!

-I guess it’s still early in the season. It’s hard to time those fastballs.

Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t believe he had swung and missed, and lingered at the plate for a moment.

Choi Jeong-hwan delivered another dominant performance against the next batter, Park Seong-ju.

Whack!

“Strike!”

Whoosh-

“Strike!”

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

He induced consecutive swing-and-misses from Park Seong-ju, who aggressively attacked, and sent him back to the dugout.

Park Seong-ju shook his head and returned to the dugout.

Although it wasn’t a save situation, Choi Jeong-hwan finished his first appearance without allowing a run.

Now, the top of the 9th inning.

The Doubles players, trailing 1:3, fought hard to turn the game around until the very end.

Tick!

Even the last batter’s hit turned into a weak ground ball that trickled away.

Third baseman Park Seong-ju quickly charged, scooped up the ball, and fired it to first base.

“Out!”

In the end, the final out was recorded, and the game was over.

-Today’s game ends with the Buffaloes winning 1:3!

-Ko Ji-hoon earns a well-deserved first win in his Buffaloes debut. He pitched exceptionally well today.

The Buffaloes players gathered on the mound and celebrated their opening game victory.

Ko Ji-hoon, the winning pitcher, celebrated the victory by high-fiving his teammates.

The Doubles unfortunately lost, but a positive takeaway was Choi Jeong-hwan’s clean inning in his debut as the team’s closer.