Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 185

Tough Growing Pains (6)

The Doubles’ next match was against the Jaguars.

Unlike the Doubles, who were fluctuating between 6th and 7th place, the Jaguars had been on the rise recently, climbing to 4th place.

Moreover, the gap between them and the 3rd place Buffaloes was smaller than the gap between them and 5th place, indicating a positive team atmosphere.

At the center of this were Michael Scott, who continued his strong performance this year and was leading in wins, and Donald Watson, who was gradually finding his batting rhythm.

Perhaps due to the meticulously prepared data that Jung In-gyu sent every day, Watson seemed to be slowly adapting to the pitches of Korean pitchers.

In addition, the performance of Seo Sung-min, who covered 1st base and left field while primarily playing 2nd base, was also noteworthy.

He would start the game as a 2nd baseman, and when the team needed to reorganize its defense after using pinch-hitters in the mid-to-late innings, he showed solid defense at any position the team needed.

In terms of batting, he maintained an average between .270 and .280 and often contributed runs batted in (RBIs) from the bottom of the lineup, demonstrating a good sense of hitting.

He was a player the manager had no reason to keep off the field.

In today’s game, Watson was listed as the 6th batter, and Seo Sung-min as the 7th.

Starting in May, Watson’s batting form improved, moving him up the batting order to 6th.

“Play ball!”

As soon as the game started, the batters’ bats swung fiercely.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Both teams’ batters were effectively targeting the opposing starting pitchers, scoring runs.

However, there were no major scoring plays, and neither team took a significant lead.

The score constantly went back and forth, with the leading team changing.

The players and coaching staff on both benches were on edge, but for the fans watching the game, it was a thrilling contest.

Among the exciting plays, one moment stood out.

In the 4th inning, during the Jaguars’ at-bat.

The Jaguars were trailing 2-3.

With two outs and no runners on base, Donald Watson stepped up to the plate.

Seo Sung-min, the next batter, was watching the pitcher’s pitches from the on-deck circle.

-Donald Watson’s batting average is exactly .200, but if you look at the last five games, it’s .280. Moreover, his ratio of extra-base hits, especially doubles or more, is high.

-Compared to his batting average in the mid-.100s during April, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s become a completely different player.

-Moreover, he’s a player who can steal bases in any count, so if he gets on base, it’ll be really tough.

Watson focused intently, preparing to hit with a determined gaze.

Thump!

“Ball.”

The pitcher threw a breaking ball that slightly missed the strike zone.

Although it was called a ball, it was enough to make the batter hesitate.

Thump!

“Ball.”

Thump!

“Ball.”

Despite the continuous breaking ball sequence, Watson didn’t budge, as if he had already anticipated the pitcher’s throws.

Thump!

“Strike.”

The pitcher barely managed to throw one strike.

Eventually,

Thump!

“Walk.”

He failed to get Watson to swing until the last pitch, allowing Watson to reach first base.

-A walk to Watson is really not a good situation.

-It’s a two-out situation, but having a fast runner on base can’t be comfortable for the pitcher.

And now, Seo Sung-min, who had been preparing in the on-deck circle, removed the bat weight and approached the plate.

Because the pitcher was a left-hander, Seo Sung-min prepared to bat right-handed.

The moment the pitcher’s foot left the rubber,

“He’s running! He’s running!”

Watson attempted to steal second base on the first pitch.

The catcher caught the ball and threw it towards second base,

“Safe!”

-Watson perfectly timed his steal.

-He was almost at second base by the time the catcher caught the ball and threw it.

Moreover, the ball didn’t even pass through the strike zone.

One ball, no strikes, runner on second.

The pitcher exchanged signs with the catcher for a long time before throwing the next pitch.

Eventually,

Thwack!

The ball hit by Seo Sung-min flew towards the right fielder.

Since it was a two-out situation where there was no need to wait and see if the hit would be caught, Watson ran towards third base as soon as he heard the sound of the bat hitting the ball.

-The hit didn’t fly very far. It looks like the right fielder can catch it as he runs in?

-Oh! The 3rd base coach keeps waving his arm! Watson is running without slowing down!

Watson, who was sprinting, checked the 3rd base coach’s signal and increased his speed even more, dashing towards home.

Meanwhile, the right fielder, who caught the ball, threw it with all his might towards the catcher waiting at home plate.

The ball thrown by the right fielder went straight into the catcher’s glove without bouncing.

The catcher stretched out his glove with the ball and tagged Watson as he slid in.

But,

“Safe!”

The umpire spread his arms and shouted the call.

-Safe! Safe! Watson’s hand reached home first!

-Because it was a one-run game, the strategy coach seems to have taken a bold gamble on the base running. Watson’s speed allowed them to get the desired result.

“Watson! Watson! Watson!”

Watson beat his chest with his hands like King Kong towards the Jaguars fans, energizing the crowd.

Seo Sung-min, who was watching from first base, smiled as his hit led to a run.

After that, many runs were scored, making it difficult to relax even for a moment.

Before they knew it, it was the top of the 9th inning.

The score was 6-7, with the Doubles leading by a narrow margin.

Naturally, this led to Choi Jung-hwan’s appearance on the mound.

-As expected, the Doubles are putting Choi Jung-hwan on the mound.

-He recorded his first blown save [when a relief pitcher allows the opposing team to tie the game or take the lead] in the last game after being hit with a walk-off [game-ending] come-from-behind home run. What kind of performance will he show in today’s game?

-A blown save is never a pleasant thing. Especially a closer’s blown save, as it directly leads to the team’s defeat.

-He’ll want to show a completely different side of himself in today’s game, but the situation isn’t easy.

-It’s a tight one-run situation, and the batting order is by no means easy. The batting order starts from the 4th batter and includes the improving 6th batter, Donald Watson. Both hitters have the potential for a big hit. Just one mistake could allow the tying run.

-Can Choi Jung-hwan overcome the nightmare of his blown save from the last game in these difficult conditions?

Choi Jung-hwan, standing on the mound, began his practice pitches.

Thump!

Thump!

After confirming that his fastball was still in good condition today,

‘Should I throw the last one inside?’

Thump!

It wasn’t a perfect location, but it was still decent.

Then, he threw a slider and a forkball each once to check his condition and finished his practice pitches.

Now, the batter entered the plate.

The first batter he faced was the 4th batter.

A batter who could hit a home run at any time.

‘Outside fastball.’

Tick!

The batter surprisingly swung aggressively at the first pitch.

It seemed he was expecting a fastball for a strike.

It would have been dangerous if he had thrown a ball that was even slightly centered.

0 balls, 1 strike.

‘Slider that breaks out of the strike zone.’

Choi Jung-hwan changed his grip and threw the ball with all his might.

This time too, the batter swung his bat.

Tick!

The weakly hit ball rolled towards the first baseman.

The first baseman, catching the ball comfortably, signaled to Choi Jung-hwan that he would step on the base himself.

“Out!”

He managed to get one out without difficulty.

And the battle with the following 5th batter was similar.

Thump!

“Strike out!”

Now, there was only one out left.

One might think he had crossed the 90% mark for a save, but,

The problem was from now on.

Now, the 6th batter, Donald Watson, approached the plate.

-Donald Watson has been showing good batting form, getting a hit in today’s game as well.

-The next batter, Seo Sung-min, is also in good form, so it’s best to end the game in this at-bat.

-This will be a key moment in the later part of today’s game.

Choi Jung-hwan grabbed the fastball grip and threw it with all his might towards the high part of the strike zone.

Whoosh-

156km/h [approximately 97 mph]!

“Strike!”

-Is a high fastball effective yet dangerous against a batter like Watson?

-He’s a batter who can hit a home run if he connects with a high ball with an uppercut swing. But since he suddenly saw the fastest ball of the game today, it wouldn’t have been easy to time his swing.

The second ball followed.

Choi Jung-hwan spread his index and middle fingers inside his glove and gripped the ball.

And threw it with all his might.

Whoosh-

135km/h [approximately 84 mph].

-A forkball that starts high and then drops suddenly. It’s a ball that’s almost impossible not to swing at.

-Two strikes were created in an instant.

And a slider that curves outward.

Thump!

“Ball.”

He expected it to start in the strike zone and then curve out, but it curved out earlier than expected.

It was impossible to induce a swing from Watson with this kind of ball.

But the purpose of this ball was to increase the effectiveness of the next ball he would throw.

‘Now, let’s aim inside.’

Facing a home run hitter with an inside pitch was a big risk.

It was easy for the batter to put his weight into the swing, and if it accidentally went to the center of the plate, all he could do was pray that it wouldn’t be a home run.

But there was a much higher chance that Watson, who was standing at the plate now, wasn’t expecting a fastball coming inside.

Because Choi Jung-hwan had never shown that kind of pitch location before.

To maximize the effect, he had to throw it perfectly this time.

Whoosh.

Choi Jung-hwan, taking a deep breath, began his pitching motion.

Extending his raised leg with all his might, he released the ball at his release point.

‘Got it!’

The ball thrown by Choi Jung-hwan was flying towards the desired inside low corner of the strike zone.

The speed was 151km/h [approximately 94 mph].

It was difficult to throw at his highest speed because he was focusing on control.

But,

Whoosh-

Watson had no idea that an inside ball was coming, so he couldn’t help but flinch.

Having lost that momentary timing, his bat made a weak swing.

Eventually,

“Strike out!”

He could hear the call along with the umpire’s flamboyant hand gesture.

“Waaaaa-”

“Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan!”

Unlike the cheering Doubles fans and players, Watson couldn’t leave the plate, seemingly unable to hide his disappointment.

-Choi Jung-hwan finally completes the Doubles’ victory by striking out the last batter!

-The last ball was really perfectly placed inside. If a 151km/h ball flies in that location, it will be difficult for any batter to hit it.

-Choi Jung-hwan perfectly shuts down the inning in today’s game! At this point, you can completely erase the blown save memory from the last game.

Choi Jung-hwan clenched his fist and looked up at the sky.

And he smiled brightly, joining his Doubles teammates and high-fiving, sharing the joy.