Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 232

The Beginning of Change (2)

The pitcher glanced at Donald Watson, the runner on second base, before winding up and throwing with all his might.

The ball blazed toward home plate.

Han Kyo-jin confidently swung his bat.

He’d read the ball’s trajectory perfectly, finding the sweet spot.

Clang!

But the timing was just a hair too early.

The batted ball screamed past the left foul line.

“Oh! Aah-”

The Jaguars fans, anticipating a solid hit, groaned in disappointment.

Han Kyo-jin’s expression mirrored their regret.

-Han Kyo-jin’s swinging for the fences. A bold swing at the first pitch. A bit wild, wouldn’t you say?

-He’s probably trying to impress the coaching staff, showing them what he can do at the plate.

-If he proves himself as a hitter, the Jaguars can use Han Kyo-jin in more ways, right?

-Exactly. On days he’s not catching, he can be a designated hitter. That’d be a huge boost. If he can just replicate his minor league performance, we’ll be set.

Han Kyo-jin took a deep breath, resetting for the next pitch.

Having seen that near-hit, the Wolves battery [the pitcher and catcher] exchanged signs with extra care.

Whump!

“Ball!”

Han Kyo-jin held his swing as the ball curved outside the strike zone.

Whump!

“Strike!”

The third pitch clipped the corner of the strike zone.

One ball, two strikes.

“Hoo-”

Backed into a corner with two strikes, Han Kyo-jin’s focus sharpened.

With the pitcher ahead in the count, a breaking ball was more likely than a fastball.

The pitcher’s go-to pitches were probably the curveball and the changeup.

He could lay off the curve, but he’d gamble on the changeup.

Finally, the fourth ball hurtled toward him.

The pitching motion looked identical to a fastball.

But the odds favored a changeup.

Decision made, Han Kyo-jin unleashed a mighty swing, timing it for the slower changeup.

Clang!

The instant the bat connected, Donald Watson and Seo Seong-min, sensing a hit, bolted for the next base.

The batted ball landed cleanly in front of the left fielder for a base hit.

“Waaaaah-”

“Watson, run! Run! Run!”

Watson rounded third and sprinted for home.

Simultaneously, the left fielder fired the ball toward the catcher.

Watson slid into home, dodging the catcher’s tag.

The throw from left field was slightly off the mark.

“Safe!”

The umpire spread his arms wide, signaling the score.

-Safe! Safe! Watson scores, using his speed to capitalize on that hit!

-He was almost too eager on that first swing, but he delivers a clean hit in his first starting at-bat!

-That RBI [Run Batted In] is Han Kyo-jin’s first in the major league.

-He keeps swinging even with two strikes against him. He’s got real hitting talent.

Han Kyo-jin, standing on first, celebrated his hit with a fist bump from the coach.

Watson, returning to the dugout, pointed at Han Kyo-jin in congratulations.

The Wolves catcher, aware of Han Kyo-jin’s first major league RBI, tossed the ball into the Jaguars dugout as a gesture of respect.

The scoreboard flashed 1:0, and the game continued.

However, the inning ended without any further scoring.

In the bottom of the second, Han Kyo-jin donned his catcher’s gear and resumed his position behind the plate.

Perhaps due to reduced nerves compared to the first inning, his teamwork with Scott flowed even more smoothly.

He effectively mixed Scott’s fastball, deceptive curve, slider, and splitter to keep the batters guessing.

Whump!

“Strike out!”

Two quick outs. No wasted effort.

He quickly pushed the third batter to a two-strike count.

One ball, two strikes.

Han Kyo-jin signaled for a splitter as the final pitch.

Scott nodded, adjusted his grip, and threw with everything he had.

The ball looked like a strike, just as they intended, but then it dove sharply at the last moment.

The batter swung, but only connected with air.

Whoosh-

Just as the umpire was about to call strike three,

“Huh!”

The ball that should have nestled in Han Kyo-jin’s mitt was nowhere to be seen.

It had slipped past and was rolling toward the backstop.

“Run! Run! Run!”

The Wolves coach and dugout erupted, urging the batter to run to first.

The batter, realizing the passed ball, sprinted toward first base.

Scott frantically gestured to Han Kyo-jin, who was searching for the ball, trying to indicate its location.

Han Kyo-jin finally spotted the ball, grabbed it, and looked toward first, but…

The batter had already reached the base.

“Waaaaah-”

The Wolves fans roared their approval at the unexpected baserunner.

-Ah, Han Kyo-jin couldn’t hold onto that one.

-Scott’s splitter fooled the batter completely. That’s a passed ball right there.

-If Han Kyo-jin had caught that, the inning would have been over. What a shame.

Han Kyo-jin signaled an apology to Scott.

A fielding error was added to the Jaguars’ tally on the scoreboard.

Despite the runner on first and the previous strikeout, the game continued.

Whump!

“Ball!”

Whump!

“Ball!”

The ball count mounted against them as Scott struggled with his control.

And as the third ball left Scott’s hand,

“Second base! Second base! Second base!”

The runner on first took off for second.

The batter swung, but missed, the ball well outside the strike zone.

Han Kyo-jin caught the ball and fired it toward second baseman Seo Seong-min.

The throw was perfectly on target for the tag.

Seo Seong-min caught the ball, raised his glove, and looked at the second base umpire with unwavering confidence.

Even without seeing the umpire’s call, he knew the outcome.

“Out!”

As expected, the umpire punched the air.

“Waaaaah-”

“Han Kyo-jin! Han Kyo-jin! Han Kyo-jin!”

Scott, on the mound, pumped his fist, savoring the moment.

He and Han Kyo-jin bumped gloves, sharing the joy.

-Wow! What a throw from Han Kyo-jin!

-Han Kyo-jin’s throwing arm has always been top-notch. That runner’s fast and got a good jump, but he still threw him out easily.

-He cleaned up the mess he made with his earlier mistake.

-Teams will think twice about trying to steal a base when Han Kyo-jin’s behind the plate.

In the following innings, Han Kyo-jin and Scott’s connection grew stronger.

They shut down the Wolves’ offense, holding them scoreless through the sixth inning.

Now, the bottom of the seventh.

The Jaguars’ offense added another run, making the score 2:0.

The pitcher emerging from the Jaguars’ bullpen was still Michael Scott.

“Scott! Scott! Scott!”

-Michael Scott’s still on the mound in the seventh!

-I thought they’d pull him around the sixth, especially since it’s the first game of the season. But Scott’s only thrown 75 pitches, he’s still got gas in the tank and he’s looking good, so it seems like they’re letting him go. I’m sure the player himself wanted to stay in.

Whump!

“Strike!”

151 km/h [~94 mph]!

Whump!

“Ball!”

153 km/h [~95 mph]!

Scott’s pitching exuded confidence.

But,

Clang!

The batter made weak contact, sending a fly ball deep into the outfield.

Scott hung his head, anticipating a home run.

The ball sailed toward the fence, threatening to clear the wall.

But Watson, racing to the warning track, made a spectacular catch, barely snagging the ball with an outstretched glove.

“Out!”

The second base umpire signaled the out.

“Waaaaah-”

“Watson! Watson! Watson!”

Scott, watching from the mound, grinned sheepishly and sighed in relief.

-Donald Watson made an amazing catch, but that ball was almost gone.

-Maybe it’s time for a change. He’s definitely tiring.

As predicted, the Jaguars pitching coach emerged from the dugout and received a new ball from the umpire.

Han Kyo-jin, seeing this, headed to the mound.

Scott, anticipating the change, smiled at Han Kyo-jin, flashing his white teeth.

He bumped gloves with Han Kyo-jin, who reached the mound, and they celebrated their successful outing.

The Jaguars fans cheered for both players.

“Scott! Scott! Scott!”

“Han Kyo-jin! Han Kyo-jin! Han Kyo-jin!”

-Today was Han Kyo-jin’s first start as catcher. He and Michael Scott shut out the opposition for six and one-third innings!

-It wasn’t just the shutout, it was how they did it. If they can keep that kind of chemistry going, we can expect great things this season.

-I’m excited to see what Han Kyo-jin can do going forward.

Scott entered the dugout to a roaring ovation from the Jaguars fans.

A new pitcher took the mound.

Han Kyo-jin remained behind the plate, even with the pitching change.

The Jaguars’ bench showed their confidence in him, rewarding his strong performance over six innings.

He continued to call the game, studying the data on the bullpen pitchers with the battery coach.

His confidence grew, and he managed the game flawlessly, not only preventing runs but also displaying a relaxed and comfortable demeanor as the game progressed.

Bottom of the ninth, two outs.

Tick!

A weakly hit ball popped up high near home plate, barely leaving the infield.

Han Kyo-jin, chasing it into foul territory, made the catch to record the final out.

The 27th out of the game secured the victory.

-The Jaguars started the season strong, defeating the Wolves in the opening game.

-The biggest takeaway from today is the emergence of Han Kyo-jin. He called a shutout in his first start as catcher. That’s got to give him a huge confidence boost.

-I can’t wait to see what he does in the next game if he keeps playing like this.

Han Kyo-jin celebrated the win with high-fives from his teammates, including Seo Seong-min and Watson.

Finally, he shared a hug with Scott to cap off the night.