Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 234

The Beginning of Change (4)

Two outs, no runners on base.

With Oh Seok-hoon at the plate and no runners in scoring position, the situation was less than ideal.

But it also presented a unique opportunity.

He could swing freely, unburdened by the pressure of executing a specific team play.

Oh Seok-hoon cleared his mind and tightened his grip on the bat.

So Young-joon, at shortstop, watched the pitcher intently, his eyes gleaming.

As the pitcher began his windup, Oh Seok-hoon’s bat started its motion.

Tick!

His timing was slightly off, and the ball narrowly went foul.

“Ah…”

A collective sigh of disappointment swept through the Buffaloes’ stands.

Oh Seok-hoon’s face mirrored their disappointment.

-Oh Seok-hoon’s hit just barely went foul.

-That swing had the potential for a dangerous hit. The Pelicans’ battery [pitcher and catcher] needs to be careful this at-bat.

The pitcher seemed aware of the near miss, his face showing tension.

The second pitch sailed high and far outside the strike zone.

Thump!

“Ball!”

Oh Seok-hoon didn’t bite.

One ball, one strike.

The pitcher remained cautious as he prepared the next pitch.

Perhaps trying too hard, he threw another ball even further outside.

Thump!

“Ball!”

An easy take for Oh Seok-hoon.

Two balls, one strike.

The count was now in Oh Seok-hoon’s favor.

With Park Sung-joo, the home run hitter, next in the lineup, the pitcher would feel immense pressure if he fell behind 3-1 against Oh Seok-hoon.

That meant the next pitch would likely be a strike.

The pitcher exchanged signs with the catcher and delivered the fourth pitch.

A fastball hurtled towards the strike zone.

Anticipating it, Oh Seok-hoon swung with confidence.

Crack!

The ball rocketed into the sky with a resounding crack.

The pitcher seemed to anticipate the result, immediately dropping his head.

Oh Seok-hoon started towards first base, pacing himself to avoid straining his hamstring.

The ball continued its high-speed trajectory.

Everyone thought it was a home run, but…

It fell just short of clearing the fence.

Thud!

It slammed into the outfield fence and dropped to the ground.

Seeing this, Oh Seok-hoon pulled up at second base.

“Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!”

Even though it wasn’t a home run, the Buffaloes fans roared with excitement at the powerful extra-base hit.

-A massive hit that struck the top of the fence! Practically a home run. A mere 5 cm further, and it would have cleared the fence easily!

-Oh Seok-hoon said he’d focus on hitting and extra-base hits. He’s already showing his power. It’s great to see.

-He’s still mindful of his hamstring injury. Last year’s Oh Seok-hoon would have easily made it to third on that hit.

-We might not see Oh Seok-hoon legging out triples anymore, but I think we’ll see plenty of powerful extra-base hits like that.

Immediately, Park Sung-joo, the Buffaloes’ cleanup hitter, stepped up to the plate.

“Park Sung-joo, home run! Park Sung-joo, home run!”

The Buffaloes fans anticipated another powerful hit.

-Park Sung-joo, the best home run hitter, is up! He proved his worth last season with 30 home runs for the second year in a row, right?

-If you had to pick the best home run hitter in the league right now, Park Sung-joo’s name would be at the top. Any team looking to add power hitting in next year’s free agency [FA] market would be foolish not to consider him.

-Can he achieve the incredible feat of 30 home runs for the third consecutive year?

The pitcher was aware of Oh Seok-hoon on second base right up until his windup.

Even though the chance of Oh Seok-hoon stealing third was low, he couldn’t shake his unease.

He threw the ball with a slide step [a quick delivery to home plate to prevent a stolen base].

Thump!

“Ball!”

Thump!

“Ball!”

Perhaps distracted by Oh Seok-hoon, he struggled to control his pitches.

Eventually, the Pelicans’ catcher stood up and signaled for him to relax.

The pitcher took a deep breath and stepped back onto the pitching rubber.

Two balls, zero strikes.

With first base open, there was no need to force a confrontation.

Thump!

“Ball!”

-They’re essentially thinking of intentionally walking Park Sung-joo at this point, right?

-Even early in the game, there’s no need to challenge Park Sung-joo with a runner in scoring position and first base open.

The fourth pitch left the pitcher’s hand.

As expected, it was well outside Park Sung-joo’s reach.

He could have taken the walk, but Park Sung-joo boldly swung.

Clack!

“Waaaaa-”

The ball soared towards the right fielder.

At the same time, Oh Seok-hoon sprinted from second towards third.

The third base coach had to make a split-second decision.

He had to balance preventing Oh Seok-hoon from overexerting his injured hamstring with the crucial scoring opportunity.

When the right fielder bobbled the ball, the coach waved his arm, signaling Oh Seok-hoon to run home.

Seeing the signal, Oh Seok-hoon rounded third and charged towards home.

“Waaaaa-”

All eyes in the stadium were glued to home plate.

Oh Seok-hoon dove headfirst.

“Safe!”

The right fielder’s throw was off-target, making the umpire’s call easy.

Oh Seok-hoon jumped up and pointed at Park Sung-joo on first base, celebrating the first run.

“Park Sung-joo! Park Sung-joo! Park Sung-joo!”

“Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!”

The Buffaloes fans chanted the players’ names, reveling in the moment.

The scoreboard changed to 0:1.

-The Buffaloes take the lead with a run in the first inning! Park Sung-joo was fearless in a 3-0 count.

-And Oh Seok-hoon’s speed is still a factor. The fact that it was Oh Seok-hoon on second is what rushed the Pelicans’ right fielder’s throw.

With the Buffaloes taking an early lead, Go Ji-hoon had the chance to pitch with more confidence.

His precise control painted the corners of the strike zone, and his pitches had deceptive movement.

The Pelicans’ hitters tried to drive up Go Ji-hoon’s pitch count, but it was futile.

Thump!

“Strike out!”

Aggressively swinging at Go Ji-hoon’s perfectly placed pitches didn’t yield better results.

Tick!

“Out!”

The Pelicans’ hitters occasionally managed to get on base, but…

It was difficult to avoid double plays against Go Ji-hoon’s deceptive pitches.

In the top of the 4th inning, Go Ji-hoon faced So Young-joon again.

So far, he was the only player to have cleanly hit a ball off Go Ji-hoon in the game.

Moreover, without Oh Seok-hoon’s great play in the first inning, they might have faced an early crisis.

Go Ji-hoon seemed aware of the previous hit and appeared cautious.

-I heard So Young-joon praising Go Ji-hoon’s pitches on a broadcast. But he said Michael Scott’s pitches were easy to hit. How is that possible? Hahaha.

-So Young-joon seems to excel at hitting fastballs. Scott has good speed and power but lacks fine control. Go Ji-hoon’s velocity isn’t as high, but he has precise control and good movement, making their styles very different.

-So Young-joon had his reasons for saying that.

Go Ji-hoon carefully exchanged signs with the catcher.

And took a deep breath.

Even with no runners on base, Go Ji-hoon’s expression didn’t reflect the reduced pressure.

Thump!

“Ball!”

-That pitch is uncharacteristic of Go Ji-hoon. It completely missed the strike zone.

-So Young-joon had such precise timing in the previous at-bat. They need to be cautious this time.

Go Ji-hoon cautiously threw another pitch.

Thump!

“Ball!”

So Young-joon didn’t flinch at the second baiting pitch.

Two balls, zero strikes.

This was the furthest behind in the count Go Ji-hoon had been all game.

Thump!

“Strike!”

He managed to get a strike, but…

So Young-joon didn’t miss the second pitch he threw for a strike.

Clack!

So Young-joon dropped his bat and sprinted with all his might.

The ball rolled past the center fielder’s reach all the way to the fence.

“Waaaaa-”

Fueled by the cheers of the Pelicans fans, So Young-joon rounded first and headed for second.

He tried to continue to third, but…

“Stop! Stop! Stop!”

The third base coach signaled him to stop.

So Young-joon quickly returned to second base.

“Aaaargh! I won!”

He roared, celebrating his hit off Go Ji-hoon.

Go Ji-hoon, surprised by the unexpected hit, tried to hide his embarrassment.

-So Young-joon gets another hit!

-So Young-joon struggled against Go Ji-hoon last season. This season, both the result and the process of hitting are much better.

-Is he going to say Go Ji-hoon’s pitches are easy to hit now?

-If he keeps this up, he can definitely say that.

The Pelicans hoped to score with So Young-joon in scoring position, but…

Tick!

“Out!”

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

The subsequent hitters failed to get a hit, and So Young-joon remained stranded on second.

The game continued in the same vein.

Go Ji-hoon pitched six scoreless innings.

The Buffaloes’ bullpen also pitched well, keeping the Pelicans off the board.

In the ensuing innings, Oh Seok-hoon added another double, and Park Sung-joo launched a home run, starting his quest for 30 home runs for the third consecutive year.

So Young-joon made things difficult for the Buffaloes’ pitchers with his excellent defense and aggressive base running, but he couldn’t turn the game around single-handedly.

The Pelicans failed to score until the 9th inning, and Go Ji-hoon, having met the requirements for the win, earned the victory.