Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 242

242. An Unwelcome Record (5)

Han Gyo-jin suddenly jumped up and fired the ball with all his might toward first base.

The first baseman, as if anticipating it, caught the speeding ball and tagged So Young-joon.

Caught off guard, So Young-joon scrambled to get back to first base, but the first baseman’s glove, already securing the ball, touched him first.

So Young-joon, barely making contact with the base, argued that he was safe, but

“Out!”

The first base umpire decisively raised his fist.

“Nice!” Han Gyo-jin, watching the play unfold exactly as Kang Hyun-woo had predicted, clenched his fist in satisfaction.

“Waaaaa-”

A roar erupted from the Jaguars’ stands.

-Wow! Han Gyo-jin picked off the runner at first!

-He completely caught them napping in a situation no one saw coming. That pickoff at first was lightning fast and perfectly placed. So Young-joon didn’t stand a chance.

-This one play could really take the pressure off Jung Min-woo, right?

-From now on, with Han Gyo-jin behind the plate [wearing the catcher’s mask], runners are going to think twice about taking aggressive leads.

So Young-joon, clearly frustrated, requested a video review from the dugout.

However, the first base coach, who also believed the call was correct, simply patted So Young-joon on the shoulder, signaling his agreement.

In the end, So Young-joon had no choice but to brush the dirt off his uniform and trudge back to the dugout, dejected.

The situation went from 0 outs, runner on first, to 2 outs, no runners.

This play seemed to settle Jung Min-woo, and his pitching began to stabilize noticeably.

Tick!

The high fly ball landed securely in center fielder Watson’s glove.

“Out!”

Finally, they managed to get out of the inning without conceding any runs.

Jung Min-woo, returning to the dugout, offered his glove to Han Gyo-jin.

“Gyo-jin, thanks.”

“Senior, just trust me. Now that I’ve shown them what I can do, runners won’t be so eager to run wild.”

As Han Gyo-jin predicted, the Pelicans’ runners who reached base in the following innings were far less ambitious with their leads.

This allowed Jung Min-woo to focus entirely on his pitching, without constantly worrying about runners on base.

From the third inning onward, Jung Min-woo’s pitches exuded confidence.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

“Strike out!”

He recorded his first strikeout of the game.

Tick!

And he induced a weak ground ball, quickly turning it into a double play to end the inning.

The fourth inning also passed without the Jaguars giving up any runs.

Top of the 5th inning.

The Jaguars’ offense continued, led by Donald Watson.

Tap!

Tap!

Consecutive hits from the 5th batter, Donald Watson, and the 6th batter, Seo Sung-min, ignited the offense.

0 outs, runners on 1st and 2nd.

Now, stepping up to the plate was the 7th batter, Han Gyo-jin.

-He might be batting 7th, but he’s not someone you can take lightly, is he?

-He’s a catcher, so he was moved down in the batting order to ease the offensive pressure, but he’s definitely a player who could hold his own in the heart of the lineup.

The Pelicans’ pitcher glanced at second base and then unleashed the ball with everything he had.

Han Gyo-jin’s bat was already swinging aggressively from the very first pitch.

Connecting with a fastball that hung over the middle of the plate wasn’t too difficult.

Thwack!

Han Gyo-jin, the moment he completed his swing, seemed to know instinctively. He watched the ball soar as he began his slow trot.

Donald Watson and Seo Sung-min, already on base, simultaneously raised their hands in anticipation.

The rapidly ascending ball sailed over the center field fence.

“Home run!”

-Finally, a crucial run in the top of the 5th! It’s a run that puts the Jaguars in the lead and puts Jung Min-woo in a position to potentially earn the win!

-He crushed a massive home run that cleared the center field fence! It looked like he was hunting for that pitch from the start.

-Han Gyo-jin is providing invaluable support to Jung Min-woo, not just on defense but also with his bat!

With Han Gyo-jin’s home run, the Jaguars took a 3-0 lead.

Immediately following, the bottom of the 5th inning.

This was Jung Min-woo’s chance to secure the win if he could just get through this inning.

Tick!

“Out!”

He retired the first batter with a routine fly ball.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

He induced a swing and a miss from the second batter, recording two outs.

Now, just one more out and he would meet the requirements to be the winning pitcher.

But,

Tap!

A mistake pitch to the 3rd batter resulted in a base hit.

And then he had to face the 4th batter, So Young-joon.

Having already given up a hit to him in their previous encounter, he pitched cautiously.

Thwack!

The moment the ball left the bat, Jung Min-woo froze.

So Young-joon dropped his bat as soon as he connected and started his slow jog towards first base.

The rapidly traveling ball soared over the fence.

“Waaaaa-”

“So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!”

So Young-joon rounded the infield diamond, fueled by the cheers of the Pelicans’ fans.

However, unlike his usual celebratory displays, he refrained from any special gestures.

So Young-joon’s home run narrowed the score to 3-2.

After the 5th inning, neither team managed to add any further runs.

Eventually, they entered the bottom of the 9th inning with the score still at 3-2.

With only a one-point difference, neither team could afford to relax.

Han Gyo-jin remained behind the plate for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars’ closer, who came in to pitch, displayed impressive form.

Boom!

“Strike out!”

Boom!

“Strike out!”

He quickly recorded two outs.

9th inning, 2 outs.

Just when victory seemed within reach,

Tap!

“Waaaaa-”

The ball struck by the 3rd batter sailed cleanly into the outfield.

The runner easily advanced to second base.

-The game’s not over yet! The runner gets into scoring position!

-One hit and the Pelicans can tie the game.

“Hit! Hit! Hit!”

“Pelicans, win!”

“So Young-joon, knock one out!”

The Pelicans’ fans roared at the top of their lungs, hoping for a dramatic hit.

Then, Jaguars manager Kim Min-guk walked onto the field from the Jaguars’ dugout.

-Here, manager Kim Min-guk is heading to the mound himself. He’s calling all the infielders together. What’s he going to say?

-It’s unusual for the manager to go out there personally. It shows how important today’s game is.

-Finishing today’s game on a high note probably means more than just securing a win.

-Of course. If Jung Min-woo can snap his losing streak and regain his confidence with today’s game, it will be a huge boost for the Jaguars as they finish out the season.

The Jaguars infielders, including catcher Han Gyo-jin, gathered around the mound.

Once all the players were assembled, Jaguars manager Kim Min-guk spoke.

“As you all know, if we close out this inning, Min-woo can finally end his 14-game losing streak. Let’s finish strong and give Min-woo a well-deserved gift.”

“Yes!”

The players responded with enthusiastic voices.

Then, manager Kim Min-guk looked at the pitcher and said,

“Don’t overthink it, just throw to Gyo-jin’s mitt.”

“Yes.”

The pitcher nodded in agreement, and Kim Min-guk patted him on the shoulder.

Finally, he turned his attention to Han Gyo-jin.

“Gyo-jin, don’t wait for signals from the battery coach [pitching coach], just keep doing what you’ve been doing. You’re doing great out there.”

“Understood.”

Han Gyo-jin bowed his head and responded to Kim Min-guk.

“Let’s all fight hard and give it our best.”

“Yes!”

Kim Min-guk concluded his visit to the mound with those final words.

“There’s no need to be nervous. Just keep playing your game.”

Seo Sung-min, returning to his position at second base, clapped his hands and encouraged his teammates.

And then the game resumed.

Bottom of the 9th inning, 2 outs.

The score was 3-2, runner on 2nd.

Even with only one out separating them from victory, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down, especially with only a one-point lead.

Moreover, the batter they had to face was So Young-joon, who had already hit a home run earlier in the game.

Jung Min-woo, watching from the dugout, couldn’t bear to watch any longer and turned his back.

Seeing this, Scott approached Jung Min-woo, placed a hand on his shoulder, and watched the game in his stead.

The eyes of the Jaguars players on the field shone brighter than ever.

The game resumed with Han Gyo-jin calling the pitches.

As the pitcher glanced at the runner on second base and prepared to deliver the ball, So Young-joon settled into his batting stance.

“Hoo-”

Given the high-stakes situation, tension was palpable, evident not only in the Jaguars’ pitcher but also in So Young-joon’s expression.

Han Gyo-jin signaled for a fastball that would break away from the plate [outside].

So Young-joon was clearly seeing the ball well, and with first base open anyway, there was no need to challenge him directly.

Boom!

“Strike!”

However, contrary to their intention, the pitch barely clipped the outside edge of the strike zone.

Han Gyo-jin’s second signal called for a high fastball.

This time, he signaled for the pitcher to throw it as a ball [outside the strike zone].

It would be ideal if he swung and missed, but even if he didn’t, it was a pitch that could disrupt his timing and focus.

The ball, released from the pitcher’s hand, flew with exceptional velocity.

Perhaps because he didn’t want to reach base via a walk in a situation where he felt confident at the plate, So Young-joon swung aggressively once again.

Whoosh-

“Strike!”

But thanks to the pitcher’s full effort, it was difficult to time the pitch correctly.

So Young-joon briefly stepped out of the batter’s box to compose himself.

0 balls, 2 strikes.

After confirming Han Gyo-jin’s signal, the pitcher delivered the third pitch.

The ball connected with So Young-joon’s bat, producing a sharp, crisp sound.

Tap!

As the ball shot out with tremendous force, everyone in the stadium momentarily froze.

“Ooh.”

But it narrowly missed the right foul line.

A look of disappointment crossed So Young-joon’s face.

Boom!

“Ball!”

Boom!

“Ball!”

The two subsequent pitches demonstrated his focus on being selective.

2 balls, 2 strikes.

With first base open, the Jaguars’ battery [pitcher and catcher] still held the advantage.

Han Gyo-jin signaled for a low changeup.

The plan was to deceive him, given So Young-joon’s aggressive swings at fastballs.

“Hoo-”

As the pitcher’s ball sailed towards the plate after a deep breath, So Young-joon swung his bat as if he had been anticipating it.

But the changeup didn’t drop as expected and instead traveled on a flatter trajectory.

Tap!

Eventually, the ball struck by So Young-joon’s bat rocketed towards center field.

The runner on second base sprinted with all his might, quickly rounding third base and heading for home.

Just as everyone anticipated the game being tied,

Center fielder Watson, focused solely on the ball and charging forward, extended his glove and dove.

Watson, after a long slide, raised his glove, signaling that he had made the catch.

-Out! Donald Watson makes an incredible defensive play!

“Waaaaa-”

The roar from the Jaguars’ stands was deafening, and

“Okay!”

Cheers erupted from the Jaguars’ dugout simultaneously.

“Wow, Jeong. Congratulations, wonderful!”

Scott also jumped up and down, fully expressing his joy.

Jung Min-woo, still turned away and unable to watch the game, learned the outcome from the cheers of Scott and his teammates.

After sharing his joy with Scott, he lowered his head, lost in thought.

The camera didn’t miss capturing this image of Jung Min-woo.

-Finally, the moment when Jung Min-woo’s agonizing losing streak ends at 14 games!

-It must have been incredibly difficult during those 14 consecutive losses. I hope he pitches well from today’s victory onward.

The Jaguars players in the dugout rushed towards Jung Min-woo.

Jung Min-woo exchanged high-fives with his teammates one by one.

The coaching staff also approached and congratulated Jung Min-woo.

“Min-woo, you’ve worked so hard all this time.”

Manager Kim Min-guk patted Jung Min-woo’s shoulder and offered words of encouragement.

“Thank you, manager.”

After a moment, Jung Min-woo walked onto the field and exchanged high-fives with the players returning after finishing the game.

Seo Sung-min bumped fists with Jung Min-woo and said,

“Min-woo, congratulations.”

“Thank you, senior.”

He also shared an enthusiastic high-five with Watson, who had made the game-saving defensive play.

The last player he bumped hands with was Han Gyo-jin.

“Congratulations. Senior, you pitched a really great game today.”

“Gyo-jin, thank you so much today. I was able to achieve this result thanks to you.”

“I was able to contribute thanks to you too, senior.”

Jung Min-woo hugged Han Gyo-jin and turned to face the stands.

“Waaaaa-”

“Jung Min-woo! Jung Min-woo! Jung Min-woo!”

It was the sound of the Jaguars fans cheering his name, a sound he hadn’t heard in nearly a year.

Jung Min-woo bowed deeply towards the Jaguars’ stands for a long time.

After a while, Jung Min-woo, struggling to lift his head, had tears welling up in his eyes.