Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 76

76. The Whirlwind That Shook the League (7)

└Wow! Is this really happening?

└Jang Su-yeong is really getting traded.

└They’re starting strong from the beginning of the season.

└The Wolves get the center line, and the Angels get the closer. Both teams seem to have secured what they needed.

└Are the Angels finally trying to escape the bottom ranks?

└I wonder which club will be the ultimate winner. This is so fun.

└From now on, I’ll blindly trust Lee Su-min’s articles.

When I dropped Jang Su-yeong off at the stadium, there wasn’t much time left before the game.

Fortunately, the new uniform with Jang Su-yeong’s name on it had already arrived and was waiting for its owner.

Jang Su-yeong silently touched his new uniform.

The Angels’ pitching coach quietly approached and put his hand on Jang Su-yeong’s shoulder, saying,

“Su-yeong, if we’re leading today, I’m thinking of putting you in the game in the 9th inning. Can you pitch?”

“Of course, I can.”

Jang Su-yeong’s voice was full of confidence.

“Okay, let’s check the situation around the 7th inning and prepare.”

“Yes.”

Jang Su-yeong immediately started his daily routine warm-up, putting off greeting his teammates for later.

* * *

-There was really huge news today that was enough to shake up the league.

-I was really surprised too. I’m so amazed that this kind of trade happened so early in the season.

-The Angels have really strengthened their bullpen. I’m curious to see if they can show a different side of themselves starting with today’s game.

The game finally started at the Angels’ home.

The game against the Hawks was a slugfest from the beginning.

Both teams’ batters swung their bats without hesitation, as if they had all awakened at once.

Eventually, the Hawks’ starting pitcher was taken down without even completing the 3rd inning.

The score was already 3:5 by the end of the 3rd inning.

Meanwhile, Jang Su-yeong, who had finished warming up, sat with the other bullpen pitchers and watched the game.

Thwack.

Thwaaack- Home run!

The fierce offensive power of both teams’ batters showed no signs of stopping in the following innings.

Perhaps because the defensive time was getting longer, the fielders’ concentration also dropped, and errors occurred frequently.

‘They’re making mistakes like that?’

It was difficult to adjust to the errors that he hadn’t seen in the Wolves.

The score was 6:7 heading into the 6th inning after the 5th inning.

The only good thing was that the home team, the Angels, was maintaining the lead.

‘Will they be able to maintain the lead until the 9th inning?’

Jang Su-yeong watched the game more anxiously than anyone else.

He focused on every pitch thrown by the Angels’ pitchers.

He wanted to go up and play the game himself right away.

As the Angels’ defense ended in the top of the 7th inning.

“Su-yeong, let’s warm up.”

The bullpen coach’s voice was heard.

Jang Su-yeong jumped up and began preparing to take the mound.

The uniform he was wearing and the teammates he was with had changed, but the preparation process was no different from yesterday.

He imagined himself on the mound and threw the ball to the bullpen catcher.

Pop!

“Nice ball!”

Pop!

‘My condition is good today too.’

Pop!

He tested everything from fastballs to sliders and forkballs.

All three pitches were satisfactory.

He turned his head and looked at the stadium.

“Strike out!”

The Angels barely managed to hold the Hawks scoreless in the top of the 8th inning.

It was a tight situation with a one-point difference at 7:8.

He hoped that the Angels’ batters would score at least one point in the bottom of the 8th inning to create a more comfortable situation.

However, there was no change in the score on the scoreboard even after the attack ended.

And as it became the Angels’ defensive inning in the top of the 9th inning.

“Okay, Su-yeong, let’s go up!”

The bullpen coach shouted, opening the bullpen door.

Jang Su-yeong took a deep breath and ran towards the mound.

As soon as he came out of the door.

“Waaaaah-”

“Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong!”

All the Angels fans in the stadium shouted Jang Su-yeong’s name.

-This player is finally taking the mound. It’s Jang Su-yeong, the Angels’ new closer.

-He’s taking the mound right after the transfer. And as a closer.

-He’s taking the mound in a tight situation with a one-point difference. Moreover, most of the opposing team’s starting hitters have recorded hits in today’s game. Will he be able to record his first save after the transfer and his first save of the season in this atmosphere?

Before throwing the ball on the mound, Jang Su-yeong looked around the stands.

Top of the 9th inning, score 7:8.

For the Angels to win, Jang Su-yeong had to get three outs without giving up a run.

All the spectators’ eyes, as well as his new teammates, were only watching Jang Su-yeong.

“Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong!”

It was the moment he had dreamed of so much.

He wanted to properly show his abilities to everyone here.

The opponent was a right-handed batter.

It had been a long time since he had faced a right-handed batter since he had only faced left-handed batters.

He barely calmed his pounding heart and fixed his left leg on the pitching plate.

And he focused on the sign that the catcher would send.

‘Outside low course fastball.’

Jang Su-yeong immediately nodded.

Then, he lifted his right leg and stretched it forward, releasing the ball with all his might.

Pop!

“Strike!”

-Wow! It’s quite powerful from the first ball.

-The speed of 150km/h [approximately 93 mph] is amazing, but the control is perfect. If the ball comes in on that course, the batter can’t hit it.

“Waaaaah-”

The cheers of the Angels fans were even louder than before, even though he had only thrown one ball.

Jang Su-yeong prepared for his second pitch without changing his expression.

He threw the ball with all his might in a posture that was no different from usual.

Pop!

“Strike!”

-The batter swung, but the difference between the course the ball was flying and the course was big.

-If you see the same ball at the plate now, you’ll feel like it’s soaring. That also means that Jang Su-yeong’s ball has a lot of power.

“Three-pitch strikeout! Three-pitch strikeout!”

Now the fans were chanting for a three-pitch strikeout.

As if he couldn’t hear the surrounding sounds at all, Jang Su-yeong focused all his attention on the catcher’s sign.

‘Falling forkball. I’m finally throwing it.’

It was the first time he was throwing a forkball in a real game.

Could he deceive the batter at an important moment?

Jang Su-yeong spread his index and middle fingers and grabbed the ball, then threw it with all his might.

The ball flew towards the strike zone.

The batter, who judged it to be a strike, began to swing his bat with all his might.

But the ball fell sharply in front of the batter,

Whoosh-

The batter’s bat cut through the air.

“Strike out!”

“Waaaaah-”

-Jang Su-yeong’s forkball is amazing?

-It fell sharply in front of the batter. It’s a forkball I haven’t seen in a while. If you throw that kind of ball after throwing two consecutive fastballs, the batter can’t help but be deceived.

The catcher threw the caught ball to the third baseman, celebrating Jang Su-yeong’s first strikeout after the transfer.

‘Nice!’

He succeeded in maintaining a poker face, but he couldn’t stop his heart from pounding.

In the meantime, the next batter came to the plate.

It was a left-handed batter who was very familiar to Jang Su-yeong.

Moreover, he was full of confidence thanks to catching the first batter with a three-pitch strikeout.

As soon as he received the catcher’s sign, Jang Su-yeong wound up and threw the ball.

He threw the fastball with all his might towards the batter’s body.

Perhaps because he had seen the previous batter strike out, he swung his bat aggressively from the first pitch.

Tick.

However, because the ball came in perfectly on the low inside course, he couldn’t hit it properly even if he swung his bat.

The ball, which bounced weakly on the floor, rolled towards Jang Su-yeong’s left.

Jang Su-yeong didn’t panic and ran to grab the ball that was rolling on the floor.

Then he turned to face the first baseman.

‘Let’s take it slow, don’t panic.’

Pitching on the mound and throwing are clearly different, but there was nothing to worry about if he didn’t rush.

The ball thrown by Jang Su-yeong arrived at first base before the batter.

“Out!”

Now there was only one out count left.

The save was 90% complete.

But suddenly the catcher approached the mound.

‘What’s wrong?’

The pitching coach wasn’t coming with him, so it didn’t seem like a substitution signal.

As the catcher got closer, Jang Su-yeong asked first.

“Is there something wrong?”

“You’ve been really good so far.”

The catcher patted Jang Su-yeong on the shoulder and said.

“Thank you.”

“Now there’s only one out count left. It’s a one-point difference, so you have to stay focused until the end.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And let’s get strikes with fastballs and go for the slider as the final pitch.”

“Yes.”

The catcher held out his glove, bumped into Jang Su-yeong, and returned to home base.

In the meantime, Jang Su-yeong looked up at the sky and focused his mind.

‘Okay, let’s stay focused until the end. The game isn’t over yet.’

The catcher sat back in his seat and immediately sent the sign.

-Now, we are finally facing the third batter. The Hawks’ lineup, which was hot until the 8th inning, has cooled down.

-Will they be able to finish the game cleanly with a three-batter retirement [retiring all three batters in an inning]?

Jang Su-yeong nodded immediately and wound up.

Pop!

“Strike!”

Pop!

“Strike!”

He made two strikes in an instant with two fastballs.

The catcher sent a slider sign as promised.

‘I think the fastball would be good too? Should I try it?’

Jang Su-yeong shook his head.

He also shook his head at the forkball sign.

The catcher was slightly embarrassed and eventually sent a fastball sign.

Only then did Jang Su-yeong nod.

Then, he took a deep breath and wound up confidently this time as well.

Everything from the weight shift that pushed his butt out to the stride moment was perfect.

Pop!

The batter was frozen with a blank expression.

“Strike out!”

“Waaaaaaaa!!!”

-Jang Su-yeong gets the last batter out with three fastballs!

-He records a save by perfectly blocking one inning in his first game after transferring to the Angels.

-Now the Angels don’t have to worry about the closer!

“Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong! Jang Su-yeong!”

It was the loudest cheer of today’s game.

The catcher ran towards Jang Su-yeong, raising his thumb.

All the Angels players who were defending behind him also approached Jang Su-yeong.

“Su-yeong, you were the best today!”

“How can you hit that? I’m glad we’re on the same team now.”

Jang Su-yeong smiled shyly at the compliments of his surrounding teammates.

The Angels celebrated their victory, and all the players and coaching staff gathered and high-fived.

Jang Su-yeong was at the center of the players.