Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 130

Pitchers Done, Batters Up – 129

While the Wild Card game was filled with excitement and frenzy, the preparation for the Championship Series was surprisingly calm.

The stage of the postseason had become familiar, and the players realized there were still many games ahead. They no longer had to pour all their energy into just one game.

In that quiet preparation, both managers surveyed the field with composed expressions.

“Are they going to proceed with the game?”

“Yes, the rain has stopped, and the field conditions are good. The umpire will likely announce the start soon.”

“I see.”

Perhaps due to the gloomy gray sky and the heavy rain that soaked the city the night before, Dodger Stadium had a somber atmosphere, making it hard to believe it was the Championship Series.

Fortunately, it didn’t rain today, and thanks to the efforts of the Dodger Stadium staff, the field was quickly cleared.

However, the air was still humid, and the ground retained moisture.

‘Is it a relief? We’re more experienced than the Dodgers in these conditions.’

Unlike dry Los Angeles, Atlanta often experienced heavy rain, giving the Braves players plenty of experience playing in humid conditions.

‘But the pitchers will be the problem.’

A moisture-laden ball often disregards the pitcher’s intentions, becoming slow and flat, with reduced movement.

Even with humidity control machines, the balls eventually get wet as the innings progress.

Of course, it will be tough for the hitters as well. The humidity in the air will cause the batted balls to travel less than usual.

In such weather, balls that would often be home runs can turn into deep flyouts caught in front of the fence.

So, in that sense, both sides have some level of debuff [a disadvantage or hindrance].

“Well, it’s not just us. We have to trust them.”

“They’ll do well, just like they always have.”

Mancini, after scanning the players at his head coach’s words, simply nodded with a stern face.

The damp stadium was filled with people, and the players finished warming up in their own ways.

And when all preparations were complete, the umpire shouted loudly.

“Play ball!”

The National League Championship Series had begun.

####

Being the away team, the Braves were naturally up to bat first. Before heading to the plate, hitting coach Coulson advised the players, especially power hitters like Peterson who relied on fly balls.

“As you all know, be careful. If you hit it high today, it’ll just get caught. At least today, fly balls aren’t always the answer. And as you saw while running, the grass is soaked. It probably won’t roll much, so keep that in mind, both on defense and offense.”

Although it was already known, the players nodded at the coach’s reminder, and Derek, as captain, reiterated it before cautiously stepping up to the plate.

‘It’s the postseason. We have to consider all variables. The grass is definitely a bit slippery.’

Lee Jung-woo had also felt it while running, so he kept it in mind.

Even if it’s information they already knew, constantly reminding them is how it manifests in practice.

As Derek stepped up to the plate with a determined expression, Lee Jung-woo, waiting in the on-deck circle, observed the opposing pitcher.

‘Thanks to the Dodgers’ gamble, the opposing pitcher should be in good condition.’

Billy Nixon. The current ace of the Dodgers, though somewhat lacking for a big-market, popular team like the Dodgers.

‘Left-handed three-quarters delivery. His pitches are fastball, circle changeup, slider, and cutter. The fastball has a top speed of 97 mph and averages 92.4 mph. The velocity is decent, rated at 60 (Plus) [a scouting grade indicating above-average potential]. His changeup, his out-pitch, is also rated at 60. The similar arm action to his fastball often fools hitters. His cutter is average, but on a good day, it has a sharp break that can be mistaken for a slider. Good control and command are rated above league average.’

In essence, he was skilled.

Overall, he performed well consistently, and although his stamina wasn’t quite that of an innings-eater [a pitcher who can consistently pitch deep into games], he pitched enough each game to secure the team’s victory.

If he were on a small-market team instead of a high-profile team like the Dodgers, he would be treated as an absolute ace.

However, the problem was that it wasn’t enough to satisfy the Dodgers’ vast expectations.

‘Still, he’s the ace for now. And he’s experienced. He mainly pitches for strikeouts, but he also uses his cutter to induce groundouts.’

Although he wasn’t as good as the top-tier pitchers Lee Jung-woo had defeated so far, he was, conversely, a slightly more challenging opponent for Lee Jung-woo.

He didn’t throw curveballs or splitters, nor did he rely solely on aggressive pitching, and his pitches weren’t so terrible that they could be easily figured out.

‘Actually, Ilya and Iwakuma were extremely lucky. Any hitter would find it tough against an ace.’

An ace. The opposing pitcher properly demonstrated the power of that endlessly lofty position.

His pitching, which easily got Derek out on the sixth pitch, was simple.

Always on the outside corner.

As if he were Tom Glavine himself [a Hall of Fame pitcher known for his pinpoint control], he got Derek out with meticulous location control, and he faced the next batter with a firm expression.

‘I expected it. It won’t be easy.’

Stepping up to the plate, Lee Jung-woo continued to replay the previous at-bat, watching the pitcher.

The pitcher, looking at him with dull eyes as if he were insignificant, wound up and threw the first pitch.

“Ball!”

Just like with Derek, it was outside. The 94.2 mph fastball came in, but the umpire firmly called it a ball.

Lee Jung-woo took a breath.

The pitch was good. It was hard to believe it was thrown in this humidity.

‘So, you’re experienced, huh?’

Lee Jung-woo immediately swung. Again, a fastball. Again, outside.

It barely missed.

“Strike.”

The speed was the same at 94 mph, but the location was slightly more inside.

It was a strike because it was a swing and a miss, but Lee Jung-woo thought it would have been the same even if he had watched it go by.

At least, from what he saw in the on-deck circle, it was in a similar location to the strikes that had gotten Derek in trouble.

‘It’s better that I checked my swing. Is that about the difference in timing?’

Having read the timing a bit from the distance between the bat and the ball, Lee Jung-woo moistened his parched mouth even in this weather. Then, he took his batting stance again.

Perhaps sharing the same thought of wanting a quick resolution, the pitcher threw the ball with a quick motion. Unlike the cautious previous at-bat. Lee Jung-woo reacted immediately.

“Foul!”

A powerful swing.

Lee Jung-woo, having anticipated the fastball, made solid contact with the one coming on the outside corner, but the bat vibrated slightly at the moment of impact.

‘Hmm… It was a cutter. I misjudged the break. Is it because of the humidity? It’s different from the video footage.’

Having wasted a count, Lee Jung-woo stepped out of the batter’s box for a moment to catch his breath.

Now it was Lee Jung-woo’s turn to have a complicated mind. The pitcher had many weapons.

After briefly making eye contact with the pitcher and sorting out his complicated thoughts, Lee Jung-woo returned to the plate. As soon as he took his stance, the pitcher threw without hesitation.

“Ball.”

‘Was he trying to induce a swing and a miss?’

A circle changeup. Again, outside. It was slightly higher than the previous one, but this time it was a bit too far outside. Lee Jung-woo wondered if the pitcher was aiming for a strikeout with a swing and a miss.

The pitcher on the mound broke his poker face for the first time, clicking his tongue as if disappointed.

‘No, it’s a feint.’

However, he immediately shook his head.

Would a seasoned veteran pitcher, even in the postseason, show disappointment just because he couldn’t get the second batter out in the top of the first inning? That was absurd.

‘He must be testing me. I’m still a rookie on the surface, so that means he intentionally created a full count. Does he have a hidden card?’

Now it was a full count.

It was a battle where both the hitter and pitcher were racking their brains, and it seemed the pitcher had a weapon to prepare for it. Lee Jung-woo, raising his concentration along with the tension, adjusted his bat.

‘Just think about getting on base for now. There are plenty of guys behind me. No need to aim for a home run.’

Lee Jung-woo, showing his intention by gripping the bat shorter than usual, made the pitcher throw away his ridiculous act and put on his poker face again.

Unlike the quick pace so far, the pitcher filled the pitch clock to the brim for the first time. He fiddled with the ball several times, and after rejecting several signs, he finally took his full stance.

After carefully observing Lee Jung-woo until the end with cautious eyes.

A pitch thrown with an accurate three-quarters delivery.

‘Inside. Fastball. Close.’

Fastball or cutter.

Lee Jung-woo, deciding on the cutter, immediately swung. A light swing with a slightly push-hitting feel, unlike usual. He made contact, and the cutter was the right choice, but unfortunately, the result was a bit disappointing.

“Out!”

‘The break is different. Was he saving his strength before?’

Earlier, the cutter had an extremely small break, almost indistinguishable from a fastball, but now it broke more than usual, though not as much as he usually threw. The velocity was also slightly better. That subtle difference caused the bat to miss, and the catcher, who quickly stood up, caught the batted ball that floated over home plate.

‘He’s a bit of a pain, after all.’

Lee Jung-woo, willingly stepping away from the plate, thought that today’s game would not be as easy as the fans thought.

####

The NLCS [National League Championship Series] Game 1 was a bit chilly, like the temperature the day after the rain.

Perhaps because of the thought that they couldn’t afford to lose here, both sides didn’t allow a single mistake.

Combined with the good pitching of both starting pitchers, the scoreboard was filled with zeros.

‘It’s tricky, very tricky. It’s the pitchers, but the rain is also having a big impact.’

Lee Jung-woo also played a part in that intense pitching duel. After being retired on a foul fly to the catcher in his first at-bat, Lee Jung-woo sent the ball a bit further in his second at-bat in the top of the 4th inning.

Normally, it would have hit the fence hard or, if the wind was right, gone over, but now it was just a flyout.

A diving catch by the right fielder also played a big part, but the biggest problem was still the humidity.

‘We need to score first, but both sides are struggling.’

Of course, most of the other hitters also had disappointing results, and the Dodgers hitters were completely shut down by Mason.

Unlike the Braves, who had four hits, the Dodgers had only one hit in the top of the 2nd inning, which was the only hit of the game so far.

‘But this isn’t a good deal.’

If the Dodgers’ lineup was rated as average in the league, the Braves were among the top, along with the Pirates.

So, even if they were both shut down, the Braves were the ones who felt worse.

‘Is he having a good day?’

Looking at Billy Nixon, who was sitting on the bench in the Dodgers’ dugout, wearing a jacket to maintain his body temperature, that thought naturally came to mind.

Even though his pitches weren’t as good as usual for a good day, the ball itself was sharper than what he had heard and seen.

‘His velocity is less than usual due to the humidity, but his control is better than the data suggests. It’s not just above league average.’

The opposing pitcher had been consistently sticking to outside pitches, which required a considerable level of difficulty.

Lee Jung-woo knew well because he was also a pitcher. How much mental energy it consumed and how difficult it was.

Should he call it fortunate? If he was pitching this well and the weather was normal, it would have been even more terrifying than it was now.

Of course, this could be his real skill, and it could be different from what he expected after seeing it in person, but Lee Jung-woo didn’t think so.

‘If he was always like that, he would have been an ace. Not just called the number one starter.’

If Billy Nixon could show the same control, or even similar control, throughout the regular season, he would have already won a Cy Young Award [an award given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball].

But his career wasn’t like that, so it was clear that he was having a good day.

He was annoyed that the pitcher was having a good day in the postseason, but Lee Jung-woo turned his eyes to the mound.

‘The opposing pitcher is one thing, but Mason is also amazing today. If it wasn’t for that lucky hit, it would have been a no-hitter.’

Lee Jung-woo thought the situation was ironic. For both starting pitchers to have a good day in Game 1 of the Championship Series.

It was a situation where the hitters couldn’t help but groan, but it was also fortunate in a way.

‘It doesn’t feel like they’ll collapse easily. Neither Mason nor the opposing pitcher. But I don’t know how long it will last. It’s the late innings now, so they’ll slowly run out of steam.’

For the sake of the starting pitchers who had been holding on well, one side had to overcome the other first. Lee Jung-woo hoped it would be the Braves, and he felt the sensation of his left hand inside the glove.

Although he had been getting disappointing results, the sensation was still there. His body was full of fatigue, but there was still a powerful force within him. That’s why he was confident in creating results himself.

‘Don’t lose focus. Pitchers create pitching duels, but hitters are the ones who end them. The opportunity will come at least once.’

With a firm resolve, Lee Jung-woo focused on the immediate defense. In order not to make the opportunity that would come someday worthless.