Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 257

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – 256

It was a moment that sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

They had hoped and anticipated it so much that their desire had turned into pressure, but they weren’t sure if it would really happen, if what they wished for would come true.

But he really did hit it. Three home runs had soared over the past two days, and the home run he blasted by inducing a mistake in a situation that was practically an intentional walk was the final touch.

“……!”

Truist Park, with its 40,000 seats packed, erupted as everyone exhaled in unison, creating an overwhelming sound that couldn’t be expressed in words. It was so loud that individual exclamations and cheers were all mashed together, and you could only tell that someone was shouting by seeing their open mouth.

[Now, only one thing remains!]

The caster’s voice coming through the broadcast was slightly muffled due to the overwhelming cheers, but fortunately for the broadcasting station, the viewers didn’t notice.

No, they didn’t notice. They couldn’t even hear it. Not only those at Truist Park but also those watching from their homes and living rooms were shouting just as loudly.

‘It’s tough. It’s a little tough.’

Amidst that frenzy, Lee Jung-woo, who had steadfastly stepped on home base, maintained his upright posture as he returned to the dugout, but each step felt like a ton. The lingering impact of the home run didn’t seem to be limited to the fans. He felt it intensely as well.

‘I feel like I have a cold.’

As the tension eased, his senses seemed to be numbed. Even when he was greeted enthusiastically by his teammates and gave big high-fives, he didn’t feel any pain. It was as if his sense of touch had dulled.

It was a slightly awkward yet familiar kind of condition, as if he had lost control of his body. It was the kind of feeling you usually get when you have the flu.

“Move, move, Lee needs to rest.”

“Is he too nervous? First, sit down and replenish your fluids.”

“Banana, is there a banana? Bring an energy bar or a banana, anything.”

Perhaps sensing something was wrong, his teammates, who had been simply happy, hurriedly sat him down and personally took care of him. The captain, Derrick, ordered the other batters to stall for as long as possible.

It was a simple yet quite demanding order, but the task itself was easy. The pitcher who had been humiliated by the home run had already lost his mind.

As the game continued amidst the renewed excitement, the light returned to Lee Jung-woo’s eyes as he emptied a bottle of sports drink.

“Ah, I feel alive now.”

“It’s good to hit home runs, but you have to be careful. Lee, is your body just any body? Why are you suddenly overdoing it?”

“I’m just feeling good. But I hit a home run, so isn’t it a worthwhile trade?”

Derrick sighed as he watched Lee Jung-woo act nonchalantly despite the scolding, but he also admitted that it was a worthwhile trade. He was still happy, after all.

“Woah~ Ohhhhh! Ohhhhh!”

The offense continued to do well. But that alone wouldn’t have caused such a reaction. Seeing the fans vigorously waving their tomahawks [a foam axe, a common gesture of support for the Atlanta Braves], Derrick could understand Lee Jung-woo.

“You seem satisfied enough, why don’t you rest now? Two home runs should be enough for you, right?”

However, as a veteran with years of experience, Derrick knew well that Lee Jung-woo’s condition was definitely not normal right now. Having spent the second half of last season and even the postseason together, he knew it even better.

The power exceeding the current capacity. It wasn’t just a blessing. Therefore, to minimize the aftermath, Derrick asked Lee Jung-woo if he wanted to be substituted, but he just stared blankly at the field.

“Waaaaaaah!”

People shouted again as the score went up again. The Phillies players were completely dispirited. The momentum had completely shifted. Although there were many innings left, the victory was as good as decided.

So even if he was missing, the team wouldn’t lose, and the ‘complete victory against the Phillies,’ which many fans desired, wouldn’t be broken today, just like 50-50.

So for Lee Jung-woo and the team, it was the perfect timing to go out and rest a little. Except for one thing, his physical condition.

“There’s still one more left.”

Perhaps it was because of the delicious drink prepared by the physical trainer, or the snacks he had chewed and swallowed, or the simple massage he had received, the heaviness that had weighed down his body immediately after the home run had lessened a bit.

And he shouted enthusiastically. The power that he hadn’t fully used was still there, he insisted.

“Well, I don’t know what you think, but will they even face you? You might as well just sit down and relax.”

Of course, regardless of the power Lee Jung-woo had left, it was doubtful whether the Phillies, whose momentum had long been broken, would give him another chance. They had already endured once for the sake of saving face, resulting in their 49th home run allowed.

Perhaps they would ignore the public opinion about the record challenge and their pride. No, they definitely would.

“The people in front of me have to take care of that. I just need to create one more chance, right?”

“You want them to make it a bases-loaded situation? What if they still walk you?”

“Experiencing a bases-loaded intentional walk twice would be quite interesting, right? It would be fun to make fun of the Phillies for being cowards like the Mets.”

Derrick chuckled. If that happened, it would be an amusing sight.

####

Thanks to the exciting offense, the batting order quickly turned over, and Lee Jung-woo’s fourth at-bat came in the bottom of the 6th inning, but unfortunately, he couldn’t step into the batter’s box.

[Ah… The Phillies are walking Lee automatically. This… might cause some controversy. Lee is clearly on a roll, after all?]

“Uuuuuuuuuuu!”

“Compete! Compete!”

“You chicken shits! You acted like macho men, but is this what you’re doing in the end? Is this what you’re doing!”

“Hey~ Phillies! I’m a little hungry, can you make me a sandwich? Yeah, yeah, after you’re done, let’s play cat’s cradle. It suits you guys perfectly.”

Naturally, the spectators poured out curses. Just a moment ago, they thought they might actually see the record being broken today, but the opponent was trying to shatter that possibility.

“Are you guys going to be able to go home safely?”

“…”

“What are you going to do?”

“…”

Lee Jung-woo shook his head at the first baseman Pedro Castillo, who had turned pale with a sullen face even at the sarcastic remarks, perhaps overwhelmed by the unimaginable reaction.

The emotions expressed by the fans were quite significant, enough to make even an experienced player feel fear. It was amazing that they weren’t jumping onto the field right now.

‘I’m angry too, but I feel bad for them, so I can’t say anything.’

He was also upset that the Phillies were walking him without looking back, even though he had expected it, but seeing the Phillies players who seemed like they would cry if you poked them, he eventually closed his mouth.

‘Is this really the end?’

The score difference was already significant, so there wouldn’t be a bottom of the 9th inning. If things went well, he might get one more at-bat, but judging by the looks of it, they would walk him then too. Almost 100% chance.

If not today, the 50th home run might have to wait until the next time, which was quite far away, so he felt a little impatient. Soon, however, he focused. You never know, right? Like the joke he made to Derrick, maybe a bases-loaded situation would really be created in front of him.

‘If they walk me even with the bases loaded, then I’ll have to accept it. They’re already willing to give up a run.’

Thinking that, Lee Jung-woo just waited quietly. Normally, he would have tried to steal a base as a show of force, meaning ‘don’t walk me,’ but he knew that the opponent wouldn’t even flinch, so he didn’t bother wasting his energy. For the last chance that might come.

[A deep hit to the right-center field! The runner easily scores, and the batter reaches second base! The Braves add another point, and the score is now 11 to 2. The gap widens to 9 points!]

Later, even though Lee Jung-woo came back to home as a scoring runner with a big hit, adding another point, the spectators were still angry and panting. Still, it was better than right after the automatic intentional walk, so the Phillies players’ faces brightened a little. But some felt a sense of unspoken pressure.

It was as if they were saying, ‘We’ll endure it now. There’s one more at-bat left. But if you do that again next time, then you’re on your own.’

The bottom of the 6th inning passed with the Braves adding another point amidst the tension, and perhaps because they had already lost mentally, the Phillies’ offense ended rather weakly, and the opportunity came again.

Starting with the 7th, the lower batting order, the Phillies hoped that it would pass without incident. But since all the momentum had already shifted, the boundary between the lower and upper batting orders had also blurred.

[He hit it!]

The first batter, center fielder Gary Winters, got a clean hit, and as the home fans cheered, bad thoughts began to creep into the Phillies’ minds. The worst-case scenario came to mind.

[Swing! Strikeout! He takes off his helmet with a disappointed look.]

Fortunately, Rollins, the 8th batter, was too eager, and he struck out on a full count, so the Phillies were relieved again, but an ominous feeling still lingered.

“Pinch hitter!”

[Hmm, the Braves are declaring a pinch hitter. Desmond Leach, a familiar face to Braves fans, right?]

[Okay, 5th pitch, the pitcher throws – he hit it!]

As always, such premonitions come true. As a clean hit came out, boasting its unique power, the spectators cheered and waved their hands at the first runner, Gary Winters.

“Stop! Stop!”

“Gary! Please! Lee will score for you!”

“It’s short anyway! You can’t come in!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

Fortunately (?), even though the hit was big, Gary Winters wasn’t particularly fast, so he stopped at third base, and as runners were created on second and third base, the sound of swallowing saliva leaked out little by little.

“No way… really?”

“F*ck, yeah, what are they going to do? Are they still going to walk him even in this situation!”

“Captain! Just do what you always do! As a captain, you can pick those sh*tty balls with your eyes closed, right?”

Although his on-base percentage was high, Derrick Hunt was closer to a precise hitter than a traditional table setter. But he was also good at picking pitches, so people were expecting it. Derrick, carrying that on his shoulders, silently filled the plate.

“Hoo.”

The pitcher looked like he was crying. It was as if he was blaming the manager for why he had to bear this ordeal. Fortunately, there were many options.

The best was to induce a double play and end the inning itself, and the next was to strike out or ground out the batter to prevent a bases-loaded situation. The next was…

“It’s better to get hit by a hit and eliminate the bases loaded. Right?”

The catcher just closed his mouth at Derrick’s question, but it was a kind of tacit agreement. Even if they gave up a run by getting hit, if the bases were empty, they could stop worrying about a bases-loaded intentional walk and comfortably walk the next batter.

It was irresponsible, derelict, and understandable. That’s how much they hated Lee Jung-woo, who was already hated, from making the first 50-50 against them.

That this moment would be forever frozen in time, and that the Phillies would be remembered as the victims for a long time.

“Strike!”

“Ball!”

“Foul!”

“Foul!”

But it wasn’t easy. As if he wouldn’t go out unless it was a walk, Derrick continued to foul and dragged the game out.

The beads of sweat on the pitcher’s forehead became thicker and thicker, and Derrick’s back was soaked with sweat due to the tension. A match where neither side would back down to get what they wanted.

The tedious battle, which lasted until the 11th pitch, was finally coming to an end, and the catcher stroked his forehead with his hand as he watched the batter walking from the on-deck circle. Even though he couldn’t touch it because of the catcher’s mask.

[Bottom of the 7th inning! With the bases loaded! Jungwoo Lee! Steps up to his 5th at-bat!]

Bases loaded. The batter is Lee Jung-woo. As the scene that they most disliked and avoided, the scene that they desperately prayed would not happen, was completed, some of the players sitting on the bench even sighed. Perhaps because of the commonality of being the Phillies, similar scenes were created in homes throughout Philadelphia.

‘Now the choice has been passed on.’

Lee Jung-woo, holding the bat tightly, glared at the Phillies’ dugout as if to show off. The spectators also looked at the Phillies for the first time today, not the Braves or Lee Jung-woo.

Are you going to walk him again? Even with the bases loaded? Are you going to endure the yoke that the Mets have already experienced once? A disgrace that may be poured out with even more repercussions and ridicule?

No one said anything, but hundreds and thousands of questions were thrown at the Phillies even in the silent silence.

“…Ha.”

The Phillies chose cowardice.

[The Philadelphia Phillies… have avoided the match once again. A bases-loaded intentional walk in this situation. Yes, the Phillies’ choice was an intentional walk.]

[…It’s a devastating moment. For the Phillies, for the Braves, and for the sport of baseball. They targeted a player who is challenging a record and even gave up a bases-loaded intentional walk.]

Automatic intentional walk. As it was done again following the previous at-bat, and even with a bases-loaded walk, a tsunami swept through, incomparable to the time when it erupted like an active volcano.

There were no more curses. They just blushed and shouted, tried to throw various objects, or gave the middle finger coolly.

Or there were people who were doing the tomahawk chop instead. As if he had hit a home run. And Lee Jung-woo also responded as if to show off.

[Ah… this is, yeah.]

[The Phillies’ choice will be talked about a lot. This will also be talked about a lot. Maybe there will be sanctions. But… whatever the outcome, I think I will support Lee.]

A cool bat flip. Lee Jung-woo, who threw the bat as if he had hit a home run, slowly walked to first base. And with that bat, Lee Jung-woo also threw away his regrets.

‘One home run… It’s a shame, but let’s move on to the next one. It wouldn’t be bad to leave one goal until the end of the season.’

Normally, the Phillies would have protested severely or caused a bench-clearing brawl in line with their reputation, but today everyone just bowed their heads. As if saying they didn’t see anything.