Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 66

Pitcher done, batter up – 65

It was already dramatic enough that the player who had been struggling with the shift throughout the game hit a thrilling home run in his last at-bat.

That home run soared over the stands, only stopping after hitting the billboard above the electronic display.

If it had been angled just a bit more, it wouldn’t have just cleared the fence, but the entire stadium.

It was a hit that truly showcased the extraordinary power of the player named Lee Jung-woo.

Perhaps the attention was inevitable.

[Did you see that? Mets, you don’t have a shortstop like that, do you?]

[Lee is really a cheat code. A shortstop who’s good at defense and has amazing power?]

[I think we need to draw Lee’s blood. Then the truth will be revealed.]

[Are you saying Lee took drugs? Do you want to die?]

[Oh, the truth I meant was that Lee has giant’s blood flowing in his veins…]

[Ah, my bad. I agree with that.]

And so, continuing their momentum, they took the first game of the series.

While Braves fans rejoiced at their beloved prospect’s home run.

The Mets, who were bombarded by the massive home run and lost the game, were ridiculed.

[NYY) Seriously, you’re a disgrace to New York. Getting hit with a home run by even a rookie?]

[PHI) You put on a defensive shift, but you lost the game and gave up a home run. How are you ever going to catch up? Stupid bastards.]

[ATL) Didn’t you guys get hit by a home run from Lee too?]

[PHI) Shut up]

However, the Mets didn’t have the *yoyu* [余裕 – Japanese for ‘room’ or ‘leeway’] to respond to such ridicule. They were too preoccupied trying to understand how the game had unfolded.

The game itself was so bewildering that they were too busy trying to cope.

[Are we really playing the Braves? Not some other team?]

[They didn’t seem like this the last time we saw them. Did they make a trade or something?]

[Who the hell is Stewart? Isn’t he their fifth starter? He gave up two home runs to us last time we played them, right? Why is he like this today?]

[Did he throw a spitball or something? All the batted balls are getting caught.]

4 to 0. It’s not that big of a score difference in baseball.

The problem was that the Mets were consistently pushed back throughout the game.

Even well-hit balls were caught by the second baseman and shortstop.

There were very few instances where a runner advanced past second base throughout the game.

Combined, these factors resulted in a shutout loss to the opponent’s fifth starter, inflicting bitter pain on Mets fans.

[I could at least understand if we were shut out by their ace…]

[Are our hitters just terribly bad? Or are their pitchers just that good?]

[It’s not the pitching, it’s the defense. They picked a good shortstop.]

[I heard he used to be a pitcher? Lucky bastards can do anything. It’s BS.]

[It’s the drugs. How can an Asian have that kind of power?]

[I don’t think drugs make you good at defense…]

What made them even more afraid was that the Braves were very different from what they had seen so far.

As recently as mid-May, when they last played the Braves, they weren’t like this.

A team that never threatened their position, always staying in the same place, occasionally providing laughter with amusing errors.

That *was* the Braves.

But today, they were utterly crushed.

The reaction of the Mets fans to this was shock and horror.

Because they feared that the worst-case scenario might actually come true.

[This… are we really going to get swept?]

The anxiety felt by the Mets fans soon became a reality, overwhelming them.

####

Before the start of the second game, the starting lineup was announced. Clarkson had emerged from his bout of diarrhea and recovered some of his stamina.

But Lee Jung-woo was once again listed at the shortstop position.

‘At this point, I think it’s safe to say he’s secured the position,’ Mancini thought.

His performance in the Giants game ended the shortstop position competition much earlier than expected.

Because Lee Jung-woo had definitely staked his claim to the shortstop position.

Lee Jung-woo wore a satisfied expression, but there was still more to come.

“1st, Harvey Rollins, 2nd, Derek Hunt, 3rd, Joey Fredman, 4th, James Peterson. And 5th, Jung-woo Lee,”

Lee Jung-woo didn’t really pay much attention to the manager’s explanation of the batting order.

Because he thought his name would be called sixth, as always.

But, contrary to expectations, his name was called a little earlier than usual.

‘5th? Me? Did he like my home run yesterday?’

Lee Jung-woo looked up at the manager.

It was a happy thing, but honestly, he felt a bit awkward.

Even though the cleanup trio had been effectively disbanded and moved up to 2-3-4.

Even though the weight wasn’t as heavy as it used to be, the 5th batter was still part of the upper lineup.

6th was clearly classified as the lower lineup.

‘It’ll be a bit of a headache if Poppin gets upset.’

Lee Jung-woo glanced around slightly.

Poppin is a veteran who has built his career playing in the major leagues for a long time.

On the other hand, even though he’s been doing well recently, he’s still a rookie who debuted a little less than a month ago.

If Poppin got upset, a difficult situation could arise.

‘Even if I’m doing well now, my position itself can’t be compared.’

Baseball is a team sport, so the hierarchy is clear even among the players.

Rookies respect veterans, and veterans take care of those rookies, and it’s no different in America.

But if that’s broken, there could be a backlash, which could harm the team chemistry.

Indeed, when the expressions of some players changed subtly, Poppin smiled.

“You old man. Why are you thinking so much when you’re still young? I’m not that narrow-minded. And you’ve been going crazy lately. Oh, I guess being young is good.”

As if to prove he wasn’t a veteran for nothing, Poppin deliberately acted playful and eased the atmosphere that had been stiffening.

Only then did the other players congratulate Lee Jung-woo.

“Lee is really good. Just do what you always do today.”

“Lee probably wants to cry, right? He got RBIs thanks to Poppin. Now he won’t get anything because of these greedy guys.”

The players chuckled at Rollins, who was joking while pointing at Joey and Peterson.

Joey and Peterson acted more arrogant than usual, as if trying to play along.

“Ask Peterson for RBIs, or just hit a home run and take care of it yourself. I don’t pass runners behind me.”

“Hehehe. Even if Joey lets it through, I’ll pick it up. There won’t be any runners in front of you. Miss the days when Poppin was in front of you.”

Lee Jung-woo was relieved by the reaction and was purely happy.

‘5th batter, the weight is different from here.’

As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t have as much weight as it did when it was tied to the cleanup trio.

Still, the 5th is still one of the cores of the upper lineup.

Because he has the role of sweeping away the remaining runners before going to the lower lineup.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo focused a little more than usual.

‘If I don’t do well today, all sorts of things will come out. That I couldn’t handle the pressure of the upper lineup, that I’m a chicken, and things like that.’

Fortunately, Lee Jung-woo himself isn’t the type to be greatly shaken by what others say.

Still, it was true that it was unpleasant to hear, so he didn’t want to show any weaknesses today.

‘Okay, let’s take down the Amazing team properly. And let’s try to secure the 5th spot.’

When Lee Jung-woo’s eyes sparkled, Mancini, who saw it, smiled.

To be honest, it was a gamble.

President Pratt loves Lee to the point of obsession.

As soon as he suggested it, he immediately called, but it was honestly difficult to predict the reactions of Poppin and Lee.

But fortunately, when he notified them in advance, Poppin showed the generosity of a veteran and let it go well. He even eased the atmosphere on his own.

And Lee also showed a spirited look as expected.

It was lucky for him and the Braves.

“We still have to watch more. But on the surface, it seems that he’s the type who does better the more pressure he’s under, as expected.”

“He’s good at clutch hitting. It’s only natural in a way. He’s a natural strong heart.”

Mancini thought with a satisfied expression that he could expect a victory in this game as well.

####

[Lee Jung-woo is starting as the 5th batter today.]

[It’s never easy for a rookie to move up to the upper lineup, right?]

[That’s right. And Lee Jung-woo is a shortstop. It’s a position with a lot of defensive burden. He’s so good that they’re entrusting him with the 5th spot even considering that.]

Immediately after the starting lineup was announced, the Korean commentators smiled brightly and commentated in a very excited tone.

A Korean major leaguer, and a young one at that, had entered the upper lineup.

It couldn’t be better than this.

That’s why they raised the tension earlier than usual.

Of course, Lee Jung-woo himself wanted it the most.

‘Today’s opponent is Ryan Hudson. His pitches are a two-seamer, splitter, circle changeup, and a slider sometimes. I hope he throws a splitter. Or will he seal it like a curveball? I don’t know.’

Even though he’s moved up one step higher than usual, there’s still a long way to go before his at-bat.

Lee Jung-woo raised his concentration a little faster than before and stared intently at the opposing starting pitcher, ready to break through.

Perhaps sensing that gaze, starting pitcher Ryan Hudson turned his head slightly to look at Lee.

Soon, as if overwhelmed by the hot gaze, he turned his gaze again.

When Lee Jung-woo raised the corners of his mouth very slightly, he suddenly heard a loud cheer in his ear.

‘It’s more intense today. Is it always like this? No, I don’t think so.’

Even though the game hadn’t even started yet, the spectators shouted even harder than the day before.

In particular, The 7 Line Army, a famous cheering group of the New York Mets, banged their orange cheering sticks enthusiastically, ready to burst them.

‘They’re anxious that they’ll really get swept and the rankings will be reversed.’

Lee Jung-woo narrowed his brows slightly.

It wasn’t unpleasant, but their cheers rather resonated with him in a slightly bad direction.

‘It’s not so bad to make the opposing team’s fans, who are cheering so hard, cry.’

Not knowing that their actions were stimulating the monster, the cheering grew louder and louder.

Soon, after the umpire’s declaration, the game that started with Rollins’ tenacious battle ended with a walk.

Soon after, Derek also recorded a clean hit.

As a threatening situation was already being created, the spectators shouted so loudly that their faces turned red, encouraging the pitcher.

“Get your act together!”

“Are you going to give up a run from the first inning!”

No, they whipped him.

They were harsh and fierce fans, and Lee Jung-woo frowned at the action that could put undue pressure on the pitcher.

But perhaps it was a well-founded action.

Ryan Hudson really got his act together, or maybe he was just warming up now.

After striking out Joey, a player who is always burdensome and threatening to the opposing team facing the Atlanta Braves, with a splitter on the fifth pitch, he even handled the 4th batter Peterson with an outfield fly. He got two outs in an instant.

“What was that about RBIs? What about self-sufficiency? Miss Poppin?”

“Lee, what you’re doing right now is seriously rude to a veteran.”

Lee Jung-woo looked at Peterson as if he was dumbfounded, who had spoken confidently before the game.

Peterson said something with a serious face, but his ears were red, so it wasn’t very powerful.

“Well, even lions make mistakes sometimes. The cub has to cover it. Now, go quickly.”

Lee Jung-woo shook his head at Peterson, who pushed him shyly, and headed to home plate, leaving him behind.

As Lee Jung-woo approached, the catcher scanned him with slightly nervous eyes.

‘Since he saw it with his own eyes yesterday, he must be nervous.’

The catcher’s mind was probably filled with the thought that if he gets hit, he’ll go over.

Lee Jung-woo deliberately swung powerfully as if to show off and entered the plate.

Soon, he looked at the Mets’ outfield.

He licked his lips slightly and stared at the opposing center fielder and right fielder.

They put on a defensive shift, just like yesterday.

‘Well, except for one home run, the results of the shift itself were good. They won’t throw it away right away.’

Lee Jung-woo nodded readily and soon gripped his bat tightly.

‘The most important thing for the 5th is to sweep away the runners that the 3rd and 4th have left behind. And now is the perfect opportunity.’

Lee Jung-woo himself had already scored 23 RBIs so far.

At least in this June, he’s showing a high level of clutch ability.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo believed in himself, and he also came up with a way to do it right now.

“Strike!”

[Oh, he’s swinging coolly today too. He’s full of power.]

[The pitcher’s heart must have dropped. The swing almost grazed it, right? If the trajectory was just a little better, a long hit would have come out.]

Lee Jung-woo, who had batted in a straight posture again, as if the last at-bat of the previous game was an event, still showed power like he was watching it from the day before.

There was also the fact that he was putting a lot of strength into it due to the pressure, and that he was more focused than usual.

But there was also an intention.

“Foul!”

Soon, Lee Jung-woo, who powerfully hit a foul for a long hit and chilled the pitcher and catcher once again, also affected the Mets’ bench.

It was only two swings, but the previous day’s massive home run and the play before that, where he only aimed for long hits and kept getting caught in the defensive shift, came to mind.

The fielders retreated as a whole. Lee Jung-woo twitched his eyebrows.

‘I got caught.’

“Hoo.”

Lee Jung-woo could clearly hear the sound of the catcher swallowing his saliva after exhaling once.

When such a cold tension was flowing, Lee Jung-woo slightly spun his bat around, as if telling him to throw something.

Ryan Hudson, who saw it, bit his lip and soon shot the ball according to the catcher’s request.

Lee Jung-woo opened his eyes wide.

‘It looks like a slider… Even if I’m weak against sliders.’

The ball flew straight towards the catcher’s mitt. Lee Jung-woo swung without waiting this time as well.

The difference from the previous swing was that it was a little lighter.

‘I can hit a bad pitch well enough.’

Lee Jung-woo, who lightly hit the slider that flew in well to hit, immediately threw his bat and ran.

The batted ball fell in a perfect position, passing the right fielder but not too close to the center fielder who had retreated.

Lee Jung-woo, who stepped on second base following the runners who quickly homed, nodded in satisfaction.

‘I was wondering, but I got caught.’

Lee Jung-woo was thinking about what the Mets thought of him: a strong gorilla who is good at defense.

He probably thought it would be about that much: a gorilla who keeps pulling with an uppercut even though the defensive shift is clearly spread out, and then, by chance, he hits a home run.

So this time, he deliberately put more power into his swing. The Mets’ bench caught on to it.

‘I’ve already scored 2 RBIs. Let’s keep sweeping them.’

That alone was unfortunate for the Mets, but there was still a lot of time left.

Lee Jung-woo had no intention of being satisfied with just 2 RBIs.