The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 357

357. Division Series (1)

This season, the New York Yankees were undeniably the strongest team in the American League.

In fact, our team was strong enough to be considered the best in all of Major League Baseball, not just the American League, making our success feel inevitable.

However, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox suffered the most from this dominance. Had they been in the Central or Western divisions, they likely would have won their division titles. The Tampa Bay Rays, who finished second in our division, were particularly impressive, boasting a 98-64 record and a winning percentage exceeding .600.

“Those guys are really annoying.”

“But the executives upstairs are probably ecstatic, right?”

“I guess so… The viewership ratings will be huge.”

“I heard tickets are sold out through Game 5.”

“Game 5? I doubt it’ll even go that far.”

Consequently, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox faced off in the Wild Card Series.

Based solely on regular-season winning percentage, the Tampa Bay Rays held a slight advantage. In the original timeline, the Tampa Bay Rays, led by Wander Franco, were a truly formidable team. This year, Wander Franco’s performance was even more impressive than before.

But…

[New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox. Game 1 of the Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees!! We are live from Yankee Stadium!!]

[It was a truly intense season. The regular season was intense, and the Wild Card Series was incredibly fierce. Because the top two teams in the Wild Card standings came from the same division, we had the unusual situation of division rivals facing each other in the Wild Card Game.]

[That’s right. There was even a comeback in the 8th inning of Game 3, followed by another in the 9th, making the fans who watched until the end extremely nervous.]

[Now, Domingo Rodriguez, the ace of the New York Yankees, is taking the mound. He started 33 games this season, pitching 207.2 innings with a 2.64 ERA. He has pitched like a true ace. I wonder what he will show against Boston today.]

[The Yankees have had plenty of rest over the past six days. Domingo Rodriguez, in particular, has had more than ten days off since his last appearance. The Yankees definitely have a stamina advantage. However, Boston’s momentum is a significant variable. If the momentum from their comeback victory in the 9th inning two days ago carries over to today’s game… Ah, the game is starting.]

They’ve already played 13 games against each other this season.

Domingo has started three games against Boston this season. Considering his experience from the past few years, and the fact that Domingo’s original team was the Tampa Bay Rays, some Boston hitters have nearly 100 plate appearances against him. It’s generally believed that the less familiar a pitcher and hitter are, the more advantageous it is for the pitcher. In that sense, this matchup was quite unfavorable for Domingo.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!”

Yes, that’s only if we look at it from a general perspective.

Of course, the Boston Red Sox’s lineup, led by the leadoff duo of Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story, and followed by third baseman Rafael Devers, was formidable.

But Domingo, who had plenty of rest for 11 days and was pumped up for the important task of opening the postseason, was even more powerful.

In many cases, starting pitchers have excessively large egos. They are extreme egoists. And Domingo, a top-tier starter, was no exception. The more important the game, the more elated and sensitive he becomes, though this doesn’t always lead to good results.

Still, when an ace pitcher who has fully recharged his stamina is elated, it usually leads to good results.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

[Ah, Domingo Rodriguez. Amazing changeup. Swinging strikeout!! Swinging strikeout.]

[Top of the 1st inning. Domingo Rodriguez with a KKK (three strikeouts). This season, he is once again proving that he is a top Cy Young Award [award given annually to the best pitchers in each league] contender in the American League.]

[Change of possession. Juan Montero is coming to the mound for Boston. Juan Montero pitched 196.2 innings this season with a 3.34 ERA, showing the qualities of an ace.]

[That’s right. Domingo Rodriguez’s performance was so outstanding that a 3.34 ERA in the American League East is truly the mark of an ace pitcher. Moreover, Juan Montero had a penalty that Domingo Rodriguez didn’t have.]

[A penalty? Ah…]

[Yes, it’s the penalty that everyone is expecting. He’s coming out to the on-deck circle now.]

Indeed, my physical condition was excellent, probably because I had eaten well and rested sufficiently.

I glanced at the stands. It was so crowded that it was difficult to find her, even though I knew where she was sitting, but I quickly spotted her. Eun-jin was looking at me, and our eyes met immediately.

“Fight.ing!!” [Korean expression of encouragement, like “You can do it!”]

Of course, I couldn’t hear her voice, but I could tell from the shape of her lips. I couldn’t help but smile slightly. Dating is definitely a good thing. Out of courtesy, I turned my head another 0.5 degrees to look at my father, Uncle Kang-doo, and my aunt, who were sitting next to her. Their faces already looked a little flushed, so they must have already had a beer or two.

-Whoosh!!

“Striiiiike!!”

Anthony swung at Juan Montero’s first pitch, but it was a pretty powerful slider.

0-1 count.

Anthony stepped out of the batter’s box for a moment, adjusted his helmet, and then stepped back in.

In the ensuing battle, Anthony calmly faced Juan Montero, showing no sign of urgency despite his aggressive swing on the first pitch. The count gradually built up to a full count of 3-2.

[Now, the 8th pitch!!]

-Crack!!!

As if there was no need to wait for the umpire’s call, Anthony threw his bat down and walked to first base.

[Leadoff hitter walks. Top of the 1st inning. Anthony Volpe successfully gets on base with a walk. No outs, runner on 1st. Choi Su-won is up to bat.]

[Now, this is a very difficult moment for Boston.]

To be honest, I thought Garrett Whitlock, the 4th starter, would be on the mound for today’s game, not Juan Montero, the 1st starter. Juan Montero had already pitched in the Wild Card Game 1 just four days ago. In the postseason, ace pitchers sometimes pitch after only three days of rest, but… wouldn’t it have been better to let him rest for another day and have him face Gerrit Cole, even if it meant giving up Game 1?

[Ah, Boston is not choosing an intentional walk.]

[Boston. That’s too bold, isn’t it?]

[Considering the recent state of the Yankees’ lineup, avoiding Choi Su-won alone won’t solve the problem… Besides, Choi Su-won’s batting average isn’t over .500 or anything.]

[Well, that’s true. What will be the result of this choice? Juan Montero is in the set position.]

Juan Montero is definitely a good pitcher.

The fact that he recorded an ERA in the low 3s in the American League East, especially while constantly facing our Yankees this season, proves that he is a Cy Young contender.

-Clang!!!

But he had a bad opponent.

A Cy Young contender pitching with fighting spirit after only three days of rest? I’m an MVP-confirmed hitter who has fully recharged his stamina by spending six days fooling around with my girlfriend. It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but frankly, with my performance this year, not giving me the MVP would be like abolishing the MVP award itself, so it’s safe to say it’s confirmed.

While I was lost in thought, the ball I hit soared far into left field. The already crowded outfield quickly became even more crowded, as people rushed to pick up the ball that had bounced somewhere.

I threw my bat down and jogged lightly to first base. I didn’t forget to shoot a finger bullet towards Eun-jin. Her agency was hoping for dating rumors anyway, and my father seemed to like Eun-jin, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

Game 1 of the Division Series.

That’s how Boston paid the price for starting a pitcher who had only rested for three days.

[Top of the 1st inning, Choi Su-won’s two-run home run seizes the initiative for the opponent!!]

[Yankees win Game 1 of the Division Series 11-4 in a dominant victory!!]

[4.1 innings, 6 runs allowed. Boston’s ace Juan Montero is taken out of the game in disappointment.]

[Domingo Rodriguez with a perfect 7 innings of shutout pitching!!]

[A total of 4 home runs!! The Yankees’ powerful lineup hasn’t cooled down!!]

A truly overwhelming victory.

Then, in Game 2, they sent out Tanner Houck, their second starter, who had also only rested for three days.

“What are these guys thinking?”

“Who knows what those Boston guys are thinking? They’re just doing something stupid as always.”

Juan Montero is an ace-level pitcher, so pitching after three days of rest is somewhat understandable, even though we crushed him. Tanner Houck was somewhere between a solid and dominant pitcher, but closer to solid. He’s reasonably predictable, but it’s hard to expect him to completely shut down the opposing lineup.

But to send out such a pitcher after only three days of rest?

-Clang!!!

We won by a large margin yesterday, but as you can see from the fact that the bullpen gave up 4 runs after Domingo Rodriguez came down, Boston’s lineup is by no means weak. Domingo Rodriguez, who had rested for 11 days, simply had another legendary pitching performance yesterday.

Gerrit Cole thought he was the same level of pitcher as Domingo Rodriguez.

Gerrit Cole at twenty-eight years old was definitely as good a pitcher as Domingo Rodriguez this season. So, if we’re just talking about the ‘level’ of the players, Gerrit Cole is in the same class as Domingo Rodriguez.

But if we’re asking if their current performances are on the same level… Gerrit Cole is still a dominant ace, but there was a subtle gap between a pitcher who could grab the Cy Young and a pitcher who could challenge for it.

Boston’s lineup managed to get to Gerrit Cole, who had rested for 11 days, reasonably well.

3 runs allowed in 6 innings.

Gerrit Cole, who recorded a quality start [a start in which a pitcher pitches at least six innings and allows three or fewer earned runs], came off the mound.

We only needed Gerrit Cole’s level today, not necessarily Domingo Rodriguez’s level.

Because we scored 9 runs while he gave up 3.

13:7.

A clean 2-game sweep.

With only one game left to win the Division Series, we flew to Boston, an hour away by plane.

The air in Boston, which I tasted for the first time in about a month, had a truly ominous flavor.

So it felt just right.