The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 378

378. The Batter Just Throws Well (4)

Top of the 3rd inning. David Steele returned to the mound.

—Overwhelming.

That was the feeling Lee Jung-hoon and Jo Yoo-jin got from David Steele’s pitching.

Choi Soo-won’s pitching was definitely impressive. But David Steele’s pitching, who came to the mound after him, was even more so.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

Three-pitch strikeout.

It’s not like Yankees’ batter Angel Cabrera is a substandard hitter. Of course, he wasn’t a member of the Yankees’ core lineup that showed explosive power this year, but he is also a decent hitter with a batting average in the mid .200s.

And then the 8th batter, Oswald Wells. He was a 24-year-old young gun who has recently been attracting attention as an offensive catcher.

-Clang!!!

It wasn’t bad that he hit the 99.7 mph fastball on the first pitch. The ball count was 0-1 with a foul ball that crossed the third base foul line. David Steele continued pitching without a chance to catch his breath. A ball digging deep into his body.

-Clang!!!

This time, the bat followed the ball again.

The batted ball was slightly closer to fair territory than before. Ball count 0-2. David Steele still took his pitching motion as quickly as a machine.

Third time.

Outside.

Oswald Wells swung his bat hard with the thought, ‘This time for sure!!’

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!!”

A splitter that drops sharply.

David Steele struck out the second batter with three pitches as well. And he stood there and glared at the batter who was newly coming to the plate.

Choi Soo-won.

Yes, it was Choi Soo-won.

If David Steele is a man who competes for the title of the best pitcher of this era, Choi Soo-won is the best hitter of this era that no one can deny.

Jo Yoo-jin swallowed hard at his changed attitude, which until just now seemed to be looking down on the Yankees’ batters from high above. She was surprised on the mound a little while ago, but she was newly aware of the changed status of her friend, whom she had been laughing and chatting with on the same team until last year.

The atmosphere in the stadium calmed down.

This was because the audience was also aware of how important this at-bat was.

[Okay, Choi Soo-won at the plate. Our Choi Soo-won is coming up.]

[If you look now, David Steele is really shutting down the Yankees’ lineup. But originally, it’s disadvantageous for the pitcher when the batting order is repeated. If our Choi Soo-won can start the attack here and shake David Steele a little, the Yankees players are capable enough to score points.]

[That’s right. In fact, wasn’t the start of everything when our Choi Soo-won came out as the second batter in the first game and shook David Steele greatly with a home run?]

David Steele on the mound withdrew his burning gaze.

[Ah… The Dodgers dugout is moving here. Automatic intentional walk. The Dodgers are choosing an automatic intentional walk. This is a really great choice. Dodgers manager Sanchez. He made a really difficult decision.]

[That’s right. Telling a pitcher who is recording 2.2 innings of perfect pitching to send the 9th batter to first base on purpose? Even though he’s the team’s ace? This would never have happened in a normal game. But this is Game 4 of the World Series. The series score is 2:1 and they are being pushed back!! It’s possible because the batter is our Choi Soo-won.]

[Okay, top of the 3rd inning. Now, two outs and a runner on 1st base. Anyway, the Yankees did send a runner to 1st base.]

It was a shocking scene.

To think that a pitcher who was so overwhelming would give up the game itself and just let the batter walk to first base.

Lee Jung-hoon muttered without realizing it.

“I’m glad we won the championship last year, or else we would have been in big trouble.”

“Of course, it would have been a big deal. We almost kept that kind of guy in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] for a few more years.”

“No, that’s also true, but even with a guy who throws and hits like this in the big leagues, if we didn’t win the championship…”

‘It means we’re seriously trash.’

For some reason, Lee Jung-hoon swallowed those words, but Jo Yoo-jin and Lee Gyu-man could both understand it clearly without hearing it.

“Haha, hyung [older brother or male friend]. That’s not true. I’ve been with Soo-won since high school. He wasn’t that good from the beginning. He’s been steadily improving. We only won one championship in high school. We didn’t win the Baseball World Cup either. He’s just been steadily improving in the KBO and in the big leagues.”

“Yoo-jin-ah. Do you know that Soo-won hit close to OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging, a key baseball statistic] 1.5 in April as soon as he came here?”

“…….”

“And I think he hit almost that much in his first month after debuting in the KBO?”

“…….”

“It seems like you guys are just seriously trash…”

“Okay, okay, stop talking and focus on the game. The Yankees are going to try to squeeze out some runs now that Soo-won is on base. If we miss this opportunity, it will be quite difficult for them, judging by how David Steele is pitching today.”

Lee Gyu-man stopped the two people’s chatter.

Anthony Volpe came to the plate.

“Wait!! That friend? Major League All-Star Anthony Volpe, who told me, unlike someone else, that I could definitely come to the big leagues in 5 years?”

“Hey, that’s because he didn’t see you play and only saw you doing agility training like a fool. He couldn’t have imagined that a guy with such good agility wouldn’t even hit .210 in the KBO, right?”

“…….”

“What? Do you both know Anthony Volpe?”

“Yes, I went to visit Soo-won at spring training earlier this year and met him briefly. I was expecting a party, but we just drank protein shakes, worked out a bit, and played some games before breaking up.”

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!!”

[First pitch, slightly outside course. Anthony Volpe’s bat swung in vain.]

[David Steele today. His ball is really sharp… 1st base pickoff!!]

“Safe!!!”

It happened in an instant. David Steele, who threw the pickoff, licked his lower lip with a slightly disappointed expression. Choi Soo-won, who barely returned to first base, got up and dusted himself off.

[It was a really surprise pickoff, but Choi Soo-won succeeded in returning to the base very well.]

[In fact, since he’s starting pitcher today, he probably won’t steal a base unless it’s absolutely necessary, but since Choi Soo-won shows super plays in difficult moments, David Steele can’t just let his guard down.]

[Okay, ball count 0-1. Two outs and a runner on 1st base. David Steele is preparing his second pitch.]

I wanted to face Choi Soo-won.

To be honest, I was confident. Because he was David Steele, the ace with blue blood.

But I held back. For the bigger goal of the team’s victory. But enduring doesn’t mean that emotions disappear. It just means pressing them down in your heart. And he put the anger he had contained in the ball.

-Boom!!!

[101.9 mph fastball!! But it was a little high. Ball count is 1-1.]

[Wow, both starting pitchers are showing fastballs that are hard to believe it’s November.]

Third time.

A ball that is controlled slightly low.

-Clang!!!

Anthony Volpe touched the ball, but the batted ball hit the first base infield grandstand net.

Ball count 1-2.

Fourth time.

Now, in a situation where he has to swing his bat if the ball is barely coming in, Anthony Volpe swung his bat at the ball that aggressively attacks the zone.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!!”

A slider that escapes the zone as if avoiding the bat.

Swinging strikeout.

─Yaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

Brian Steele on the mound roared.

The spectators in the stands also roared together.

Runner left on first.

The Yankees’ attack in the top of the 3rd inning ended in vain.

***

I quickly returned to the dugout from first base.

I took off my helmet and put on my hat. And I picked up my glove.

And just as I was about to go to the mound.

“Hey, Soo-won.”

“Huh?”

“Your ball is really good today. Go and kill them all quickly.”

Garrett Cole sent very unexpected encouragement.

“Oh, I know.”

“I knew you would know.”

Unexpected encouragement and a blunt answer. But Garrett Cole smiled and raised his thumb as if he liked my answer. Anyway, all the starting pitchers are a bit strange somewhere. Oh, except for me. I’ve basically been a hitter longer, so my personality is closer to a hitter.

I stood on the mound.

The lower batting order starting from number 7.

Normally, I might be careless, but I threw away that thought today.

This is a game where even David Steele, who throws the ball at such a crazy pace, throws away his pride and walks me.

Yes, the weight of the World Series. It was a decision that made me feel it again.

Robert Duncan came to the plate.

Basically, he has good tools, but his hitting skills are a bit lacking. He’s like a type where Jjo Yu has evolved about 3 times? Oh, of course, that doesn’t mean that Jjo Yu can become like this if he evolves. That guy’s evolution condition is to be reborn, so it’s impossible for him to evolve in this life.

The first pitch with all my might.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!!”

A 102.1 mph fastball attacked the zone. It didn’t hit the borderline, but it was enough. He stepped back with a slightly embarrassed expression and adjusted his posture.

And immediately the second pitch.

It was a high-course fastball thrown with the feeling that it couldn’t be helped if it went out a little.

-Whoosh!!

“Striiiiike!!!”

It was a ball that was going out of the zone, but his bat followed it.

It seems like my ball is really amazing today. I tried to calm my mind, which was about to become conceited. The pattern of being hit by an unexpected guy after always being like this is too clichéd now.

Third time.

Oswald Wells sent a sign that I liked. Some people think that catchers are just ball receivers who don’t do anything, but that’s a big misunderstanding. Those guys are ball receivers with a huge mission to match the pitcher’s mood very well. In that sense, Oswald’s sign was very appropriate.

-Boom!!!

[Ah, a changeup that goes far out of the zone. Robert Duncan calmly picks that ball.]

[As before, I guess the intention is to engrave in his head that there is also a ball like this?]

[Yes, to be honest, that ball is really no different from a batting ball if you aim for it and hit it. Well, most changeups are like that. But if you engrave in your head that there is a ball that slows down the timing like this and throw a fastball, its power will be doubled.]

Ah, it would have been a looking strikeout if I had put it in the zone.

That’s a bit of a shame. It went out about one more than I was aiming for.

Fourth time.

The baseball, which was firmly embedded in my grip, was pulled out by the powerful swing of my arm.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!! Out!!!!”

A curveball that almost fell to the ground went in amazingly.

It was a strikeout.

[Choi Soo-won!! Third strikeout of the game today!!]

Like Garrett Cole said, I was strong enough today to look down on a guy like him. Of course, that wasn’t the exact wording, but if that personality-flawed guy said that much, his true feelings were probably closer to that.

Yes, I am a pitcher strong enough to make a pitcher who received the Cy Young Award [award given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball] admit that I am greater than him today. So I can definitely stand shoulder to shoulder with David Steele, who is showing a crazy pace today.

Outfield fly out.

Another strikeout.

And after taking a short breath…

Huh?

[Bottom of the 4th inning!! The score is still 0:0. Choi Soo-won is coming back to the mound.]

[Who on earth would have expected a game like this today? A tight pitching match between the Yankees and the Dodgers!! Rocky Chavez is coming to the plate.]

Before my eyes stood Rocky Chavez, who had succeeded in getting on base earlier due to Anthony’s error.