Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 113

Mound Villain – Episode 113

The camera focused on Ha-sung as he began his windup.

“Hup!”

The ball, released with a shout, blazed across the plate and slammed into the catcher’s mitt.

Thwack!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung allows a runner into scoring position in the 7th, but escapes the jam himself! He continues his scoreless streak today!]

[Judging by his pitch count, this will likely be his last inning. If he’s pulled now, Jung Ha-sung will have recorded a scoreless performance in every game he’s pitched in April!]

Including today’s game, Ha-sung finished his fifth start in April.

His performance in the previous four games was nothing short of astonishing.

[Jung Ha-sung is icing his arm in the top of the 8th.]

[It looks like his April appearances are coming to an end.]

[His April performance is truly amazing.]

[Absolutely. He recorded 2 wins, no losses, and 36 scoreless innings in 5 appearances, with a 0.00 ERA (Earned Run Average). During those 36 innings, he struck out 64, allowed only 5 hits, and issued only 1 walk.]

[It’s hard to believe, even when you’re watching it.]

5 appearances, 2 wins, 0 losses.

36 scoreless innings, 64 strikeouts, 5 hits, 1 walk.

The cartoonish stats were unbelievable to witness.

Above all, the fact that he had recorded 36 consecutive scoreless innings was astounding.

[Weren’t there a lot of doubts when he announced he was switching to a starter?]

[That’s right. But Jung Ha-sung has silenced all the doubters with his skill alone.]

[Local media are even reporting that he has a 100% chance of being named Pitcher of the Month.]

[That’s a given. Jung Ha-sung is the best pitcher in both leagues right now. No other pitcher can compare.]

The commentators’ praise for Ha-sung was endless.

And it wasn’t just the Korean commentators.

The reaction to Ha-sung was huge in Korea, but in the United States, he was becoming a major sensation.

Even on road games, crowds of local fans gathered, demonstrating the increased interest in Ha-sung.

Ha-sung’s April was coming to an end like that.

* * *

[Major League’s Jung Ha-sung finishes his dominant April.]

[Ha-sung’s hot April! Leaves behind incredible stats!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s April record will be etched in Major League history!]

[Switching to a starter was the right call. The untouchable Jung Ha-sung returns.]

[Jung Ha-sung delivers a stellar performance in every start, but has been unlucky with wins.]

[Jung Ha-sung’s perfect month-long journey, but the Athletics finish third in the division.]

Ha-sung played flawlessly.

However, his team, the Athletics, finished third in their division.

Naturally, this became a major talking point.

[Isn’t Jung Ha-sung the best pitcher in Major League if you only consider the month of April?]

[That’s right. Whether you use traditional stats or sabermetrics [advanced baseball analytics], no player in either league performed as well as Jung Ha-sung.]

[It was a truly amazing April, no question. But his team, the Athletics, finished third in the division.]

[It clearly shows that one starting pitcher can’t single-handedly save a team.]

The Athletics’ lineup appeared on the screen.

[The Athletics’ problem is obvious: the batting lineup. Only Arnold has a batting average over .300 among the starting nine.]

[That’s a serious issue.]

[It seems that Chris, the team’s general manager, didn’t make any significant improvements during the off-season, and it’s showing now at the start of the season.]

[Exactly. They have a perfect ace in Jung Ha-sung, but they’re not scoring runs.]

[The Athletics’ batting lineup has only scored an average of 0.7 runs in the 5 games that Jung Ha-sung has started.]

Less than one run of support.

So, even when he pitched a shutout, he couldn’t secure the win.

This fact frustrated the fans.

-0. 7 runs of support? Seriously?

-Less than 1 point. Unbelievable.

-How can the batting lineup be so anemic?

-He’s pitched a quality start plus [pitching at least six innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs] in all 5 appearances, but it’s a travesty that he only has 2 wins.

-Jung Ha-sung is incredibly unlucky with wins.

-I wonder if there’s ever been a pitcher like this before.

-There’s one in Korea too. The Eagles’ workhorse, lol.

-It’s the same whether it’s Korea or the United States; the workhorse is always pitiful.

-I’m worried that Ha-sung’s mentality will be affected.

Fans were genuinely concerned about Ha-sung’s mental state.

That’s how bad the Athletics’ batting lineup was.

It was a huge source of stress for the pitcher, performing so well but unable to get the win because of the lack of run support.

If this continued, even Ha-sung, who had a strong mentality, was likely to be shaken.

Amid the concerns of experts and fans,

The announcement of the Pitcher of the Month was made as April ended and May began.

[American League, Jung Ha-sung selected as April’s Pitcher of the Month!!]

It was the obvious outcome.

* * *

The Athletics’ clubhouse, back in Oakland, had a heavy atmosphere.

They were well aware of the team’s recent struggles.

The batting lineup wasn’t producing, and the starting pitchers, except for Ha-sung, weren’t pulling their weight.

As a result, the clubhouse atmosphere was tense.

In particular, the players couldn’t help but be conscious of Ha-sung.

‘Damn… Ha-sung is pitching today. We need to score some runs.’

‘Ha-sung is doing so well. What are we even doing?’

‘I can’t seem to hit the ball right.’

Ha-sung was starting in today’s game.

It was almost a given that he would pitch well when he took the mound.

That’s what he’d been doing so far.

The problem was that they hadn’t been scoring consistently when he did.

That fact was a major source of stress for the hitters.

‘The atmosphere isn’t good.’

Ha-sung was also a member of the clubhouse, so he sensed the tension.

If he were less experienced, he might be overwhelmed by the atmosphere, but he had seen a lot in his career.

That’s why he wasn’t fazed by it.

‘If you’re too stressed, your batting can slump at any time. That’s why they say don’t trust a hot bat.’

Unlike pitching, batting performance can fluctuate wildly.

That’s why they say not to rely too heavily on a hitter who’s on a hot streak.

Because if you put too much faith in them, they can collapse in an instant.

‘Anyway, there’s only one thing I have to do.’

Regardless of how the batting lineup was performing, his job was clear.

‘I’ll throw my best game.’

Ha-sung closed the locker room door, repeating the vow as if it were a mantra.

* * *

[The Athletics have returned home after a long road trip, and now the Oakland Coliseum is packed with spectators for every game.]

[It’s surreal to see this kind of turnout, even compared to last year.]

[I’m proud that Jung Ha-sung is the reason for this.]

The camera zoomed in on Ha-sung.

He wasn’t alone on the mound today.

[Before today’s game, there will be an award ceremony for Jung Ha-sung as Pitcher of the Month.]

[I’m thrilled to see this ceremony happening during a home game!]

The Athletics scheduled the Pitcher of the Month award ceremony to coincide with the home game.

When Ha-sung received the trophy at the brief ceremony, the audience erupted in applause.

“You are the pride of Oakland!”

“You’re the best, Jung Ha-sung!!”

“You are the best pitcher in Major League!!”

Ha-sung, accepting the trophy amidst the enthusiastic support of the fans, began preparing to pitch.

[Jung Ha-sung delivered perfect pitching in April, and I’m eager to see if he can continue his dominance in May.]

The camera shifted to the batter stepping up to the plate.

[Today’s opponent is the Toronto Blue Jays.]

[The Blue Jays are a team with a powerful lineup lately. You have to be especially careful of this player.]

The camera focused on the Blue Jays’ dugout.

A bearded player stood on the railing, observing the stadium.

[Is that Jose Bautista?]

[That’s right. Bautista, a Dominican player, debuted in the big leagues in the ’09 season. He has developed into a truly dangerous hitter this season.]

[His home run numbers are still a bit low, but his batting average and slugging percentage have increased significantly.]

[Judging from his recent performance, he has the power to send the ball out of the park if he gets good wood on it.]

[I wonder if he can continue his scoreless streak today! Jung Ha-sung faces the first batter!]

* * *

Ha-sung’s dominant performance continued into May.

Thwack!!

“Strike! Out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung retires the side in order with just 13 pitches! He extends his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 39 innings!]

He finished the first inning, achieving an unbelievable record of 39 consecutive scoreless innings.

Ha-sung, returning to the dugout, sat on the bench and quenched his thirst.

‘I wonder how the guys are feeling today.’

Ha-sung silently watched the hitters’ at-bats.

They weren’t performing well in today’s game either.

‘Is it going to be another tough one today…’

The only one he truly trusted was Arnold.

Arnold was the most consistent hitter on the Athletics.

[Arnold, batting third, comes to the plate with two outs.]

[He’s the most reliable hitter in the Athletics lineup.]

But the Blue Jays were well aware of that fact too.

Whack!!

“Ball! Base on balls!”

[Ah-! Arnold walks to first base after the count goes to three balls and one strike.]

[It wasn’t an intentional walk, but the pitcher seemed determined not to give him anything to hit.]

[I guess they’re thinking they can get the other hitters out if they avoid Arnold?]

[That’s right. Arnold is a hitter who can change the game with one swing.]

The Blue Jays, like many other teams, were extremely wary of Arnold.

He was one of the few hitters who had hit more than 25 home runs in his rookie season last year.

[Above all, it’s difficult to score against Jung Ha-sung. So, they’re being extra cautious about giving up a big hit.]

There’s little chance of scoring runs against Ha-sung, so they’re determined not to give up any easy runs either.

That’s the mindset that many teams in the American League were adopting when facing the Athletics.

That day, that strategy worked perfectly.

Ha-sung, who pitched until the 6th inning, finished his outing without allowing a run, but he didn’t get the win in the end.

[The Athletics waste another quality start from Jung Ha-sung and lose the game.]

The final score was 2 to 0.

They couldn’t overcome the two runs they allowed in the 7th inning and ultimately lost the game.

* * *

[Jung Ha-sung, another no-decision despite a quality start.]

[Jung Ha-sung continues to put up cartoonish numbers, but remains incredibly unlucky with wins.]

[When will Moneyball [a data-driven approach to baseball management] master Chris Dan make a move?]

[The Athletics, barely clinging to 3rd place, are there no bold investments on the horizon?]

Everyone lamented Ha-sung’s stellar performance, which wasn’t being rewarded with wins.

But Ha-sung remained unfazed.

‘How important is a win, anyway?’

Wins don’t have a significant impact on a pitcher’s overall value.

This will become even more evident in the future. That’s why Ha-sung wasn’t stressed.

‘What’s important is my value, not the team’s win.’

Complete individualism.

But that was Ha-sung’s genuine belief.

‘Well, even in situations like this, my value shines even brighter.’

This situation wasn’t entirely negative.

‘Because a pearl that shines nobly in the mud is even more noticeable.’

He knew that his value was steadily increasing.

‘Next goal is…….’

Ha-sung checked an article.

[Jung Ha-sung pitches 42 consecutive scoreless innings! Major League record in sight!]

Ha-sung’s eyes lit up as if he had spotted prey.

‘You’re next.’