Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 115

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 115

The Mound’s Villain 115

[Jung Ha-sung’s sixth start of the season begins.]

[If he pitches three or more scoreless innings in today’s game, he will tie for seventh place in the consecutive scoreless innings record.]

[We’re eager to see if he can write another page in history today.]

[To do that, he has to get past this player. The Twins’ leadoff hitter is the catcher blessed by the gods! Joe Mauer!]

The Twins’ leadoff hitter was Mauer.

[Mauer, who stayed in his hometown of Minnesota with a lucrative free agent (FA) contract, is having a great season this year as well.]

[His slugging percentage is a bit lower compared to the same period last year, but he’s still showing accurate hitting.]

[What kind of pitch will Jung Ha-sung throw against Mauer? Jung Ha-sung is exchanging signs.]

Ha-sung, having exchanged signs, took his stance.

[Jung Ha-sung winds up!]

Ha-sung raised both arms and wound up, twisting his body and lifting his leg.

Following the kick, his weight, having stored up power, leaned forward as he took a collapsing stride.

Thwack!

The moment his foot was firmly planted.

He rotated his body, concentrating all his power on his fingertips, and scraped the ball’s seams.

“Hmph!”

Whoosh-!!

[First pitch!]

The ball, released from Ha-sung’s hand, cut into the outside corner of the strike zone.

The ball accurately straddled the edge of the zone.

The moment the ball was about to pass the edge.

Whoosh!!

Mauer’s bat snapped around.

Crack-!

[He hits it!! A hit driven to the opposite field! It goes over the third baseman’s head! A hit! Joe Mauer gets a hit in his first at-bat!]

[That was a very clean swing. He aimed perfectly for the outside pitch from the first offering and connected.]

[Even though the speed was 98 miles per hour, Mauer’s reaction was excellent.]

[It’s definitely a fast pitch, but if you anticipate it, top-class major league hitters can hit it.]

Ha-sung, having received the ball back, glanced at Mauer, who had reached first base.

‘He swung the bat at the right time, but the bat speed was slow. He definitely feels like he’s in worse condition than last year.’

Other people were focused on the fact that he got a hit.

But Ha-sung’s perspective was a bit different.

‘He predicted the pitch and started his swing at the right time. But he still couldn’t generate a powerful hit. In short, his condition has deteriorated.’

There’s nothing you can do about giving up a hit.

He had no intention of regretting it or dwelling on it.

It’s not like they gave up a run, so there’s no need to fixate on just one hit.

‘The next time I face him won’t be as easy as this.’

Ha-sung, turning his head away from Mauer, looked at the next batter.

* * *

Pow-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Standing strikeout! The batter can’t do anything but watch the backdoor slider!]

[Mauer advanced to second base, but in the end, he couldn’t be driven home.]

[Jung Ha-sung allowed the leadoff batter to get on base, but he got the next batters out efficiently and didn’t give up a run! He extends his consecutive scoreless innings record to 43 innings!]

Every inning.

Ha-sung’s record was getting closer and closer to the record.

Perhaps sensing that, the dugout atmosphere was quieter than usual.

In fact, even if that wasn’t the case, the recent game results weren’t good, so there was less chatter.

‘How will today’s game go?’

Ha-sung silently watched the pitcher’s mound.

He could see Carl Pavano, the Twins’ starting pitcher, on the mound.

‘It won’t be easy.’

Carl Pavano, 34 years old this year.

He was a veteran among veterans who started his major league career in 1998.

He’s been evaluated as having declining skills recently, but he’s been showing good performance since the start of this season.

‘A veteran’s experience doesn’t disappear.’

Carl Pavano showed that without fail.

Crack-!!

[He hits it! But right at the second baseman! He catches the one-hop ball cleanly and throws it to first base!]

Thud!

“Out!!”

[It’s out! Twins ace Carl Pavano handles three batters with just 10 pitches! A great start!]

Carl Pavano finished the inning with a strong performance.

‘It was a flawless pitch.’

Ha-sung thought as he watched.

‘Today’s game won’t be easy either.’

He got up from his seat, put on his hat, grabbed his glove, and left the dugout.

‘Let’s focus even more.’

At the same time, he heightened his concentration.

* * *

In the second inning, Ha-sung’s record continued.

Pow-!

“Strike! Batter out!”

[Jung Ha-sung strikes out the first batter with three pitches!]

[The 101-mile fastball is always fantastic to see.]

Ha-sung, having retired the first batter, had a battle that went to the fifth pitch against the second batter.

Crack!!

“Foul!!”

[Delmon Young barely manages to foul off the falling changeup!]

[He barely managed to make contact by throwing his bat out almost like he was discarding it.]

[Jung Ha-sung is having a battle that goes to the fifth pitch, what kind of ball will he throw this time?]

[Personally, I think the pitcher should throw the ball he is most confident in for the decisive pitch.]

Is it because he agrees with the commentator?

[Jung Ha-sung winds up! Throws the fifth pitch!]

“Hmph!”

The ball released from his hand appeared to be heading straight for the body of Dinard Span, a left-handed hitter.

‘It’s going to hit me!’

Span braced for impact, anticipating being hit by the trajectory of the ball that was quickly diving from right to left.

When the ball came within striking distance.

He flinched and pulled his rear end back.

But the ball passed over the home plate instead of hitting Span’s body and went straight into the catcher’s mitt.

Pow!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

“No, is that a strike?”

“It barely passed over the home plate. It’s out.”

“Huh…….”

Span looked at the trajectory of the ball again with a dumbfounded expression.

‘I definitely thought it was going to hit me.’

It was that deceptive of a pitch.

[Jung Ha-sung gets his fourth strikeout! But Span doesn’t seem to accept it and is protesting to the umpire.]

[Jung Ha-sung’s crossfire, a pitch that appears to be heading for the batter’s body, was perfectly executed. From the perspective of Span, a left-handed hitter, it was so convincing that it was easy to mistake the ball as heading towards his body.]

Crossfire.

It refers to a pitch that a pitcher throws across the plate, seemingly aimed at the body of the opposite-handed batter.

It is effective only when accompanied by very precise control and powerful velocity.

[The speed of this ball thrown by Jung Ha-sung was exactly 100 miles per hour. It’s no wonder that Span mistook it for hitting his body, as this kind of ball was perfectly controlled and flew towards his body.]

[It was one pitch where you could feel Jung Ha-sung’s control and power at the same time.]

[That’s right.]

Ha-sung, having gotten the second out, easily got the third batter out as well.

Crack!!

[A strong hit on the second pitch! But the ball flies high! The center fielder runs forward and catches the ball! The third out count goes up, extending the record to 44 scoreless innings!]

[Now, only one inning remains until the new record.]

Ha-sung, having finished the second inning, waited for the next inning in the dugout.

* * *

[The match between the two teams is developing into a pitching duel.]

[Jung Ha-sung is a player who doesn’t need any introduction, but Pavano also looks to be in very good condition today.]

[Both pitchers are showing near-perfect pitching, except for allowing one batter to reach base.]

[I think it’s amazing that Jung Ha-sung is maintaining his composure even though he has a significant record within reach.]

Ha-sung went up to the mound.

[If Jung Ha-sung can prevent runs this inning, he will be named in a tie for 7th place with 45 consecutive scoreless innings.]

The opportunity to achieve the record has arrived.

Ha-sung got the first out in just four pitches against the first batter, Jason Kubel, number 8.

Crack!!

[The ball flies high. The second baseman catches it almost effortlessly, and the first out count goes up.]

[He perfectly fooled the batter by throwing a slider at the right time.]

Ha-sung, having retired the first batter, retired the second batter, Jim Thome, with a fly ball to center field, getting two outs.

[Jung Ha-sung, who has only one out left to enter the top ten in consecutive scoreless innings, faces Joe Mauer!]

Ha-sung’s gaze turned to Joe Mauer, who was walking to the plate.

[Mauer, who got a hit in his first at-bat today, comes to the plate.]

[Because his timing was good earlier, you have to be extra careful in this at-bat.]

[How will the second encounter go? Jung Ha-sung takes the mound again.]

Ha-sung, having received the ball back and stepped on the pitcher’s plate, lowered his upper body and exchanged signs with Trevor, his catcher.

‘The reaction to the first-pitch fastball was good. Let’s try to fool him with a breaking ball this time.’

Trevor gave a sign after much deliberation.

But Ha-sung shook his head.

‘Then are you going to go with the fastball again?’

‘Yeah.’

Ha-sung nodded and straightened his upper body, and Trevor sighed and held out his mitt.

‘This guy is really stubborn.’

He was that skilled, so Trevor had no choice but to defer to Ha-sung’s judgment.

[Jung Ha-sung, having finished exchanging signs, what kind of ball will he throw this time! He goes into a windup!]

Ha-sung, having strode from the windup, threw the first pitch.

“Hmph!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball released from his hand pierced the center of the strike zone.

It was a somewhat low ball, but Mauer’s bat snapped around this time as well.

Crack!!

“Foul!!”

[Mauer reacts again to the first pitch! But this time it’s a foul, not a hit!]

[The fastest ball of the game was just recorded. Mauer’s bat was pushed back by the 102-mile fastball.]

Ha-sung, having gotten the first-pitch strike, exchanged signs with Trevor again.

‘Shall we go with a slider?’

‘Let’s go with the fastball this time too.’

‘Again?’

Trevor was puzzled.

But he sighed as he remembered the time he faced Rodrigo a while ago.

‘Is that stubborn streak activated again?’

Ha-sung had a unique stubbornness.

It was a stubbornness to overpower a specific target with just one fastball.

‘I don’t know when that stubbornness arises, but it’s not a very good trait.’

To be clear, it was a bad habit.

But he couldn’t tell Ha-sung that.

He was currently like a pillar supporting the team. There was no need to undermine his confidence unnecessarily.

‘Because the results have been good.’

He got an out against Rodrigo by throwing only fastballs.

Because there was such a precedent, Trevor silently accepted his sign.

[Jung Ha-sung, having finished exchanging signs, throws the second pitch.]

“Hmph!”

Whoosh-!!

Pow!

“Ball!!”

[Mauer holds up on his swing at the high fastball! Trevor checks the swing with the umpire, but the ruling is that he didn’t swing.]

[102 miles per hour was recorded this time as well. Although it was a ball, the sheer power of the pitch is really amazing.]

One ball, one strike.

Ha-sung threw the third pitch at a fast tempo.

Whoosh-!!

Pow!

“Strike!!”

[The umpire’s hand goes up! A 101-mile fastball that cuts inside on Mauer!]

[He threw a four-seam fastball for three consecutive pitches, but all of them were recorded at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, and Mauer is not able to properly swing his bat.]

One ball, two strikes.

Ha-sung’s fourth pitch, having caught a favorable count, was also a fastball.

Whoosh!

Crack!!

“Foul!!”

[This time as well, a fastball that cuts inside! The speed was recorded at 102 miles per hour!]

[Mauer’s swing continues to be late.]

Only fastballs.

But Mauer’s bat speed couldn’t keep up with the velocity.

‘Damn it……. It’s completely different from the first at-bat.’

The power and speed of the ball have both increased.

All he could do was foul it off.

‘But are you going to keep throwing only fastballs?’

Mauer’s gaze turned to Ha-sung on the mound.

‘If you’re not underestimating me, you won’t throw another fastball this time.’

If he were advising Ha-sung, he would call for a changeup here.

‘Come on!’

Mauer, gripping his bat, settled into his batting stance.

And Ha-sung threw the fifth pitch with a windup.

“Hmph!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball released from Ha-sung’s hand cut to the outside.

Mauer hurriedly started his swing at the ball that was flying in quickly this time as well.

But because the possibility of a changeup was on his mind, the speed of the swing was inevitably slower than before.

Pow-!!

Whoosh!!

“Swing! Strike, out!!”

[Strikeout with a swing! Jung Ha-sung strikes out Mauer, who got a hit in his first at-bat!]

On the other hand, Ha-sung’s ball.

[The speed of the ball thrown on the 5th pitch is 103 miles per hour! He strikes out the best catcher in the major leagues with his best velocity!]

His best speed was recorded.

[Jung Ha-sung strikes out Joe Mauer and is now tied for 7th place in the consecutive scoreless innings record!]

The record of 45 consecutive scoreless innings has been achieved.

But the game is not over yet.