Villain on the Mound – Episode 130
Villain on the Mound 130
[The Oakland Athletics’ momentum is undeniable.]
[They’re riding a 7-game winning streak since the second half began, showcasing incredible drive.]
[It’s reminiscent of the 2002 Athletics who achieved a 20-game winning streak.]
The longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history is 26 games, set by the New York Giants in 1916.
Most other records also date back to the early 1900s or even the 1800s.
The next closest was the 21-game winning streak by the Chicago Cubs in 1935, highlighting the age of these records.
That’s why the small-market Athletics’ 20-game winning streak in 2002, ranking fourth all-time, sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball.
It became such a significant event that Hollywood even made a movie about it (Moneyball).
The Athletics have been displaying a similar level of performance recently.
[Leading the team’s batting lineup is the third batter, Arnold.]
[His batting average is a respectable .283, but he boasts exceptional power, with 23 home runs and a .541 slugging percentage.]
[Actually, Jack’s batting ability is arguably even more impressive.]
[He’s demonstrating remarkable adaptation to the Major League, leading the team with a .331 batting average.]
Jack and Arnold are the powerhouses in the batting lineup.
Their performance has created synergy, energizing the entire batting lineup.
[The mound is being reliably guarded by this player. It’s Jung Ha-sung, currently the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.]
[Jung Ha-sung, who earned the MVP award with his dominant pitching at the All-Star Game, is maintaining his exceptional form in the second half.]
The commentators praised Ha-sung’s performance with admiration.
Following that, they highlighted other noteworthy players from the pitching staff and reiterated the Athletics’ impressive records.
[How far will the Oakland Athletics extend their 7-game winning streak? Will they be able to recreate the miracle of 2002? Stay tuned for the second half of the season!]
* * *
The Oakland Athletics’ performance is reshaping the landscape of the Western Division.
Thwack-!!
[He connects! Arnold blasts a three-run home run!!]
[He perfectly anticipated the fastball and timed his swing flawlessly! A truly magnificent swing!]
Arnold’s performance is heating up.
His home run count is rapidly increasing, and he’s quickly approaching 30 after surpassing 25.
‘His potential has truly unlocked.’
Many were astonished by Arnold’s sudden surge.
But only one person,
Ha-sung, wasn’t particularly surprised by his performance.
That’s because he already knew that Arnold was destined to become a dominant hitter in Major League Baseball.
‘It seems a bit premature, but that’s likely due to his accelerated promotion to the Major League, right?’
The reason wasn’t particularly important.
What mattered was that the team was improving overall as Arnold’s performance took off.
‘It’s unconditionally a win for me.’
His current statistical weakness was in wins.
His other stats were among the league’s best, but he had only secured 10 wins thus far.
‘Wins don’t significantly impact salary, but it’s still preferable to have more.’
Wins were a desirable addition to his resume.
That’s why the batting lineup’s resurgence was a welcome development.
‘We’re going to win today’s game.’
This three-run home run felt like a decisive blow. An overturn seemed unlikely.
The Athletics were now on an 8-game winning streak.
‘If I beat the Angels in tomorrow’s game, we’ll move up to second place.’
The Angels, their opponents in this series, currently held second place in the Western Division.
A victory tomorrow would allow the Athletics to surpass the Angels and claim the second-place spot.
‘The opponent is…….’
Ha-sung’s gaze shifted towards the Angels’ dugout.
He noticed a tall player looking in his direction.
‘Jered Weaver, huh.’
The ace pitchers’ duel was set.
* * *
Jered Weaver, who debuted in Major League Baseball in the 2006 season, was a highly touted prospect during his amateur career.
Before the draft, Scott Boras [a powerful sports agent] demanded a $10 million signing bonus, leading to him not being selected initially.
After some negotiation, he signed with the Angels, but initially struggled to live up to his potential.
However, this season, Jered Weaver has emerged as their ace.
[Currently, Jung Ha-sung leads Major League Baseball in strikeouts. Jered Weaver is a close second.]
[While Jung Ha-sung is showcasing extraordinary talent, Jered Weaver’s performance is also among the best in Major League Baseball.]
[It’s safe to say that he has definitively established himself as the Angels’ ace this season.]
[That’s right.]
Jered Weaver took the mound and faced the Athletics’ batting lineup.
[The Oakland Athletics’ batting order remains unchanged. Second baseman Mark Ellis steps up to the plate.]
The game commenced.
Interest was focused on the Athletics’ quest for a 9-game winning streak and Ha-sung’s second start in the second half of the season.
Moreover, the opponent was the Angels’ ace, Jered Weaver.
It was clear that this would be a challenging game.
And the prediction proved accurate.
Thwack-!!
“Strike! Batter out!!”
[Jered Weaver shuts down the Athletics in the top of the 3rd inning with scoreless pitching!]
[He already has 6 strikeouts.]
Jered Weaver’s pitching was formidable.
He consistently stymied the Athletics’ recently productive batting lineup, racking up 6 strikeouts.
With this kind of performance, he seemed well on his way to becoming the winning pitcher.
But today’s opponent was Ha-sung.
Thwack-!
“Strike! Batter out!!”
[Strikeout!! Jung Ha-sung records his 7th strikeout of the game and continues his scoreless streak in the bottom of the 3rd inning!]
[The two pitchers are accumulating an incredible number of strikeouts!]
[I think it’s amazing that Jered Weaver is keeping pace with only a 1-strikeout difference.]
Ha-sung also pitched 3 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts.
[Normally, we might be surprised by this kind of performance, but because it’s Jung Ha-sung, we consider it normal.]
[That’s right.]
[Jung Ha-sung should be getting double-digit strikeouts every game.]
Baseball fans immediately responded to the commentators’ remarks on the internet.
-That’s ridiculous, lol.
-3 innings, 7 strikeouts is normal.
-Isn’t that too much, even if it’s him?
-It is too much.
-Because it’s Ha-sung, this level of performance is natural.
-I agree.
-If he gets less than 10, we should suspect that something is wrong with his body.
-lololol
Ha-sung’s performance had become the expected standard.
[Aces facing off! The batting lineups of both teams are struggling!]
[Ah~ It must be really tough for the batters to face these kinds of pitchers.]
[If I were an active player, I really wouldn’t want to stand at the plate.]
[Where will this 0-0 deadlock be broken! The Athletics’ attack in the top of the 4th inning continues!]
* * *
Whack!
“Swing! Strike! Out!!”
[It’s a strikeout! Jered Weaver records 10 of the 15 outs in today’s game via strikeouts!]
When Weaver secured a strikeout.
Thwack-!!
“Strike! Batter out!!”
[A 103-mile fastball is hammered into the catcher’s mitt! The batter can’t even react! Jung Ha-sung records his 12th strikeout of the game today!!]
Ha-sung also secured a strikeout.
At the end of the 5th inning, the two pitchers’ combined strikeouts exceeded 22.
‘It’s a 1-point game.’
‘It’s a 1-point game.’
Watching this game, the managers of both teams were convinced.
That today’s game would be decided by a single point.
‘We need to create a variable.’
What kind of variable should they introduce?
Tony surveyed the dugout, pondering.
Then, a man caught his eye.
It was Branden Gentry, one of the backup catchers, who possessed a solid physique.
‘He’s also played some third base.’
Although primarily a backup catcher, Branden had experience playing third base in the minor leagues.
‘Kevin’s bat hasn’t been productive lately. If we can just get one player on base, we can create a scoring opportunity.’
Tony, having made his decision, continued to watch the game.
Ha-sung, having noticed Tony’s actions, anticipated his intentions.
‘It seems like he’s considering using a pinch hitter.’
It wasn’t a bad decision.
‘It’s admirable to trust and wait for the existing batting lineup, but winning today’s game is the top priority.’
To surpass Texas and contend for first place in the division, they needed to capitalize on winnable games.
Winnable games meant the games Ha-sung pitched in.
‘The player he’s going to send out is Branden, huh.’
Certainly, Branden possessed potential.
‘He displays a decent swing during batting practice.’
Just then.
Thwack-!!
A crisp sound echoed.
Sweeney lined a hit that landed in front of the center fielder.
Confirming the hit, manager Tony turned his head.
“Branden, you’re going in as a pinch hitter.”
“Yes…… Yes!”
Watching Branden respond with a slightly trembling voice, Ha-sung secretly sighed.
‘He’s too nervous. It’s going to be difficult to expect much.’
Even with potential, he won’t be able to fully showcase it in this state.
‘I want to win today’s game too.’
He wanted to increase his win total whenever possible.
To achieve that, he needed the support of the batting lineup.
‘What kind of advice can I offer in this situation…….’
Ha-sung began to sift through his memories, searching for useful insights.
He had also studied hitting mechanics.
Above all, he was familiar with the advice that hitting coaches had provided, based on his own practical experience.
That’s why various pieces of information circulated in his mind.
A helpful piece of advice surfaced.
“Haa…….”
Just then, he overheard Branden’s sigh as he approached to retrieve his helmet.
“Hey, Branden.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re that nervous, just focus on hitting one specific pitch.”
“How can I do that? Jered’s breaking ball is just as devastating as his fastball.”
“Yeah. They’re both powerful. But can you realistically hit all those pitches if you try to anticipate everything?”
“That’s…….”
“Sometimes, simplicity is key. It might lead to better results.”
Ha-sung, having finished speaking, leaned back on the bench.
Branden pondered his words.
“Branden!”
“Ah, yes!”
Watching Branden hurriedly put on his helmet and head towards the plate, Ha-sung thought.
‘It’s advice that everyone knows, but when the opportunity arises, your mind often goes blank.’
He wasn’t sure how Branden would interpret the advice.
‘If you can’t seize the opportunity when it presents itself, then this is the end of the line.’
Ha-sung watched intently to see what kind of performance Branden would deliver at the plate.
* * *
[Branden Gentry steps up to the plate.]
[He’s the backup catcher for Trevor. His major league career batting average is .217, which isn’t particularly impressive.]
[This season, he has only appeared as a pinch hitter and has recorded 4 hits in 17 at-bats.]
Branden’s season statistics were displayed.
[Interestingly, all 4 of his hits have come against fastballs.]
[In other words, he’s a hitter who excels against fastballs.]
[That’s right.]
Branden was a hitter who was strong against fastballs.
[Jered’s fastball is powerful, but isn’t his breaking ball even more effective?]
[That’s true, but this season, Jered’s four-seam fastball is consistently in the low 90s mph range. He seems confident in his four-seam, so he uses it frequently.]
[In other words, there’s a chance that Branden can anticipate that four-seam fastball.]
[That’s right. Because he’s a pinch hitter, Jered will have limited data on Branden, so there’s a good possibility.]
Contrary to the commentators’ expectations, Jered threw two breaking balls, gaining the advantage in the count.
Whoosh-!
Whack!
“Swing! Strike two!!”
[Ah-! Two consecutive swings! Branden swings and misses at the sharply breaking curveball in succession!]
Watching Branden struggle, manager Tony shook his head.
‘I guess it’s not going to work?’
While manager Tony was disappointed, Branden was also frustrated with his own performance.
‘I can’t even make contact.’
He felt disheartened by his inability to even touch the ball.
Then, he noticed Ha-sung watching him from the bench.
(Just focus on hitting one specific pitch.)
His words echoed in his mind.
‘If I’m going to strike out anyway……!’
He wanted to validate the advice of Ha-sung, the team’s best player.
Branden, back at the plate, adjusted his stance.
[Jered Weaver, with a favorable two-strike count, prepares to throw the third pitch!]
“Hup!”
Swoosh-!
Branden’s bat snapped around at the ball that was diving towards his body.
‘Just one!’
Whoosh!!
The sharply swung bat connected with the ball perfectly.
Thwack!!
With a satisfying crack, the ball soared away.