Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 161

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 161

On days when Ha-sung was scheduled to pitch, many viewers usually tuned into the Athletics’ games.

Consequently, other games, except for the Athletics’, often suffered from low viewership.

However, today was different.

“The Yankees’ game is also drawing incredible viewership numbers.”

“It seems many people are watching both games simultaneously.”

The broadcasting station was astonished by the number of viewers tuning into the Yankees’ game.

Today’s game was indeed exceptionally important.

[Clang!!]

[The hit is off the mark! The center fielder retreats, positioning himself.]

[Thud!]

[He secures the catch with ease, marking the third out. Sabathia concludes the inning with one strikeout in the first.]

[Sabathia is showing his usual steady pitching.]

Sabathia effortlessly retired three batters, relying on his breaking balls and precise control.

In contrast, Ha-sung unleashed powerful four-seam fastballs.

[Whoosh-!!]

[Pow!!]

[Strike! Batter out!!]

[A blazing 101-mile fastball pierces the mitt! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the third batter!]

[He already has two strikeouts in the first inning! I’m excited about today’s game!]

Both pitchers concluded the first inning smoothly.

However, the batting lineup was a different story.

[Clang-!!]

[He connects! A hit slicing through the shortstop and third baseman! It’s a hit!]

[It’s Derek Jeter! Still displaying excellent hitting ability!]

[Even when the team falters, the captain remains steadfast!]

Derek Jeter’s leadoff hit.

That was the start of a fierce offensive.

[Clang-!!]

[A well-struck ball! This time, it splits the center-right field! Derek Jeter safely advances to third! The batter reaches second!]

[The Yankees seize a chance right in the first inning.]

The Yankees seized a golden opportunity.

And Mark Teixeira didn’t miss it.

[Crack-!!]

[He crushes the third pitch! This is huge!!]

The towering fly ball soared over the fence in an instant.

[It’s gone! Mark Teixeira blasts a three-run homer in his first at-bat! The Yankees take a 3-0 lead against the Red Sox!]

The momentum of the game swiftly tilted in Sabathia’s favor.

* * *

While the Yankees were scoring.

The Athletics’ first offensive ended futilely.

[Arnold managed a hit, but the Athletics failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The batting lineup’s focus is clearly lacking.]

[The Yankees, on the other hand, have shown great concentration, scoring 3 runs right from the first inning.]

[I wonder if the Athletics’ batting lineup will explode.]

Ha-sung returned to the mound.

[Jung Ha-sung’s lonely battle continues.]

Nothing makes a pitcher feel more isolated than teammates who can’t score.

But that was just how others saw it.

‘Baseball has its ebbs and flows. You have to be fully prepared before that flow comes.’

It is often said that baseball is a game of momentum.

Any team can find its rhythm.

If a player is ready when that rhythm comes, they will seize it.

For a pitcher, being prepared simply means not giving up runs and holding on.

If you continue to pitch without allowing runs, you meet the conditions to be the winning pitcher when your teammates score.

‘What I have to do is…’

Ha-sung stepped onto the pitcher’s plate.

‘Not give up any runs.’

After exchanging signs, he went into his pitching motion.

‘If I wait, an opportunity will come.’

Ha-sung’s second inning began with a leg kick and stride.

* * *

The Athletics and the Yankees.

Although the two teams weren’t playing each other, fans kept a close eye on both.

-Sabathia has the advantage.

-I guess so.

-They gave him a 3-point lead.

-Even if their bats have dulled, the Yankees are still the Yankees.

-Looks like the clubhouse atmosphere is still good?

With the Yankees leading by 3 points.

Fans predicted that this race for the most wins would end in Sabathia’s victory.

It was unlikely that Sabathia, who had gained a 3-point lead early on, would fail to secure the win.

On the other hand, the Athletics were unable to find a breakthrough in their offense.

-The Athletics’ batting lineup is still a tumor today.

-Agreed.

-Arnold is kind of stepping up today, though?

-He already has a multi-hit game.

-A hit and a double.

-Not bad, I guess.

-The problem is they can’t turn that into runs.

-Did he have some kind of awakening at Ha-sung’s request?

Arnold already had a multi-hit game, showing signs of regaining his batting form.

But no runs were scored.

As the frustrating situation continued, the game passed the 5th inning.

[With the Oakland Athletics failing to score, Jung Ha-sung takes the mound again in the top of the 6th.]

[Jung Ha-sung has thrown nearly 70 pitches so far and has already recorded 9 strikeouts, but the frustrating situation continues as no runs have been scored.]

[At this rate, a crisis could arise.]

[That’s right. If you don’t score when the pitcher is holding his ground, the momentum can shift.]

The prediction came true.

Clang!!

[He hits it! The ball is down the third base line…! It lands inside!]

[Ah-! A good hit was made!]

[The runner safely makes it to second!]

[The course of the hit was so good that the batter was able to reach second safely.]

[Jung Ha-sung allows his first hit of the game today! And he faces a crisis!]

No outs, runner on second.

It was a crisis in anyone’s eyes.

But Ha-sung didn’t care much.

‘I haven’t given up a run, so there’s no need to worry.’

What he needed to do now was to increase his concentration.

When there are runners in scoring position, the batters’ concentration also increases.

To counter that, he needed to raise his own concentration as well.

“Hoo…”

[Jung Ha-sung returns to the mound.]

Ha-sung leaned over, exchanged signs with Trevor, and went into his set position.

[Jung Ha-sung checks the runner at second, then quickly uses a slide step!]

The motion of striding from the set position is called a slide step [a shortened stride used to deliver the pitch more quickly, preventing the runner from stealing].

If this motion is slow or unskilled, the runner could steal a base.

But Ha-sung’s slide step was considered outstanding even in the major leagues.

Crack!

The spikes dug into the mound with the stride.

Whoosh!!

His body then rotated, quickly releasing the ball.

“Hmph!!”

The ball left his hand with fierce speed.

The course accurately targeted the outside low corner of the batter’s box.

The batter swung as if he had been waiting for it.

Clang!!

[He hits it! But the ball flies high!]

The ball flew towards the right fielder.

The right fielder retreated, positioning himself in front of the fence.

[The runner on second is ready to tag up!]

At the same time, the runner on second base stepped on the base and prepared to run.

And the moment the ball entered the right fielder’s glove.

Thud!

Dash-!

[The runner on second takes off! Right fielder Arnold! Throws the ball to third with all his might!]

Arnold was an outfielder known for his strong arm even in the major leagues.

However, because the ball fell in front of the fence, it was difficult to catch the runner.

Swish-!

Thud!

“Safe!!”

[Safe! The runner advances to third on a sacrifice fly.]

[One out, runner on third. Jung Ha-sung is in a very difficult situation.]

Now, they could score with just one sacrifice fly.

From Ha-sung’s perspective, it was the most troublesome situation.

[Jung Ha-sung is in crisis! On the other hand, the Mariners have seized an opportunity! Can the Mariners capitalize on this opportunity? The pitching continues with one out!]

Ha-sung looked at the ball in his hand.

‘Third base… If things go wrong, I might give up a run.’

It was just one point, but given the current flow of the game, it could be decisive.

The best situation was not to give up any runs.

‘Then that’s what I’ll do.’

It was difficult, but Ha-sung was confident.

‘What I need here is a strikeout.’

If he gets a strikeout, the batter can’t move.

Even if they hit it, he had to induce a ball that couldn’t go to the outfield.

‘Let’s go low.’

Trevor had the same calculation.

The course he requested was the outside low corner.

Even if a right-handed batter hit it, there was a high probability that it would roll towards third base, so he could aim for a double play if necessary.

Ha-sung nodded and stepped onto the pitcher’s plate.

[Jung Ha-sung faces the third batter in a difficult situation.]

[What he needs now is a strikeout or a ground ball.]

[Can Jung Ha-sung prevent them from scoring here! He throws the ball!]

He didn’t need a set position.

With a runner on third, he could see him directly from the front.

The runner also didn’t overdo it.

If he tried to run carelessly and got caught stealing, the atmosphere could shift in an instant.

Ha-sung wound up and threw the ball.

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[The first pitch is a foul ball into the third base stands!]

[The batter is coming out aggressively.]

[He’s swinging upwards to try and send it to the outfield no matter what.]

[It’s an obvious choice. If they score the first run here, it could be the game-winning run given the flow of today’s game.]

[Jung Ha-sung exchanges signs and throws the second pitch at a fast tempo!]

Ha-sung didn’t give the batter a chance to rest.

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!

Swoosh!

Pow!

“Swing! Strike two!!”

[The second pitch is 103 miles! The fastest speed of the game so far, causing the batter to swing and miss!]

[The speed is great, but the ball’s spin is also good, so it went into a higher course than the swing’s trajectory.]

[He’s throwing his best ball at the most needed moment in a crisis!]

[Jung Ha-sung has gained a favorable count with two strikes! Now he can take his time!]

Two strikes.

The batter was impatient and had to cut off everything except the ball he wanted.

Unless it was a completely missed ball, the count was in favor of the pitcher, Ha-sung.

He could take his time here.

He could throw a breaking ball to induce a swing and miss or a ground ball.

But.

‘I’d rather go for it than throw a half-hearted ball.’

If he threw a half-hearted ball, he could get hit.

If that happened, it could be a sacrifice fly, so Ha-sung tightened his grip.

‘I’m going to go for it.’

Trevor nodded without hesitation at Ha-sung’s sign.

[Jung Ha-sung throws the third pitch!]

Ha-sung wound up and threw the ball with all his might.

“Hmph!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand and pierced the outside of the batter’s box.

‘Is it a fastball again!’

Swoosh!!

The batter swung as if he had been waiting for it.

The moment the batter’s bat, which had been waiting for the fastball, tried to catch the ball.

The ball no longer fell and passed directly over the bat.

Swoosh-!!

Pow!

“Swing! Strike! Out!!”

[Strikeout with three pitches!! Jung Ha-sung! Again, he throws a 103-mile ball, inducing the batter to swing and miss!]

[Jung Ha-sung gets a strikeout at the most needed moment!!]

Two outs, runner on third.

The most dangerous situation for Ha-sung had disappeared.

Now, one more out would get him out of the crisis.

The moment everyone thought the crisis had passed.

Clang-!!

[He hits it!!]

The next batter crushes the second pitch.

The ball flew towards the outfield.

[A well-hit ball!!]

The course of the ball was good.

A location in the middle of the left fielder and center fielder.

The speed of the ball was also fast, so if it fell as it was, it would definitely be a long hit.

The runner on third base had already arrived in front of home plate.

Then Arnold sprinted fiercely towards the ball.

“Mine!!”

And with a desperate cry, he dove towards the ball.

[Arnold dives!!]

Arnold, who soared like Superman, stretched out his arm.

Thud!!

Swish-!!

The falling ball disappeared, and Arnold slid onto the grass.

And as the speed decreased, he raised his glove high.

The camera zoomed in on Arnold’s glove, capturing the ball inside.

[He caught it!! An amazing defense prevents the scoring crisis!]

[Ah-! A superb play that can only be described as breathtaking!]

[This is the major league! This is major league-level defense!!]

[Jung Ha-sung is also applauding Arnold from the mound!]

Ha-sung, who had overcome the crisis, waited for Arnold in front of the dugout and held out his hand.

“Nice catch!”

“Did I help a little?”

“Of course! Thanks to you, I can breathe again!”

The inning ended as the camera captured the two walking into the dugout together.