Villain on the Mound – Episode 168
Ha-sung’s start was perfect.
[Jung Ha-sung gave up one hit in the first inning but finished it off with two strikeouts!]
[Most encouraging is that he successfully took the first step in fulfilling his promise to strike out Beltre!]
A promise to strike out Beltre completely.
He successfully completed the first step.
More than anything, Ha-sung showed perfect pitching even in the Championship Series.
The fans were ecstatic at Ha-sung’s performance.
“That’s our Jung Ha-sung!”
“With him, we start with one win in our pocket.”
“He struck out Beltre just like he said he would!”
“If he keeps his promise, he has to strike him out two more times, right?”
“Is that even possible?”
Ha-sung publicly stated that he would strike out Beltre completely.
On average, Ha-sung pitches 7 innings per game.
Depending on how many hits there are, he would face Beltre, who is in the top of the batting order, about 3 times.
He struck him out once, so he had to strike him out two more times.
It wasn’t going to be easy, so people were curious.
Whether Ha-sung would keep his word.
* * *
Until the 3rd inning, the game between the two teams was a pitching duel.
The Red Sox’s starting pitcher, Jon Lester, and Ha-sung continued to pitch well, and the batters didn’t score any significant runs.
[Red Sox’s Jon Lester is showing stable pitching, befitting a player who has 19 wins this season and is ranked 5th in the Cy Young voting.]
[The only flaw in the regular season was the increased number of walks, but he’s showing stable control in the Championship Series.]
Jon Lester’s good pitching suppressed the Athletics’ lineup, which had been running wild in the Division Series.
And the same was true for the Red Sox’s lineup.
Bang-!
“Strike! Batter out!!”
[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the second out count in the 4th inning, making it two outs!]
The camera showed the player in the waiting batter’s box.
[And this at-bat, Adrian Beltre is preparing!]
[The second confrontation of today’s game will unfold.]
[Wasn’t Jung Ha-sung’s a complete victory in the first confrontation?]
[That’s right. Jung Ha-sung overwhelmed Beltre with perfect pitching. But the more you see the ball, the more familiar it becomes.]
[You’re saying that Beltre may have become familiar with Jung Ha-sung’s ball since he had the first at-bat?]
[He must have become familiar. Adrian Beltre is one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball.]
The prediction was accurate.
Beltre accurately saw Ha-sung’s ball in the first at-bat.
Thanks to that, he was somewhat familiar with the timing and trajectory of the ball.
‘If he throws another fastball…….’
Beltre grabbed his bat and stepped into the batter’s box.
‘That’s the moment your promise flies away.’
Beltre didn’t underestimate Ha-sung.
But his promise was too reckless.
That wasn’t just Beltre’s opinion.
-Beltre consecutive strikeouts, let’s go-!
-Ha-sung’s atmosphere is better.
-Still, it’s difficult for Ha-sung to keep his promise.
-Agreed.
-It’s impossible to strike out a hitter like Beltre in every at-bat.
-It would have been more realistic if he had promised to get him out with a ground ball.
-Striking out every at-bat is impossible.
Fans and experts alike offered similar opinions.
Beltre was a top-class hitter in Major League Baseball.
It was very difficult to strike out such a Beltre in every at-bat.
That’s why most people thought Ha-sung’s promise would fail.
[The two players who declared a strikeout and a home run will meet for the second time!]
While various opinions were exchanged.
Ha-sung exchanged signs with Trevor.
‘Should I go with a breaking ball?’
Ha-sung’s promise was well known to his teammates.
Trevor wanted to help him keep his promise as a partner.
That’s why he approached it carefully.
But Ha-sung shook his head.
‘I’m going with a fastball.’
‘Are you sure?’
Trevor once again grasped Ha-sung’s intention.
‘It’s okay.’
Ha-sung nodded and went into his pitching stance.
Watching him, Trevor thought it was unexpected.
‘He knows that Beltre can hit if he throws a fastball.’
Ha-sung wasn’t the type to underestimate his opponents.
He was always full of confidence when he spoke, but he calmly assessed and dealt with his opponents.
That’s why he usually didn’t offer any opinions on his pitching.
‘He must have something in mind this time too.’
Now was the time to just trust him.
Trevor held out his mitt and waited for Ha-sung’s ball.
Ha-sung smiled as he watched him.
‘Thank you for always following me without complaint.’
As Trevor thought, Ha-sung didn’t underestimate Beltre.
He just had one different thought.
‘I know he’s waiting for the fastball.’
Anyone would know that.
That the fastball is the one to aim for among the balls Ha-sung throws.
‘My ball isn’t so cheap that you can hit it just because you’re aiming for it.’
Beltre is a good hitter.
No, that expression wasn’t enough; he was an outstanding hitter representing Major League Baseball.
But right now, he [Ha-sung] was the best.
‘This is a first.’
He had thrown countless balls in his past life.
He went to the mound every game and threw tens of thousands of balls.
But there had never been a time like this.
‘To be so confident in my ball.’
It didn’t seem like he would get hit by anyone.
This feeling was a first for him.
Even for himself, who had a lot of experience.
He could tell instinctively.
This wasn’t arrogance.
It was confidence that came from repeated rigorous training.
‘Betray this and throw a different ball?’
That was the same as betraying himself.
Ha-sung didn’t want to do that.
‘You’re a good hitter, but…….’
Ha-sung slowly raised his arm.
‘I surpass that.’
Swish-!!
He twisted his body and threw the ball with a kick.
“Hup!!”
Whoosh-!
Beltre’s eyes lit up as he saw the ball flying with a shout.
‘Got it!’
Whoong-!!
Beltre swung his bat with all his might at the sight of the awaited four-seam fastball coming from the first pitch.
The bat, filled with tremendous power as if to blow everything away, was about to hit the ball.
But the ball no longer fell and passed over the bat.
Whoong!!
Bang-!!
“Swing! Strike!!”
[A tremendous swing came out!]
[He swung with full power to the point where his posture collapsed.]
[That means he knew what ball Jung Ha-sung was going to throw, right?]
[Judging from the start of the swing, he knew it was a fastball, but he couldn’t hit it.]
[That means Jung Ha-sung’s ball was amazing this time! The speed is a whopping 104 miles! He recorded his highest speed!!]
It had been a long time since Ha-sung threw 104 miles.
Ha-sung threw his highest speed, but his expression was indifferent.
Rather, that appearance made those who saw it get goosebumps.
And Ha-sung didn’t stop his current run.
“Hup-!!”
Whoosh-!!
[He threw the second ball!!]
Clang!!
“Foul!!”
[It’s a foul! He touched the 103-mile ball, but the ball falls into the stands on the third base side!]
[Jung Ha-sung’s ball is really amazing today. The power is beyond comparison to before.]
Ha-sung’s ball was different from usual.
Beltre, the opponent, was feeling it accurately.
‘I definitely swung the bat to match the timing, but…….’
The timing was off.
To be exact, it was late.
That meant Ha-sung’s ball was powerful.
‘And what is this pressure I feel from him?’
There was a sense that only players could feel in a real game.
Only the person facing it directly could feel this.
The pressure he felt from Ha-sung now was something he had never felt before.
‘Damn it…….’
Beltre gritted his teeth and stepped back into the batter’s box.
Ha-sung threw the ball continuously against such a Beltre.
“Hup-!!”
Whoosh-!
Clang!!
“Foul!!”
[It’s a foul again! The speed is again 103 miles! Jung Ha-sung is throwing balls that continue to approach his highest speed!]
[The pressure from Jung Ha-sung standing on the mound is really great.]
[Beltre is definitely a veteran, but he feels overwhelmed by Jung Ha-sung’s pressure.]
[That means Jung Ha-sung is unstoppable.]
Ha-sung, who threw three fastballs in a row, exchanged signs with Trevor.
‘Three fastballs in a row. Beltre might be able to hit it this time.’
Trevor was momentarily troubled.
But he shook off his thoughts and sent a sign.
‘I can’t break Ha-sung’s pace now.’
Trevor sent a sign.
The pitch is a fastball.
‘Throw it freely.’
I’ll accept any ball.
Trevor, who had made up his mind, held out his mitt.
Ha-sung, who raised the corners of his mouth at the sight, went into a windup.
‘I like it.’
Swish-!
He concentrated all his mental power with a kick and threw the 4th ball.
“Hup!!”
Whoosh-!!
The ball that left his hand seemed to bore right into Beltre’s hitting zone.
Beltre swung his bat as if he wouldn’t miss it this time.
Whoong-!!
Beltre’s bat turned simply.
It was a swing filled with the thought of hitting it no matter what.
And that was a mistake.
‘With such an ambiguous mind…….’
Ha-sung’s ball passed over Beltre’s bat and slammed straight into the mitt.
Bang-!
“Swing! Strike out!!”
[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out Beltre once again!!]
[Jung Ha-sung strikes out a top-class hitter like Beltre in consecutive at-bats! He’s really amazing!!]
Ha-sung stared at Beltre, who was helplessly returning from the plate.
‘It’s not so cheap that you can hit it.’
It was Ha-sung who was perfectly dominating the game.
* * *
There was no one who could stop Ha-sung’s run, which had begun to gain momentum.
“Hup-!!”
Whoosh-!
Bang-!!
“Strike! Batter out!!”
[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung records his first double-digit strikeouts in the Championship Series, taking his 10th strikeout of the game today!]
[Jung Ha-sung’s condition is really good today. He’s throwing amazing balls with an average fastball speed of 100 miles.]
[The spectators filling the stands can’t help but be shocked.]
[There’s no other way. How many pitchers can pitch this well in the Championship Series?]
It was pitching that surprised not only the audience but also the officials.
Ha-sung is an excellent pitcher.
This was an undeniable fact.
But no one expected him to pitch like this even in the Championship Series.
‘Even if a pitcher pitched well in the regular season, there were players who were sluggish in the postseason.’
‘There were many players who couldn’t overcome the pressure of the postseason.’
‘But Jung Ha-sung is different.’
All the officials watching the game had the same thought.
‘We may have underestimated Jung Ha-sung too much.’
Until now, Ha-sung was considered one of the best pitchers in Major League history.
But it occurred to them that that assessment might be an underestimate.
‘Jung Ha-sung is a player who can change Major League history.’
It was a game in which the evaluation of Jung Ha-sung, which had been etched in the minds of officials, was further enhanced.