Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 249

Homerun.

Many thought Matt Moore would collapse because of it.

[Matt Moore had pitched well, securing the first two outs. However, a fierce battle with Jung Ha-sung resulted in a home run.]

[It was a strong performance, but the single mistake against Jung Ha-sung led directly to a run.]

[The real question is what happens next.]

[Indeed. The concern is whether Matt Moore’s mentality, still that of a rookie, can withstand this setback.]

These predictions weren’t limited to just experts.

“Bullpen?”

Tampa Bay Rays’ manager, Joe Maddon, checked with the pitching coach.

“They’ve been preparing early. We can make a change at any time.”

“That’s a relief.”

Typically, the bullpen doesn’t prepare so early unless the starting pitcher is in serious trouble.

But today was an exception.

‘I made the right call preparing the bullpen in advance, just in case Moore faltered.’

In choosing Matt Moore as the starter, he’d considered various scenarios.

One of them was a possible early substitution.

‘Rookies are unpredictable; they can lose their composure at any moment.’

Joe Maddon was a seasoned manager.

He’d witnessed firsthand how volatile rookie players could be.

They could be dominant one moment and completely fall apart the next.

What if the bullpen wasn’t ready when that happened?

That would be a disaster.

“Should we get someone ready to replace him?”

At the pitching coach’s question, Joe Maddon watched Moore on the mound and replied.

“Just have them ready. Let’s see how he finishes this inning first.”

“Understood. Even though he gave up a home run, he battled Jung Ha-sung well.”

“That’s right. He was actually overpowering him for the most part. It’s just that Jung Ha-sung’s composure is remarkable.”

“Agreed. He could have adjusted his swing when he was in a tough spot, but he maintained his approach from start to finish.”

“He’s a true force to be reckoned with.”

From the opposing team’s perspective, Jung Ha-sung was a major threat.

More importantly, though, was Matt Moore’s condition.

‘Just get through this inning. He needs to overcome this situation to reach his full potential.’

Joe Maddon recognized Matt Moore’s potential better than anyone.

That’s why he entrusted him with the opening start of such a crucial game in the Division Series.

Hoping to see that potential unleashed.

But he faced a very challenging situation right from the start.

However, in baseball, these situations are inevitable.

Ultimately, players have to overcome them on their own, so Joe Maddon decided to wait and see.

To give Matt Moore the chance to rise to the occasion.

[Matt Moore gave up a run! But a significant challenge remains. Yankees’ legend, Derek Jeter, steps up to the plate.]

It was the appearance of the New York Yankees’ captain, Derek Jeter.

Ha-sung, returning to the dugout, grabbed his glove and watched the mound.

“Hey, Ha-sung. You rattled him pretty good; Moore’s going to fall apart now, right?”

His teammate Chad approached, asking the question.

Most people shared that sentiment.

But Ha-sung wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I need to see more of his pitches, but he doesn’t strike me as someone who gives up easily.”

“Really?”

Chad’s reaction was skeptical.

He’s a rookie.

Besides, he’s always struggled with control.

It was only natural that his control would falter after allowing a big hit.

Why was Ha-sung, a pitcher himself, so doubtful?

The reason Ha-sung was skeptical was because he knew the kind of player Matt Moore was.

‘He definitely has control issues, but he’s not lacking in competitive spirit. If he didn’t have that drive, he wouldn’t have taken the risk of changing positions so late in his career.’

Matt Moore spent his 20s as a starting pitcher and transitioned to middle relief in his 30s.

And from that point on, he began to forge his Major League career.

Knowing this, Ha-sung didn’t believe Matt Moore would collapse immediately.

And he was right.

Clang-!

[A hard-hit ball on the third pitch! But it’s a high fly ball! The center fielder makes the catch!]

[Matt Moore, after allowing a homerun, gets through the 1st inning safely against the next batter, Derek Jeter, throwing good pitches.]

[The score is 1 to 0! But the Yankees finish the 1st inning with some regrets!]

Clearly, the Yankees had scored the first point.

But a strong sense of disappointment lingered.

‘This is going to be a tough fight.’

Ha-sung sensed that the first game wouldn’t be a walk in the park.

* * *

Ha-sung’s prediction proved accurate.

Pow-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Jung Ha-sung finishes the 2nd inning with another three up, three down!]

[He’s already racked up five strikeouts, showcasing his excellent form!]

Ha-sung was still dominant.

Despite it being the Division Series, he showed no signs of nerves on the mound.

Tampa Bay Rays’ hitters seemed to be struggling to figure him out.

“Damn it… That guy’s ball seems to vanish.”

“More than anything, the ball keeps its momentum right until the end.”

“The movement is so deceptive that it’s hard to even make contact.”

“He seems even more formidable today.”

Ha-sung’s pitches were always powerful.

But today, they were practically untouchable.

That’s how exceptional Ha-sung’s condition was.

[Jung Ha-sung is delivering an incredibly strong performance even in the Division Series, shutting down Rays’ hitters one after another.]

[The word ‘tension’ doesn’t seem to apply to him. The Division Series feels no different from a regular game.]

Ha-sung’s performance was somewhat expected.

After all, he was the best player in Major League Baseball.

But an unexpected event occurred.

Clang-!!

[He made contact! But it’s a weak hit! The second baseman fields it and throws to first!]

Thud!

“Out!!”

[It’s an out! Matt Moore, who allowed a hit in the 2nd inning but prevented any further hits, comes off the mound after securing the third out!]

[Matt Moore allowed a home run in the 1st inning but is maintaining a steady performance in the 2nd inning.]

[Most importantly, his control seems to be on point.]

Matt Moore’s solid pitching was noteworthy.

-Matt Moore is surprisingly pitching well.

-I thought he would collapse quickly after giving up that home run to Ha-sung.

-He’s holding steady in the 2nd inning?

-His velocity is good, and his control seems pretty decent at this level?

-As expected of the No. 1 prospect in all of Major League Baseball.

-There was a reason why the Rays chose him as the starter.

-Well, Jung Ha-sung is a phenomenal player, so I guess that’s understandable. Matt Moore is the surprise here?

Ha-sung and Matt Moore.

Both players were putting on a good pitching display.

Objectively, Ha-sung was performing better, but Matt Moore was holding his own.

However, Matt Moore was receiving more attention because of his usual performance.

-It’s normal for Ha-sung to pitch like this, but Matt Moore is a different story.

It would be unusual for Ha-sung to give up runs.

Moreover, seeing his pitching falter was unheard of, at least this season.

In short, he was expected to pitch at this level consistently.

On the other hand, Matt Moore was a rookie pitcher.

It’s natural for him to be inconsistent.

But he was pitching well, which made a stronger impression on the audience.

‘I pitched well against Jung Ha-sung. One pitch went astray, but I was dominating him before that.’

Ironically, Matt Moore’s good pitching stemmed from his encounter with Ha-sung.

Ultimately, he allowed a home run, but the overall performance was solid.

In fact, it gave him a significant confidence boost early on.

‘I competed evenly with the best hitter in Major League Baseball. My pitches are good enough for this league.’

Jung Ha-sung had become a symbol of Major League Baseball.

Competing on par with such a player gave a rookie a tremendous surge of confidence.

It’s quite ironic.

In reality, Ha-sung was only in his 4th year in Major League Baseball.

He wasn’t a rookie, but he didn’t have enough experience to be considered a veteran.

But given his performance in Major League Baseball, it wasn’t surprising that he was regarded as such.

In any case, the match with Ha-sung instilled a unique confidence in Matt Moore.

That confidence soon translated into good pitching.

Pow-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[It’s a strikeout! The two players continue their strong pitching!!]

Division Series Game 1.

Contrary to expectations of a one-sided game, a tight pitching duel unfolded.

* * *

The precarious one-point lead persisted until the 4th inning.

‘I thought I would get a chance at Ha-sung’s second at-bat…’

Manager Joe Girardi replayed Ha-sung’s at-bat in the 4th inning and felt a pang of regret.

‘If they avoid a direct confrontation, there’s not much Ha-sung can do.’

Pitchers struggled to compete directly with Ha-sung.

So, avoiding matchups with Ha-sung was a common strategy during the pennant race.

Intentional walks were standard, and if the count became unfavorable in a head-to-head battle, they would walk him.

That scenario played out in the Division Series as well.

‘The same thing will likely happen in the later innings.’

Manager Joe Girardi was correct.

Pow-!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[It’s a strikeout! Jung Ha-sung strikes out the leadoff hitter in the 5th inning, recording his 10th strikeout of the game!]

Ha-sung finished the 5th inning without allowing any runs, reaching double-digit strikeouts.

Clang-!!

[He made contact! But it’s a high fly ball! The left fielder catches it, and the inning is over!]

Matt Moore threw a powerful slider, shutting down the Yankees’ lineup.

[The two teams’ match continues as a pitching duel.]

[That’s right. After giving up a run in the 1st inning, I thought Matt Moore’s gamble would fail, but he’s pitching well, allowing only 1 run through the 5th inning.]

[I thought there would be a chance to pull ahead during Jung Ha-sung’s second at-bat in the 4th inning, but unfortunately, there were no runners on base, so there was no real opportunity.]

As the game became a pitching battle, it remained tightly contested.

Everyone’s attention was focused on how this match would unfold.

But the game ended rather anticlimactically.

Thud!!

“Ball!”

[It’s a walk! Matt Moore walks the leadoff hitter!]

6th inning.

Moore, back on the mound, walked the leadoff hitter.

[His control is rapidly deteriorating as his pitch count exceeds 80.]

Control is closely linked to stamina.

As stamina decreases, velocity drops, and then control wavers.

The Rays’ bench grew concerned as Moore’s control faltered after throwing 80 pitches.

“It looks like he’s reached his limit.”

“He’s done remarkably well to pitch this far.”

“That’s right. He pitched much better than we anticipated.”

The Rays’ dugout had hoped Moore would last until the 4th inning.

Even if he gave up a few runs.

But Moore had only allowed 1 run and held the lineup at bay until the 5th inning.

It was a performance that exceeded the bench’s expectations.

Clang-!!

“Wow-!!”

Just as they were contemplating a change.

Matt Moore allowed a hit to the next batter, creating a situation with runners on first and second with no outs.

Seeing this, Joe Maddon made a decision.

“Tell the bullpen to get ready.”

“Understood.”

With the pitching coach’s confirmation, Joe Maddon left the dugout.

[Manager Joe Maddon is heading to the mound! It looks like he’s going to replace the pitcher, right?]

[It’s Matt Moore who delivered a better-than-expected performance. But if he gives up a run here, the game will become even more difficult, so it seems like he’s making a decision.]

Matt Moore handed the ball to Joe Maddon.

It was a pitching change.

The game entered a new phase.