Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 256

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 256

Ha-sung set numerous records this season.

Among them were some that were expected to remain unbroken for a long time.

And today, he was on the verge of setting another one.

[Top of the 9th, Josh Hamilton steps up to the plate, hoping to break up Ha-sung’s bid for a new record!]

1st inning.

Josh Hamilton, who initially posed a threat to Ha-sung.

But after that first encounter, he couldn’t touch Ha-sung’s pitches.

Even Josh Hamilton, known for his exceptional hitting ability in the major leagues, clearly recognized the difference in skill between himself and Ha-sung.

‘I have to get on base somehow this inning.’

It was their last chance.

They had to score somehow and turn the game around.

[The current score is 2 to 0! If the Yankees can hold on this inning, they’ll win Game 1 of the Championship Series!]

[Jung Ha-sung is on the cusp of becoming the first Korean major leaguer to win a game in the Championship Series.]

[Jung Ha-sung is setting incredible records one after another! He gets the sign from the catcher and delivers the first pitch!]

“Hiss-!!”

Whoosh-!!

Thwack!!

“Foul!!”

[First pitch is a foul!]

[He made contact with the fastball that was tailing inside, but his bat was pushed back, and the ball landed in the third-base stands.]

[The speed seems to have dropped to 98 miles per hour.]

[Considering he’s thrown over 100 pitches and is pitching a complete game, it’s understandable that his velocity is decreasing.]

Ha-sung’s speed had been declining since the 8th inning.

That offered a small measure of hope for Texas.

‘He’s not a robot. He’s human and will eventually get tired, which means he can make a mistake at any time.’

Ha-sung’s reduced velocity gave them a strange sense of anticipation.

But that was merely a deceptive tactic employed by Ha-sung.

“Hiss-!!”

[2nd pitch!]

Whoosh-!!

The ball sailed right over the heart of the plate.

Naturally, Hamilton swung, as if he’d been expecting it.

At that instant, the ball broke sharply downward.

Whack!

“Swing! Strike two!!”

[A swing and a miss! Hamilton weakly swings at the diving curveball!]

[Since the 7th inning, Jung Ha-sung has been expertly disrupting the batters’ timing by mixing in breaking balls.]

[He’s toying with the hitters, showcasing his excellent command of pace!]

Hamilton gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t believe Ha-sung was getting ahead in the count by manipulating the tempo.

‘Is he not going to challenge me directly?’

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘No, maybe he *can’t* pitch at full strength.’

He might already be physically drained.

If that were the case, it made sense that he was avoiding a head-on confrontation by not throwing with maximum effort.

Because if he went all-out, he risked being exposed.

Thinking along those lines, he could understand why Ha-sung was throwing so many breaking balls.

‘It seems like he’s feeling the physical strain.’

Ha-sung’s breaking pitches weren’t easy to hit.

But his primary weapon was still his fastball.

If he relied mainly on breaking balls, they might be able to find a weakness and capitalize on it.

‘He’ll throw another breaking ball this time.’

He had a favorable count.

He’d likely try to get the strikeout with a breaking ball rather than a fastball.

As Hamilton settled into the batter’s box, having made that assumption, Ha-sung, after receiving the sign, began his windup.

‘This time, for sure!’

Hamilton focused intently, determined to make contact no matter what.

Following his stride, Ha-sung unleashed the pitch.

“Hiss-!!”

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand and hurtled forward with incredible speed.

‘It’s a setup! It’s definitely going to break……!’

Hamilton was convinced his read was correct.

That’s why he anticipated the ball would change direction.

But as if to defy Hamilton’s expectations, the ball zipped past him and slammed into the catcher’s mitt.

Thwack-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout!! Jung Ha-sung, with a two-strike count, surprises Hamilton with a 101-mph fastball!!]

[Ah~ Was he conserving his energy? He throws another ball over 100 mph in the 9th inning and sends Hamilton back to the dugout!]

[Hamilton didn’t even react! It seems like he was anticipating a breaking ball, right?]

[Judging by his reaction, it’s almost certain. Especially since he threw fastballs with reduced velocity earlier, so Hamilton must have timed it to that.]

[But when a 101-mph fastball comes screaming in, it’s no wonder he couldn’t react!]

Hamilton bit his lip.

‘I was completely outsmarted.’

This was the Championship Series.

The game could turn on a single mistake.

In such a high-stakes situation, both pitchers and batters always give their absolute best.

But Ha-sung was different.

‘Pace control, and he was saving his strength for the 9th inning.’

He couldn’t believe it.

It was astonishing that he was doing something like that in the Championship Series.

And Ha-sung was also in the middle of a no-hitter.

Was it even possible to conserve energy while pitching a no-hitter?

He certainly couldn’t do it.

‘That monster…….’

Hamilton, who was often called a monster himself.

Even to him, Ha-sung seemed like he was from another world.

Hamilton had no choice but to walk away from the plate, another victim of Ha-sung’s pursuit of a record.

[Jung Ha-sung adds another strikeout and ties the legendary Bob Gibson’s record!]

[Now, if he gets a strikeout on just one of the remaining two outs, Jung Ha-sung will set a new record!]

Now, with just one step separating him from a new record.

As the moment arrived when he could etch his name into Major League history, all the spectators in the stadium watched Ha-sung’s pitching in hushed anticipation.

* * *

He faced the second batter in the 9th inning.

“Hiss-!!”

Whoosh-!

Thwack!!

“Strike!!”

[The first pitch, a 100-mph four-seam fastball, whizzes past the batter!]

[His velocity is still high, and he’s overpowering the batter with his pinpoint control!]

There was no need to hold back anymore.

He had laid the groundwork, and the batters had grown accustomed to his slower pitches.

In that situation, it wasn’t easy to adjust to a 100-mph fastball again.

‘It was a somewhat risky strategy, but it worked perfectly.’

Deliberately reducing power was a method that carried significant risk for the pitcher.

Especially in the Championship Series.

But Ha-sung had pulled it off.

And the payoff was substantial.

Thwack-!!

“Strike!! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout!! Jung Ha-sung sets a new Major League record with his 18th strikeout!!]

[Ah~ It’s truly amazing! 18 strikeouts in the postseason? It’s absolutely incredible!!]

[Jung Ha-sung overwhelms the batter with his monstrous pitching! Now there’s only one out left!]

The second out was recorded.

Although he had set a new record, Ha-sung remained focused.

‘Until the very end…….’

Thwack-!

“Foul!!”

[The batter’s bat is pushed back, and the ball goes behind! One strike!]

‘Don’t lose focus……!’

Thwack!!

“Strike! Two!!”

[The 2nd pitch, a 100-mph fastball, is perfectly placed on the outside corner!]

[Now there’s only one strike left!!]

‘I won’t let up!!’

“Hiss!!”

The 110th pitch left Ha-sung’s hand.

The batter swung wildly, trying to hit the ball.

But.

Whoosh-!

The bat passed beneath the ball.

Thwack!!

The ball nestled into the catcher’s mitt.

“Strike! Out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung gets the final out with a swing and a miss!!]

[Jung Ha-sung pitches a no-hitter in the Championship Series!! I’m so proud!!]

Ha-sung, who had achieved a no-hitter along with 18 strikeouts in a single game, couldn’t contain his joy on the mound.

His celebratory shout was broadcast around the world and became the highlight of the day.

* * *

[New York Yankees’ Jung Ha-sung sets a new record in the Championship Series!]

[Jung Ha-sung breaks the record for most strikeouts in a single game and throws the third no-hitter in Championship Series history!]

[Jung Ha-sung expresses his raw emotion on the mound!]

[New York Yankees seize the advantage in the Championship Series!]

[New York Yankees defeat the Texas Rangers 2-0!]

The game was over.

Unsurprisingly, the media outlets began publishing articles about the Championship Series.

The main focus was, of course, Ha-sung.

He had achieved the most strikeouts in a single game and pitched a no-hitter, so it was natural that he was the center of attention.

But that wasn’t all.

[Jung Ha-sung becomes the first player in Major League history to be intentionally walked three times in a postseason game!]

[The Texas Rangers had no intention of actually competing against Jung Ha-sung!]

[Texas, who essentially forfeited the first game, can they still win the Championship Series?]

Three consecutive intentional walks.

Even at the plate, Ha-sung exerted tremendous pressure on Texas, preventing them from pitching to him.

And this decision drew heavy criticism from Texas fans.

-What on earth is Texas thinking?

-I know Ha-sung is scary, but what are you going to do if you don’t even try to compete?

-They can’t score because Ha-sung shuts them down on the mound, and they’re too afraid to face him at the plate.

-Good job, Texas, way to go.

Texas fans continued to voice their disapproval.

On the other hand, baseball fans everywhere showered Ha-sung with praise.

-Isn’t he the greatest player of all time at this point?

-It seems like he’s already surpassed Babe Ruth.

-Where did they even find a player like this?

-I heard he’s playing in the Olympics next year. Is the gold medal already guaranteed for Korea?

-Having a player like this is practically cheating.

-More importantly, I heard he’s renewing his contract with the Yankees next year. Is that even possible?

-How much salary are they going to have to pay him?

Ha-sung’s performance defied all expectations.

As a result, every move he made was of great interest to the public.

-The roar he let out on the mound today was incredible.

-He didn’t even show that much emotion when he pitched a perfect game.

-It must be the difference between the regular season and the postseason.

-Even Ha-sung gets emotional to this extent.

-It was really something.

In particular, the scene of Ha-sung’s roar became an iconic moment that would be remembered for a long time.

It was also uploaded to YouTube as a highlight clip.

And in the second game, where he seized the initiative, Ha-sung exploded again.

Thwack-!!

[He crushed it!!]

In his second at-bat, Ha-sung swung with tremendous force.

The ball rocketed off his bat and disappeared over the fence.

[It’s gone! A two-run home run that breaks the scoreless tie in the first game!!]

[Ah~ Texas decided to challenge Jung Ha-sung directly in today’s game, but it was a mistake!]

[Could it be that they couldn’t handle the criticism? The faces of the Texas coaching staff, who chose to compete head-on unlike the first game, are growing darker!]

In the first game, Ha-sung delivered a dominant performance on the mound, and in the second game, he hit a home run, leading the Yankees to victory.

And this earned him two MVP awards.

[Jung Ha-sung named MVP in the 2nd game, following his MVP performance in the 1st game of the Championship Series!]

[Jung Ha-sung’s New York Yankees, who swept the first two games, head to Texas with a perfect record!]

The Championship Series moved to Texas for the 3rd game.