Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 280

Villain on the Mound – Episode 280

Murakami was taken out of the game.

[Murakami, Japan’s ace who provoked Jung Ha-sung, is being replaced.]

[Murakami publicly targeted Jung Ha-sung in numerous interviews, but it seems his words have come back to haunt him.]

Originally, Murakami’s removal should have been a huge deal.

But it wasn’t.

[Jung Ha-sung, no one ever dreamed he would declare a home run in advance and then actually do it.]

[That’s right. After witnessing such an unbelievable scene with my own eyes, I’m at a loss for words.]

[Wasn’t the ball’s location good too?]

[The location was excellent. It was an outside, low pitch, somewhat difficult for Jung Ha-sung to pull and hit.]

[But Jung Ha-sung simply overpowered it and sent it over the right field fence, didn’t he?]

[That’s right. I think it’s truly amazing power. To pull that ball and make it a home run…]

The commentator was so impressed that he couldn’t continue speaking.

That’s how shocking Ha-sung’s home run was.

Thanks to that, Murakami’s removal wasn’t a topic of discussion at all, and he had to leave the field in frustration.

* * *

After Murakami was out, the Korean national team’s batting line began to explode.

Clang!!

[He hit it! The Korean national team is stringing together consecutive hits!]

Japan brought in relief pitchers one after another, but it was not enough to stop the momentum of the Korean national team.

There were several reasons for this.

‘There’s a crazy bastard who calls his shot like that.’

‘I’m on the same side as that crazy bastard. There’s no way I can just stand still!’

The first was the competitive spirit towards Ha-sung.

Everyone on the national team was a top-class hitter representing the league.

Their skills were, of course, top-class, and their competitive spirit was also at the top level of the league.

No matter how good Ha-sung was, it was inevitable that their competitive spirit would be ignited.

The second was that the Japanese national team’s momentum had waned.

‘He’s calling a home run against Murakami?’

‘How are we supposed to stop a guy like that?’

Murakami had a bad personality, and his words were a mess.

But there was one thing that all Japanese baseball players agreed on.

That was his skill.

He was good enough to receive the Sawamura Award [an award recognizing the best pitcher in Japanese baseball].

But Ha-sung hit a home run against such a skilled pitcher like Murakami after calling his shot.

In other words, it meant that he could hit a home run against any other pitcher without any problem.

Naturally, the pitchers’ morale plummeted, and the Korean hitters didn’t miss the opportunity.

[The score is starting to widen!]

In the 4th inning, when Ha-sung’s called home run ignited the team,

Korea added 3 points, bringing their total to 5 points.

The score was 6 to 0, and the inning ended.

* * *

The atmosphere of the game completely shifted.

The confrontation between Murakami and Ha-sung that people had been anticipating turned out to be Ha-sung’s victory, as many expected.

No one truly thought Murakami would win, but because he was such an attention-seeker, they watched with a hopeful heart.

But as expected, people watched the game with the feeling that it was natural for Korea to win.

-Ha-sung is carrying today’s game, too.

-Ha-sung is just a cheat code, lol.

-Is it real that he’s been perfect for 5 innings so far?

-He doesn’t get nervous at all, whether it’s an international game or whatever.

-Would a nervous guy call a home run? lol

└That’s true.

-Is he going to pitch a perfect game today?

└It’s only halfway through?

└└If it’s Ha-sung, it seems possible enough.

└└└That’s 인정 [Korean slang for “I agree” or “I acknowledge it”].

-Perfect is perfect, but hitting two consecutive home runs in a Korea-Japan game is a bit shocking, lol.

└There has never been a player like this before.

-Is this a game? Is this reality?

└└Where did you learn that line?

└└└It’s an original line.

-He’s about to hit a cycling home run.

Ha-sung’s performance fired up the fans’ imaginations.

It was clear that there were no more records to be made here.

He kept making new records.

It was as if he was going to break all the records in Major League Baseball.

* * *

While Japan’s ace was sinking,

Korea’s ace, Ha-sung, remained strong on the mound.

Thwack-!!

“Strike! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-sung records his 16th strikeout of the game!!]

Japanese hitters couldn’t adapt to his pitches even in the 6th inning.

They kept swinging and missing, and thanks to that, Ha-sung’s strikeout record was rising rapidly.

Some occasionally made contact with his pitches.

Clang!!

[He hit it! But the ball doesn’t leave the infield! Shortstop catches it and throws it to first base!]

Thud!

“Out!!”

[Out! The third out is made by shortstop Lee Yong-soo, ending the inning!]

With defense befitting the title of national team, Ha-sung’s impressive performance continued.

Watching this, Coach Yoshino frowned.

‘Damn it… to not be able to properly attack a single pitcher.’

He knew that Jung Ha-sung was a great player, but facing him in person was nothing short of a nightmare.

‘We have to stop him somehow.’

The problem was that there was no way to stop him.

No matter what means they used, they were crushed by Ha-sung.

Even when they came up with new tactics, they repeatedly failed and were eventually cornered.

‘If only we could intentionally walk him…’

The intentional walk, the tactic that had blocked Ha-sung in Major League Baseball.

But this time, they couldn’t use that either.

Clang!!

[He hit it! A hit that falls in front of the center fielder! The runner on second stops at third, loading the bases!]

The Korean hitters, who had begun to awaken, started a fierce attack.

And the worst-case scenario was created.

[Jung Ha-sung is at the plate!]

[Ah~ Is there a worse nightmare for Japan than this? Jung Ha-sung with the bases loaded!]

It was the worst situation for the Japanese national team.

‘Damn it… we can’t intentionally walk him here!’

The score was already 6 to 0.

Any more additional points would be dangerous.

They had to stop Ha-sung somehow.

Not with an intentional walk, but with a head-on match.

In the end, Coach Yoshino made a decision.

[The Japanese national team is changing pitchers here!]

[They’re saying they’re going to compete. Otherwise, there would be no reason to change pitchers!]

[The new pitcher coming to the mound is… closer Toshio!]

[Ah~ This is an unexpected scenario! To put Japan’s guardian Toshio on the mound here!]

Toshio was one of Japan’s leading closers, with 56 saves in a season.

He was a top-notch player with a four-seam fastball reaching a maximum speed of 156 km/h, a slider, and a splitter that he mainly used as a finishing pitch.

[Japan’s Coach Yoshino has made it clear that he intends to challenge Jung Ha-sung directly.]

He wouldn’t avoid it any longer.

Yoshino’s thoughts were clear.

The reason he decided to compete was simple.

‘Even if we intentionally walk him, we’ll give up a run. We have to stop him here and reverse the atmosphere of the team itself.’

The morale of the Japanese national team’s players was greatly diminished.

It meant that they were being crushed by the large score difference and Ha-sung’s monstrous force.

In this situation, they had to stop Ha-sung to reverse the atmosphere.

In fact, this was an accurate judgment.

‘As expected of Coach Yoshino. He’s a veteran, so he knows how to take a chance even in moments like this.’

Even if Ha-sung himself were the coach, he would have made the same choice as Coach Yoshino.

‘But the result won’t be good.’

Ha-sung stood at the plate and focused.

‘My condition is the best today.’

As he focused, the surrounding scenery turned dark.

As he finished his preparations, Toshio put his foot on the pitcher’s plate and exchanged signs.

[Toshio, the guardian who came to save Japan! But the one he has to face is the villain Jung Ha-sung!]

[Will the guardian be able to save Japan from the villain?]

[The answer will come now! Toshio throws his first pitch!!]

Toshio’s first pitch, released with a leg kick, came in low.

Whoosh!!

Ha-sung checked the trajectory of the ball and swung his bat with all his might.

At that moment.

Swoosh!!

The ball changed course once more and sank to the ground.

Hitting a ball that came in so low that it was almost a one-bounce seemed difficult even for Ha-sung.

But Ha-sung seemed to already know that, lowering his center of gravity and changing the swing trajectory of his bat.

And he scooped up the falling ball as it was.

Clang!!

[He hit it! The batted ball flies high!!]

The batted ball flew even higher than the previous at-bat when he hit a called home run.

The thought that he would be caught this time flashed through people’s minds.

But the left fielder kept moving backward, looking up at the sky.

[The left fielder leisurely takes a step back and moves backward! But the batted ball doesn’t fall! The left fielder goes further back! Back!! Back!!!]

Thud!!

The left fielder turned his head to the obstacle blocking him.

And looking at the fence blocking him, he raised his head to the sky.

There was still a baseball flying high.

The ball went straight over the fence and fell into the stands.

“Waaaaaaah!!”

[It went over!! Grand slam!! A grand slam that seals the game explodes!!]

A huge cheer erupted for Ha-sung, who hit three consecutive home runs.

* * *

The score became 10 to 0.

There have been various Korea-Japan matches so far, but this was the first game like this.

-Jung Ha-sung isn’t Jung Ha-sung for nothing.

-There’s a reason why he swept the Major League MVP and Cy Young awards.

-It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a Korea-Japan game with such a comfortable feeling.

-Do you guys know that?

└What?

└└Ha-sung only needs to hit a three-run home run to complete the cycling home run.

Cycling home run.

It is derived from cycling hit [hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game] and is not an official record.

However, its achievement rate is very low, so it is called the hitter’s perfect game.

[What is a cycling home run?]

[Simply put, it means that one hitter records all types of home runs in one game.]

[Do you mean solo home run, two-run, three-run, and grand slam?]

[That’s right. Currently, Jung Ha-sung has recorded three consecutive home runs, so if he records a three-run home run, he will achieve this cycling home run.]

[Has there ever been a player who has achieved this record?]

[There has never been one in the first-tier leagues, including the United States, Japan, and Korea.

However, including the minor leagues, Tyrone Horne recorded it in Double-A in 1998.]

[Jung Ha-sung is challenging this record at the Olympics! It’s really amazing!]

Ha-sung, who was close to a cycling home run, got another chance in the 8th inning.

Thud!

“Ball! Base on balls!!”

[It’s a walk!! Following the first hitter’s hit, he records a walk, placing two hitters on base!]

The table was set.

[And Jung Ha-sung comes to the plate!!]

Now all he had to do was deliver.

[Will Jung Ha-sung be able to write the great achievement of four consecutive home runs and a cycling home run!]

As Ha-sung stood at the plate, the Japanese dugout became busy.

“Shall we intentionally walk him?”

They were thinking of avoiding the match.

They wanted to avoid becoming the sacrifice of an unprecedented record in an international match, especially a Korea-Japan match.

But Yoshino was different.

‘Avoid a record that has never been made before with an intentional walk?’

He wanted to see the moment the record was achieved.

‘Even if I intentionally walk him here, the association will eventually fire me.’

Having suffered a crushing defeat in the match against Korea, there was no possibility that he would remain as coach.

If so, he wanted to fulfill his desire to see a great record as a baseball player.

“Leave him in.”

“Yes? But…”

“I’ll take responsibility for everything. Just compete.”

“…I understand.”

The pitcher was flustered when no sign came out of the dugout.

But he nodded and stood on the mound.

Ha-sung focused and waited for the pitcher to throw the ball.

Soon, the pitcher’s weight shifted forward with a leg kick from the set position.

“Huh!!”

The ball, released with a short exclamation, flew at a rapid speed.

Ha-sung’s bat turned sharply as he checked the ball flying in the middle low location.

Whoosh-!!

Clang!!

[He hit it!!]

With a cheerful sound, Ha-sung threw his bat.

[And Jung Ha-sung throws his bat!!]

Ha-sung slowly ran to first base, watching the batted ball go over the fence.

[It went over!! Three-run home run!! Jung Ha-sung achieves a cycling home run!!]