Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 68

Mound Villain – Episode 68

As Rivera predicted, Ha-seong took the mound in the 9th inning.

[Jung Ha-seong of South Korea is on the mound to close out the game!]

[The American League is leading 4 to 3! Mariano Rivera pitched as the setup man, and Jung Ha-seong has taken over in the bottom of the 9th!]

This scene sparked a frenzy among Korean netizens.

-Is it really happening? He’s coming in after the final boss?

-Jung Ha-seong after Rivera! Keee-! My patriotism is overflowing!

-Wow… is this real? Am I dreaming?

-I can’t believe I’m seeing a Korean pitcher follow Rivera in the All-Star Game.

-This is unbelievable, lol.

-I’ve lived long enough to see this.

And the reactions were similar in the United States.

-A rookie is coming in after Rivera.

-I have to give it to him, it’s Jung Ha-seong.

-Isn’t he the only one with a 100% save rate this season?

-If you need to protect a one-run lead, you have to put him in.

-It makes sense to put in the player with the most saves in the first half.

-After Rivera……

-Did the manager get paid off for this?

-Are you a Yankees fan?

Some Yankees fans grumbled, but quickly quieted down after being challenged.

Meanwhile, Ha-seong, having finished his warm-up pitches, stepped onto the pitcher’s plate and lowered his stance.

‘Let’s see the signals from the best catcher in the major leagues.’

The player behind the plate was Joe Mauer.

Joe Mauer was considered a complete catcher, almost a legendary figure.

He possessed all the skills a hitter and catcher could want, and his career was filled with incredible achievements.

‘Four-seam fastball.’

Joe Mauer’s first pitch call was a fastball.

It was the most common pitch, but the location he wanted was tricky.

‘High and inside.’

That was a pretty dangerous spot.

But Ha-seong liked it.

‘That’s my style.’

Ha-seong nodded and began his windup.

[Jung Ha-seong, after exchanging signs with All-Star catcher Joe Mauer, begins his windup!]

Following the windup, Ha-seong went into his pitching motion and threw his first pitch with everything he had.

[He throws!]

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand and flew with a fierce spin.

The pitch was headed for the high inside corner that Mauer had called for against hitter Chase Utley.

It was a pitch that could completely disrupt an ordinary hitter’s stance.

Because it comes in close to the eyes with high velocity.

But Utley was different.

Pop-!!

“Ball!”

[First pitch is a ball! Utley avoids the high inside pitch by leaning back slightly!]

Utley prepared for the pitch with minimal movement.

It was as if he knew the ball wouldn’t hit him.

‘He’s got guts.’

He was different from most of the hitters I’d faced so far.

Ha-seong, who received the ball back, rubbed rosin on his hands and exchanged signs with Mauer again.

‘Of course……’

‘Fastball, low and away.’

‘He’ll be expecting this.’

This time, he nodded immediately.

Mauer’s pitch calling was definitely sharp.

His thoughts aligned perfectly with Ha-seong’s.

In this situation, the pitcher can trust the catcher and just throw the ball.

Because it means they’re on the same page.

Ha-seong, who went into his windup again, threw his second pitch.

Whoosh-!!

The ball left his hand and flew sharply.

The control was perfect.

Mauer’s mitt didn’t even have to move.

It was a perfect pitch that crossed the plate at the farthest point from the hitter.

It would have been an easy strike call.

Then Utley swung.

Whoong!!

The bat whipped around with a fierce sound.

The bat quickly lashed out at the ball like a hawk diving for its prey.

Clang!!

With a resounding crack, the batted ball flew quickly.

[He hit it! The sharply hit ball lands in front of the right fielder!]

Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki caught the ball and quickly threw it to first base.

[He throws to first! But Utley reaches the base first!]

[Ah-! Great pitch, great hit. That’s all you can say about that batted ball!]

[Jung Ha-seong, who threw a 98-mph fastball, was amazing, but Utley’s hit was equally impressive!]

[This is the Major League All-Star Game!]

It was a clear hit.

‘Wow… he really hit that.’

It was such a well-executed hit that there was nothing to say.

Even though I tried to make the pitch seem faster by keeping the first pitch high, Utley made perfect contact.

‘As expected, All-Stars are All-Stars.’

Utley was a great hitter who had been selected to the All-Star team four times.

He was having a great season, maintaining a batting average of over .300.

And an even more dangerous batter was stepping up to the plate.

[With the tying run on first base, Albert Pujols comes to the plate!]

[So far this season, he’s a terrifying hitter with a .332 batting average, 87 RBIs, and 32 home runs.]

[He’s a player who needs no introduction.]

Pujols, one of the legends of modern baseball.

His appearance made Ha-seong’s hands sweat.

‘I’m nervous for the first time in a while.’

I’ve regressed [returned to the past] and faced various players, but this is the first time my heart has raced like this.

In fact, his heart was racing for two reasons.

One was that he was facing the legendary hitter Pujols, and the other was the anticipation of possibly getting him out.

“Hoo… !”

And this tension ignited Ha-seong’s competitive spirit.

As his competitive spirit surged, he achieved a high level of concentration.

‘Okay……’

Ha-seong lowered his stance, looking at the stadium that was slowly darkening.

‘What should I throw?’

His eyes focused solely on Mauer’s fingers.

* * *

[Jung Ha-seong, after exchanging signs, enters the set position.]

[Upton is on first base as a pinch runner. He has stolen 12 bases this season and is a threat to run at any time.]

Upton, who was faster than Utley, came in as a pinch runner, signaling his intention to take every opportunity.

Ha-seong checked the runner on first base with only his eyes from the set position.

‘Like that……’

Upton’s center of gravity was leaning more towards second base than first.

It seemed like he was ready to run at any moment.

‘Is he really going to show it?!’

Whoosh!

Ha-seong stepped off the pitcher’s plate and turned his body towards first base.

And he quickly threw the ball.

[Check to first base!]

Thump!

“Safe!!”

[Ah-! He’s safe.]

[It was a good pickoff attempt, but he was safe. He would have been out if his return had been a little late.]

It was such a close play that Upton sighed.

Ha-seong, who received the ball back, exchanged signs again and entered the set position.

‘Now I like it.’

Upton’s center of gravity was now leaning more towards first base.

The first pickoff attempt completely eliminated the thought of running.

Ha-seong, having confirmed that, took a slide step.

[First pitch!]

“Heup!!”

The ball thrown with a shout flew at a fierce speed.

Pujols’ bat swung sharply at the ball that was coming inside.

Clang!!

[He swung at the first pitch! Well hit!!]

The batted ball soared high into the sky in an instant.

The batted ball flying along the left field line was barely staying fair.

[Is it inside the pole?! Is it out?!]

The camera followed the trajectory of the batted ball.

If it landed inside the foul pole, the game would be over.

But the batted ball went outside the pole.

“Foul!!”

[It’s a foul! The game continues as it curves outside of the pole!]

[That was a really close call.]

It was a batted ball that everyone watched with bated breath.

But Pujols didn’t seem particularly fazed.

He assessed the contact point of the ball on the bat and said to Mauer.

“That guy is pretty good?”

“I agree.”

The pitch Mauer called for was a cut fastball [a fastball with a slight horizontal break].

Pujols thought it was a four-seam fastball [a fastball with backspin that causes it to rise slightly] and swung accordingly.

If it had been a four-seam fastball, it would have been a home run as it went inside the pole.

But at the last moment, the ball changed its trajectory and avoided a direct hit.

‘A cutter that breaks so late. I’d say it’s almost Rivera-class.’

I can understand why the American League guys couldn’t hit it so well.

‘I won’t let him get away with it next time.’

Pujols stood at the plate again with one strike.

Ha-seong shook his head as he looked at him.

‘There’s no one quite like him. He’s trying to figure me out.’

Ha-seong was just as focused.

And he trusted Mauer completely.

‘There was a reason why he wanted a cutter on the first pitch.’

Mauer’s call this time was a changeup [a slow pitch thrown with the same arm action as a fastball].

Ha-seong nodded and threw his second pitch.

Whoosh-!!

This time, Pujols started his swing.

But he completely mistimed the ball, which was coming in at a different speed than before.

Whoong!!

Thwack!

“Swing! Strike two!!”

[Jung Ha-seong gets a strike with a changeup!]

[That was a great pitch. He completely fooled Pujols’ timing!]

After that, he threw a slider [a pitch that breaks horizontally] on the third pitch, but he couldn’t get Pujols to bite.

Thwack!

“Ball!”

[Third pitch slider! But Pujols doesn’t budge.]

[Pujols is a player with power and precision. Above all, he has great eyes, so he can’t be fooled by most breaking balls.]

[Jung Ha-seong, with a favorable count of one ball and two strikes! Will he win the battle against Pujols here! Fourth pitch!]

Pujols reacted early to the fourth pitch Ha-seong threw.

‘This time for sure!’

The pitch was going for the outside low corner.

Pujols’ bat swung accurately, aiming for the ball.

‘Huh?’

But the ball didn’t drop as much as he expected and passed over Pujols’ bat.

Pop-!!

“Strike!! Batter out!!”

[Strikeout! Jung Ha-seong! Strikes out Pujols with a 101-mph fastball!]

Pujols looked at Ha-seong while standing at the plate and then headed to the dugout.

‘He didn’t dominate the American League with just one cutter. A fastball that doesn’t drop as much as I thought……’

It was a great pitch.

But there was also something to learn.

‘If I face him again soon, I’ll definitely get him then.’

As summer arrived, the American League and the National League began interleague play.

Closer Jung Ha-seong and Pujols had never met before, but they were scheduled to play two or three more games.

It was fortunate that he saw his pitches today in preparation for those games.

Pujols went into the dugout, already thinking about his revenge.

[Jung Ha-seong overcomes the crisis! But the National League hasn’t given up yet! Home Run Derby champion Prince Fielder comes to the plate as a pinch hitter!]

He overcame the huge obstacle of Pujols, but the National League was still full of great players.

“Hoo……”

Ha-seong took a deep breath as he watched Prince Fielder step up to the plate.

‘Bring them on.’

He stood on the mound, maintaining the intense focus he had built up.

* * *

[Jung Ha-seong, after exchanging signs, throws the first pitch!]

Clang!!

“Foul!!”

[First pitch foul. Fielder hits a 90-mph slider.]

While Ha-seong was focusing on the hitter, Upton made a gesture to run.

Ha-seong didn’t miss it.

Whoosh!

Thump!

“Safe!!”

[Jung Ha-seong makes a quick pickoff attempt! It’s safe by a hair!]

[It was a good pickoff attempt that reduced the runner’s lead.]

Upton had no choice but to shorten his lead due to the quick pickoff attempt.

Ha-seong, having confirmed that the runner was no longer showing any intention of running, threw his second pitch.

Whoosh-!

[Second pitch!]

It was a sharp ball that broke outside.

Fielder swung his bat as if he had anticipated it.

At that moment.

Swoosh!!

The ball curved in like a snake and hit the bottom of the bat.

Clang!!

[Mishit!!]

The weakly hit ball rolled into shortstop Derek Jeter’s glove.

Jeter smoothly scooped up the ball and threw it to second base.

Thump!

“Out!”

The second out was recorded as second baseman Aaron Hill caught the ball.

Hill immediately turned and threw the ball to first base.

Thump!!

“Out!!”

[The double play is complete! Jung Ha-seong secures the American League’s 13th consecutive All-Star Game victory by getting the last two outs with a double play!!]