episode_0299

Clap, clap, clap!

Receiving applause from the players, Jang Yoon took off his glove.

“Senior! Great job.”

“Nice pitching!”

Showing a splendid condition, Jang Yoon finished today’s game with 7 innings and only 1 run allowed. As a pitcher with plenty of postseason experience, he displayed near-perfect pitching.

“It feels a bit off giving up that one run.”

However, Jang Yoon didn’t seem entirely satisfied with allowing that one run.

“Well, there are still 2 innings left, we need to hold our ground.”

As Jang Yoon pondered this, Park Junhyung, who was scheduled to start tomorrow, approached him.

“It would be great to score more runs, but it must be tough for Hyunseong guys seeing the pitchers being changed today, right?”

“Probably so. I hope my turn doesn’t come… yet.”

Of course, Park Junhyung also wanted to prove his skills on this prestigious stage. However, in the midst of playing the game, anything could happen, and the AT Thunders, who had been running since the Wild Card playoffs, needed some rest.

Thud!

While the two pitchers from AT were discussing by the mound, a lively sound of bat hitting ball echoed. Leadoff batter Yoon Sungtae had just hit the ball thrown by Lee Junho in the previous inning.

It was a fairly strong hit, causing both Jang Yoon and Park Junhyung to unknowingly rise from their seats.

“Will it go over? Will it go over?”

“Oh… caught.”

But the result was an out. The dugout resonated with sighs of disappointment, indicating how precious that hit was.

“It’s not easy, indeed.”

“If they threw here in Jamsil, it would’ve been really tough.”

“Hey, I also came from Moonhak to Jamsil. Don’t leave Jamsil unless you have to; this place is truly a pitcher’s paradise.”

Park Junhyung nodded at Jang Yoon’s words. He too had felt many doubts when pitching in a different stadium after throwing in Jamsil.

“Jamsil is truly something.”

The difference between Jamsil and other stadiums was just a few meters, but those few meters allowed pitchers’ balls to enter more boldly, leading to a natural improvement in performance due to the chain reaction. The ability to place one ball in the strike zone in crucial moments made a significant difference.

With the vast expanse of Jamsil and the combination of Hyunseong’s winning formula, not only did AT benefit from Jamsil’s advantages, but Hyunseong’s pitchers also undoubtedly felt that sentiment.

“We scored 2 runs, but getting more runs might be difficult.”

Thud!

“Strikeout!”

As expected by Park Junhyung, batters Han Sangkyu and Jung Yooncheol consecutively struck out, ending the 7th inning attack.

Now, only 2 innings remained. Kim Yunho was chosen by AT to pitch the 8th inning.

[In the top of the 8th, Kim Yunho takes the mound for AT.]

“Kim Yunho is coming up to pitch. He’s known for throwing fastballs over 150 and has been evaluated as a pitcher with good control. He has been active as a setup man for AT since the latter part of the season, right?”

“Yes, indeed. Although AT’s bullpen is somewhat considered weak, with players like Kim Yunho and Kang Seho performing well, AT managed to maintain its performance until the end of the season.”

“That’s right. Both players were acquired during this stove league trade for Jang Hyeonho. In fact, Jang Hyeonho, who participated in the All-Star Game in ’19 and ’21, can be seen as a star player for AT, but when he was traded, many fans expressed concerns.”

“I remember that. Haha.”

“However, ultimately, even after Jang Hyeonho left AT, he achieved a career-high season with 22 home runs. Through the triangular trade, players like Kang Seho and Kim Yunho coming to AT, with Baek Jeongjin contributing as a backup outfielder, resulted in a successful win-win trade.”

[Kim Yunho’s record is being displayed. This season, he has 4 wins and 4 losses, recording 23 earned runs in 58.2 innings with an ERA of 3.56. He has also achieved 2 saves and 11 holds.]

[During the Silla era, this player struggled due to control issues, but since coming to the expansive Jamsil Stadium, Kim Yunho has clearly stepped up his game. He performed well, even recording two holds in the playoffs.]

[Now, Kim Yunho delivers the first pitch. It’s a strike! The speed is 154 km/h.]

[That was a good pitch. Since joining AT, it feels like Kim Yunho has definitely stepped up his game. He’s placing his pitches well within the strike zone.]

[Kim Yunho was known for having good pitches but struggled to place them in the strike zone, right?]

[Yes, he did receive such evaluations during the Silla era. I personally asked him about the reasons behind his good performance this season, and he mentioned that he trusts Jamsil when pitching.]

[Jamsil Stadium indeed seems to make pitchers comfortable. Pitcher winds up, second pitch!]

Thunk!

The ball hit by the 9th batter, Yoon Seung Ho, flies wide.

[This hit is deep! Deep! Ah… comfortably handled by center fielder Kim Juyeop.]

[Yoon Seung Ho made a good hit, but it’s caught in front of the warning track.]

[This is what makes it easier for pitchers, right?]

[Exactly. In other stadiums, that could have been a double or hit the wall, but in Jamsil, it’s an out. Pitchers can be more aggressive in the strike zone, resulting in fewer walks.]

[It must be a stroke of luck for Kim Yunho to come to AT.]

[It’s lucky for AT as well. Haha. Who would have predicted at the beginning of the season that Kim Yunho would be a setup man?]

[Now, the leadoff batter, Yang Jihyuk, steps in. …Ground ball to the infield. Two outs.]

Relying on the vastness of Jamsil, Kim Yunho catches the leadoff batter Yang Jihyuk, creating two outs, and continues to retire the next batter, shutting down Hyunseong’s offense in the top of the 8th inning. However, it wasn’t just AT’s pitchers who were influenced by Jamsil.

[In the bottom of the 8th, Hyunseong’s pitcher is Kwon Yul.]

[Player Kwon Yul initially struggled due to the WBC influence, but as the season progressed, he found his form. He’s a pitcher who rises in winning situations, and today’s game might be his last appearance. The score difference is 1 point. If he gets through this inning, the top of the 9th will start with the 3rd batter, so Hyunseong can do it too.]

Hyunseong’s setup man Kwon Yul also felt the impact of Jamsil. The veteran Kwon Yul was a pitcher who knew how to utilize Jamsil,

“Out!”

“Out!”

“Out!”

From the 9th batter Lee Inhyuk to the 2nd batter Kim Suho, he secured three outs, finishing the bottom of the 8th inning.

“Hyung Jinhyuk, fighting!”

“Let’s finish the game today and go rest early!”

[With only one inning left until the Korean Series after 21 years, AT Thunder’s closer Park Jinhyuk takes the mound. This season, he has appeared in 49.1 innings, recording an ERA of 3.48 and 31 saves.]

– Ugh, damn, am I the only one nervous about Park Jinhyuk, that damn rookie?

– But he did well in the playoffs.

– Please just get through this inning.

– If he places his first pitch well, who knows.

– Seriously, he needs to adjust after the first pitch, that guy.

– Please, just pitch well.

After 21 years of waiting, the pitcher who came out to put an end to that wait was Park Jinhyuk, who had guarded AT’s back door for a year. However, the fans’ reaction wasn’t as positive, given Park Jinhyuk’s reputation as a famous rookie in the league.

That player was asked why he was finishing the game, and it was because Park Jin-hyuk’s sealing was ‘real.’ A solid fastball that fluctuated between the late 140s and early 150s. And a curveball breaking from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock. A slider evaluated for its sharp angle. He possessed the pitches and control necessary to finish the game without any shortcomings.

He was a player who could be cursed at but couldn’t be taken out. Park Jin-hyuk was the painful hope of the fans. Fans sat in front of the TV in a tense posture, hoping that Park Jin-hyuk would come through. However,

“Ball.”

Park Jin-hyuk’s first pitch missed by a large margin, declared a ball, and AT’s fans went wild.

“Take Park Jin-hyuk out!”

“He can’t throw strikes with his first pitch! Change him!”

Even the Jamsil Stadium filled with AT fans erupted,

– “Damn it, change him, change him, change him…”

– “Please, make a change.”

– “Damn, I’m so anxious.”

– “Is that jerk Jin-hyuk not quitting baseball for real?”

– “He should have been injured instead of Woo Gwan-hyung.”

– “Seriously, if you don’t see that jerk in the postseason, it’s not right.”

– “For a moment, I thought Jun-pil was good at blocking, damn it.”

Even fans watching the game on TV or the internet.

“Sigh… Just make a change. There are plenty of pitchers anyway.”

Even Cheon So-young watching the game from the VIP room. And such reactions were perhaps expected. Fans who had watched AT games for even just one season knew all too well what would happen when Park Jin-hyuk’s first pitch didn’t hit the strike zone.

[Oh, 3rd batter Han Dong-yoon reaches base on a walk! It’s a runner on first with no outs!]

And as fans predicted, Park Jin-hyuk walked the leadoff batter, added another out count with difficulty, and then,

Thud – ack!

[Dan White! He turns the game around! Score tied at 2:2! It’s a tie! The game is not over yet! Hyun-sung Mad Cats igniting the spark for Incheon!]

Allowing a hit to mercenary batter Dan White, he conceded the tying run.

– “Damn, we lost today’s game. What’s up with Go Young-hwan?”

– “Let’s prepare for tomorrow’s game.”

– “But tomorrow is Park Jun-hyung, haha.”

– “No, let’s go for the 5th game!”

– “Get out now, damn it.”

– “Just get out, damn it.”

Despite the growing clamor from fans, Lee Soo-hyun confidently kept Park Jin-hyuk on the mound. If Park Jin-hyuk crumbled here, it would be a repetition of the same situation in the Korean Series, so Manager Lee Soo-hyun trusted Park Jin-hyuk.

“If it’s Jin-hyuk, he can do it. He’s a talented closer.”

And was it because of Manager Lee Soo-hyun’s trust? Or was it because Park Jin-hyuk, who felt relieved after allowing the tying run, managed to hold his ground?

“Out! Park Jin-hyuk gets three outs! The score remains 2:2!”

Park Jin-hyuk took responsibility until the end of the inning, preventing further scoring as he finished the top of the 9th.

“As the bottom of the 9th inning starts with the 3rd batter, Ki Sang-joo, no one knows what will happen, right?”

“The showdown between Go Young-hwan and AT Thunder’s cleanup hitters. Will Hyun-sung Mad Cats set the stage for a comeback, or will AT Thunder finally secure revenge after waiting 21 years and clinch the ticket to Incheon? The game heads into the bottom of the 9th inning!”

The game progressed into the bottom of the 9th inning, and as expected, Incheon’s mound saw Go Young-hwan, who declared his move to the majors next season.

“Go Men is out, haha. No one doubts him, right?”

– “Go Men, please.”

– “If he’s the lion king.”

– “If they show off their attitude, it’s definitely an extra innings and an inevitable comeback, damn it, let’s go to extra innings!”

– “Seriously, if we just stop them this inning, those guys won’t score.”

Hyun-sung’s fans believed their ace closer could maintain the score difference in this game and potentially turn the tables in the next inning,

– “How will Ki Sang-joo perform in Jamsil, damn it?”

– ”

I appreciate the support, but I had to deactivate my Instagram because of you guys. Seriously. And the jerk who sent me a dick picture, I’ll find and kill him. Thank you for cheering me on, I’m always grateful and will work even harder in the future. Look forward to the second half. [Total comments 5316]

I believe in Maengho.

Please, Maengho.

AT fans believe that Jimaengho will once again save the team, as the fate of both teams hangs in the balance as the bottom of the 9th inning begins.