episode_0305

[First up, it’s the batting order for UG Overlords. Leading off is #1 batter Choi Jaehyun, followed by #2 batter Won Juhyuk, #3 batter Ma Jungki, #4 batter Koo Jinmo, designated hitter MacCoin at #5, #6 batter Park Kyungmin, #7 batter Lee Taeyoung, #8 batter Baek Kyungho, and #9 batter Yoon Youngju.]

[The batting lineup seems solid overall, right? With Koo Jinmo hitting 37 home runs and MacCoin hitting 34 home runs, anchoring the team, and other batters also recording around 10 home runs each, it’s a well-structured lineup with great cohesion.]

[Exactly. If we were to highlight the strengths of UG Overlords’ batting lineup, it would be that all batters are maintaining an average around .300 and hitting double-digit home runs, creating a cohesive lineup.]

[Players to watch include #1 batter Choi Jaehyun with a .329 average and 12 home runs, and Koo Jinmo with a .291 average and 37 home runs. These two players stand out.]

[Now let’s look at AT Thunders’ defense. Bellingham and Jung Yooncheol as the battery. Starting from first base, Choi Jincheol, second base Ji Maengho, shortstop Yoon Sungtae, third base Kim Suho. In left field, Gisangju, center field Kim Jooyeop, right field Baek Jeongjin.]

[Tonight, Baek Jeongjin is playing instead of Lee Inhyuk, right? Lee Sanggyu was filling in for Woo Kwanhyung, who got injured, as the designated hitter, but due to his lackluster performance in the playoffs and the first game, Baek Jeongjin has taken his place in AT’s lineup.]

[For AT Thunders, who lost the first game, this second game is crucial, isn’t it?]

[That’s correct. Bellingham has been anchoring AT’s pitching for three years, but their performance in the fall baseball season hasn’t been great. In the Wild Card game, he gave up 5 runs in 4 innings against Han Cheol Grizzlies, and in the playoffs, he allowed 3 runs in 6 innings against Hyunseong Madcats, totaling 8 runs in 10 innings. He’ll need to show a better performance in this game.]

*

‘Bellingham really needs to pitch well this time….’

Bellingham has had a decent season with a 3.27 ERA and a record of 16 wins and 6 losses. While he has been a solid second starter alongside Jang Yoon throughout the season, his performance in the fall baseball season hasn’t been impressive.

He showed quality start pitching in the playoffs, but struggled against Han Cheol’s lineup in the Wild Card game.

Especially today’s game was crucial in determining the outcome of the Korean Series, so Bellingham couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. The result of today’s game could determine whether the UG guys would use a strategy to cut him off.

‘Please. Pitch well.’

As Bellingham finished his warm-up pitches, UG’s leadoff batter Choi Jaehyun stepped into the batter’s box.

-Choi Jaehyun! Choi Jaehyun! Choi Jaehyun!

The fans chanting Choi Jaehyun’s name echoed through the stadium, UG Overlords’ home ground, Moonhak Stadium.

“[Bellingham! Let’s go! Throw comfortably towards my side! I’ll catch everything!]”

I raised my voice along with the crowd, urging Bellingham, even though he seemed reserved. He might appear quiet, but there was a competitive edge to him.

‘He might be competitive during the regular season but choke in the postseason.’

Whether he heard my thoughts or not, Bellingham glanced back at me, gave a slight smile, exchanged signs with the catcher, and threw the first pitch.

“Strike!”

Bellingham’s first pitch targeted Choi Jaehyun’s body at a strong 154 km/h. As I had sensed during practice, Bellingham seemed to be in good form today.

“[Nice! Keep it up!]”

“Good! Bellingham! Good pitch!”

In the first inning, Bellington’s outfielders responded enthusiastically, boosting Bellington’s morale. The spirited fighting seemed effective as Bellington’s curveball dropped low, causing Choi Jaehyun’s bat to swing at thin air.

“Swing, strike!”

“With this, it’s two strikes. Pushing the leadoff batter this far, can we expect a good game today?”

Contrary to the pre-game worries, Bellington showed no signs of nervousness despite it being the Korean Series. Perhaps due to his experience in the postseason games, he exuded a sense of calm.

With two strikes on him, Bellington placed the ball just outside John’s reach, inducing Choi Jaehyun’s swing and throwing the fourth pitch.

Thunk!

“Second base!”

“Mangho, go for it!”

Choi Jaehyun’s hit rolled towards me after bouncing off the ground—a light 2nd base grounder. I swiftly caught the ball and threw it to 1st base without delay.

“Out!”

“Great! Let’s go!”

“Two outs left!”

“Nice defense!”

In an effort to redeem yesterday’s loss, teammates cheered louder than usual even for a routine out count. It seemed everyone shared the desire to win the game. Bellington, too, along with the other two batters, managed to secure outs by throwing five balls, successfully ending the 1st inning.

“We did well in the 1st inning.”

“We’re one point ahead, but let’s not forget about Moonhak. This field can produce a big hit anytime.”

“Got it!”

However, the positive atmosphere quickly soured in the 2nd inning.

“Out!”

“Strikeout!”

“Strikeout!”

From the 6th batter Kim Juyeop to Jung Yooncheol and Lee Inhyuk, within the first 5 minutes of the 2nd inning, they returned to the dugout after three quick outs.

“Darn, not even a hit, it’s ending so fast.”

I didn’t have high expectations for Jung Yooncheol since he was a catcher, and while I had some hopes for Kim Juyeop and Lee Inhyuk, facing the national team’s starting pitcher Kim Seonggyeol proved challenging. Even though they were decent .300 hitters, Kim Seonggyeol’s pitches looked formidable today, leaving me puzzled why he would walk me.

“Is Bellington okay? …Huh?”

Without a moment to rest after the abrupt end of the attack, I couldn’t help but glance at Bellington’s condition. To my surprise, he was smiling.

“He’s smiling in this situation?”

Pitchers who quickly return to the mound without showing any signs of irritation were common, but there was usually some frustration beneath the surface. Understandably, pitching consumed a lot of energy and required adequate rest between throws to prevent shoulder fatigue.

While Bellington hadn’t thrown many pitches in the 1st inning, the situation warranted some annoyance. Yet, he was smiling. It was a stark contrast to the anxious demeanor I had seen in the junior playoffs or playoffs.

As the 2nd inning began, Bellington gave up a hit to leadoff batter Gu Jinmo, stumbled a bit, induced a double play from the 5th batter MacCoin, and caught the 6th batter with an outfield fly, getting three consecutive outs.

Watching Bellington’s pitching until the 2nd inning, I could be certain—today, Bellington’s pitching was untouchable.

“Alright. We’ve pretty much got this game in the bag.”

Sometimes pitchers have days where they inexplicably throw great pitches. Kim Seonggyeol was no exception, but the difference between him and Bellington was that I had to face Bellington. Moreover, if he only walked me, we’d score another run, making me confident about winning the game today.

“[Bellington! Wait for me! I’ll add one more run for you!]”

“[Sure, I’m counting on you.]”

In response to my confident words, Bellington smiled slightly. Seeing him smile, it was evident he was relaxed.

“Alright, let’s go add one more run.”

*

Thunk!

[Baek Jeong-jin’s hit goes high into the outfield. Near second base, shortstop Yoon Young-ju easily catches it. One out.]

“Player Kim Sung-gyeol, except for the straight ball he gave to player Ji Maeng-ho in the first inning today, has shown almost a perfect pitching performance. What kind of pitch will Ji Maeng-ho show in this at-bat?”

“Now stepping up to the plate is leadoff batter Ji Maeng-ho. He already has one walk recorded today.”

“And if we combine his plate appearances up to the first game, he has come to bat five times, including two intentional walks, obtaining five walks in total. With an on-base percentage of 1.000, we can truly consider this a remarkable record.”

The fans and broadcasters watching the game had not yet realized that UG had signaled for Ji Maeng-ho to be walked from the dugout. While it might seem odd to get on base like this, Ji Maeng-ho had an on-base percentage of .528, making him a hitter for whom getting a walk all game was not unusual.

And now, Ji Maeng-ho’s second at-bat.

“The first pitch is a ball.”

“Kim Sung-gyeol had a very good command of his pitches today, but facing Ji Maeng-ho, the pressure is definitely on. He’s missing the zone by quite a bit.”

“Kim Sung-gyeol’s second pitch, outside. Ball. Two balls.”

“Hmm… Kim Sung-gyeol, you can’t afford to give Ji Maeng-ho another walk. Considering Bellington’s pitching today, there’s a high chance of a pitcher’s duel, so giving Ji Maeng-ho more walks is risky.”

“Kim Sung-gyeol’s third pitch, ah! It’s a ball! Three balls!”

“All three pitches have been outside, so he needs to take a bold move. Even though it’s Ji Maeng-ho, hitting a home run or getting a hit every time at-bat isn’t guaranteed. Now with three balls, he needs to put it in the strike zone.”

“Kim Sung-gyeol’s fourth pitch! Once again, outside! Walk! Ji Maeng-ho succeeds in reaching base after one out.”

“Hmm, Kim Sung-gyeol has been pitching quite well, but something seems off, doesn’t it?”

However, by this point, even the broadcasters and fans watching couldn’t help but feel that something was amiss.

– “Why is Seokgyeol acting like that??? He whines like a soaked puppy whenever he faces Maeng-ho.”

– “Damn, that bastard Seokgyeol is becoming famous.”

– “No way a player like that wins twice, right? Probably rigged.”

– “Wow, Maeng-ho Shin is insane at eyeing the ball!! Six walks in Koshien.”

– “Am I the only one finding this strange? All the pitches have been outside since yesterday.”

– “Something feels off about Maengho Shin’s last game of the season, this is a bit strange.”

– “Hmm… the Korean Series feels a bit off… I checked the stats and in the first and second games combined, Ji Maeng-ho didn’t receive a single strike?”

– “Could it be bad pitching?”

– “Isn’t the pitcher Kim Sung-gyeol?”

– “Looking at the stats, it does seem strange.”

– “Coach Moon Gitak said he had a way to stop Ji Maeng-ho, and here it is, right? Haha, amazing, Coach Chutaek!”

– “Why do you call the other team’s coach like that? Shows the level of their fans, haha.”

– “I can see the level of those who call themselves fans, hehe.”

As Ji Maeng-ho starts running, the baseball community begins to realize that something is amiss.

“Kim Su-ho hits towards second base! Third base runner Ji Maeng-ho heads for home in the meantime! He’s coming in! The score is 2:0! AT Thunderz turning the out count and score around!”

“Damn, Chutaek, are you crazy? I’ve been watching baseball for 20 years and never seen anything like this, damn.”

“I understand the intentional walk, but this is a bit…”

– “If that’s the case, just walk him intentionally, why bother throwing the ball? Haha.”

– “I feel sorry for Kim Sung-gyeol, his pitching is good today too. He probably wants to compete as well. Must be tough meeting that idiot coach, haha.”

– “FACT) Maengho Shin can score without even swinging the bat.”

– “Facts👍👀”

And this breadcrumb stirring up the community naturally caught the attention of the journalists

“Ah, I just saw it. Will there be an interesting article about UG in today’s issue? Hehe.”

“That’s right. Director Moon has a lot of enemies, doesn’t he?”

“Well, thanks to that, journalists like us can make a living. Let’s see how the game goes today first.”

“Yes, senior.”