episode_0316

“Damn, he’s persistent as hell.”

That was my observation as I watched the ball go over the fence. Jang Yoon, who had been showing signs of nervousness since the beginning of the game, finally hit a home run, narrowing the score gap to just one point. The score now stood at 6:5.

“Change the pitcher!”

Finally, the coach stepped onto the mound with the ball in hand. Jang Yoon accepted this as a reasonable decision. Since the next pitcher had been preparing from the start of the game, the change was swiftly executed.

“Phew….”

The pitcher warming up was Park Junhyung. Although it had only been three days since his last appearance as a starter in Game 4, he was a pitcher capable of holding off the opponents for at least one or two innings.

“Infielders, gather around. Yoon may have come down, but remember we’re still winning. Let’s focus on each defensive play and head back to Jamsil.”

“Yes!”

After a brief meeting in the infield, the game resumed in the bottom of the 4th inning. Park Junhyung’s first pitch landed right in the strike zone.

“Junhyung seems to be in good condition, doesn’t he?”

The fact that the starting pitcher came up from the bullpen and immediately threw a strike with his first pitch held significant meaning. As I anticipated, Park Junhyung managed to close out the bottom of the 4th inning, retiring the remaining batters.

“Hyung, the ball feels good today, doesn’t it?”

“I’m focused.”

Despite his confident demeanor, Park Junhyung’s voice was trembling. A Seoul native, a former junior member of the AT Thunder franchise, and a franchise starter facing a critical one-point situation. The pressure Park Junhyung was feeling could be sensed without even asking. It wasn’t just him; the dugout returning after the inning was oddly quiet.

The dugout had been lively until I hit the home run, but as we gave up runs, the players seemed to be getting tense. As victory drew closer, the pressure was weighing down on the players.

“Why’s the dugout atmosphere like this? Anyone would think we’re losing. If I don’t hear voices from my batting spot, we’re having a team meeting today. Got it?”

In such an atmosphere, the leadoff batter cracked a joke and headed towards the plate.

“Go, Leadoff!”

“Hyung, send one flying!”

While the players responded to these words, it seemed forced to me, trying to boost their spirits.

“Indeed, to turn the tide in this situation, we need a big hit.”

As always, a big hit was needed to change the atmosphere. After scoring in the 3rd inning, we needed additional runs to shift the momentum. I steeled myself and grabbed the bat, heading to the on-deck circle.

Thunk!

Unfortunately, there were no runners on base in front of me. The leadoff hitter’s hit turned into a ground ball to second base, resulting in an out. The pitcher who had been on the mound to face the left-handed batter was replaced. The new pitcher was UG’s starter and swingman in the Korean Series, Seo Dongho.

It seemed like he had thrown quite a few innings when the web collapsed in Game 5, and today was no different.

“A slider.”

“A slider from the first pitch?”

Was he planning to work outside? It seemed intimidating to throw a slider inside to me…

“Ball.”

As expected, the first pitch was a wide ball.

“Focus.”

“Okay.”

Showing one outside and then hitting the inside corner was textbook pitching. With Baek Gyeongho being replaced, they were probably discussing pitch selection in the UG dugout, so it was somewhat predictable. After winding up, he threw the ball,

Swish – Crack!

I pulled strongly at the inside pitch, sending a loud crack as the ball flew towards the third-base stands, foul. The timing was quicker than I had anticipated.

“It seems like his speed is slightly lower than usual.”

I glanced at the scoreboard discreetly. The displayed speed was 143 km/h. Considering his average speed in the high 140s, it was clear that he was still feeling the effects from his previous outing on the mound two days ago.

“Kid, you’re lucky. Normally, you would have disappeared towards the fence right away.”

I had thought about testing how long my luck would hold, but unfortunately, there were no more opportunities. After seeing the foul ball, the guy who seemed to be a catcher started pulling the ball outside.

“Bases loaded!”

I could only walk to first base.

“Well, it’s one out. Let’s just score one run for now. We need one run to turn the tide. Rosby, right?”

“It’s a fastball.”

“Okay. Let’s wait for one pitch at least…”

Thwack!

As I was thinking of running to second base, the hit sounded. Instinctively, I ran to second base as the ball rolled towards the infield, but the shortstop had already tossed the ball to the second baseman, and the baseball passed over me as I ran.

“Out!”

It was a double play on Choi Jin-cheol’s first pitch.

“Ugh…”

“Ha… Damn, this isn’t working.”

“…Senior, please wait a bit.”

“Sorry. I swung too nicely.”

The deteriorating condition turned out to be a setback. A well-hit ball by Seo Dong-ho due to his poor form. Having witnessed Seo Dong-ho’s pitching firsthand, I could somewhat understand Choi Jin-cheol’s feelings.

“Lucky bastard. But this is going to be a bit tough…”

UG relentlessly chasing like in a Korean Series, and the stagnant dugout.

“If I knew it would be like this, I should have bet myself. I won’t miss it next time.”

—

“Yoon Young-joo hits it high! Park Joon-hyung finishes a tough 6th inning! The score is 6:5!”

After an early exit by Jang Yoon, Park Joon-hyung finished the scoreless pitching until the 6th inning and stepped down from the mound. However, the precarious situation akin to walking on thin ice did not change for AT despite that.

In the top of the 7th, Lee Seok-gyun, who had started as the fourth pitcher in the previous game, came up to the UG mound and retired the left-handed batters with three strikeouts. In the bottom of the 7th, Kang Se-ho, the key player of the team, took the mound for AT.

“Now, Kang Se-ho is coming up to the mound for AT.”

“Kang Se-ho has been on the mound for 10 out of 14 games since the playoffs began. It must be quite exhausting, but he’s still taking the mound.”

“In the regular season, pitchers usually don’t come in during such situations, right?”

“That’s right. But this is the Korean Series, and it’s the final game for the championship. Before being nominated by the coach, Kang Se-ho must have been mentally preparing himself.”

In the final game for the championship, with just one run difference, there was likely no pitcher who would refuse to take the mound. Kang Se-ho was one of those pitchers.

However,

Crack!

“Choi Jae-hyun hits it to the fence! Just over the fence! It’s 6:6 tied now! UG Overlords balancing the game again! The Korean Series for UG Overlords is not over yet! The game starts again now!”

Running out of energy at the very end was inevitable.

“Ah, Se-ho finally got hit…”

“Oh… Just go with Park Joon-hyung…”

“But I don’t really want to curse Kang Se-ho. He’s been through a lot so far.”

In the 7th game of the Korean Series, where the game was tied with a home run, there weren’t many AT fans cursing the pitcher Kang Se-ho who allowed the home run. AT fans also knew how much Kang Se-ho had sacrificed for the team. Fortunately for the AT supporters, Kang Se-ho managed to get through the remaining outs in the 7th inning unscathed, but the given runs couldn’t be taken back.

“How many more plate appearances for the ‘Mighty Tiger’?”

“It seems like one more plate appearance. He’s the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 8th.”

“Please, ‘Mighty Tiger,’ please…”

I’m grateful for your support, but I had to deactivate my Instagram account because of you guys. Damn it. And the jerk who sent a dick pic, I’ll find and kill him. Thank you for cheering me on, I’ll keep working hard in the future. Please look forward to the second half. [Total comments: 6916]

-Please, Maengho God, just one more time.

-I believe in you, Maengho God.

-I know it’s shameless, but please give us one more chance.

In a tied situation like this, throughout the season and into the postseason, fans had no corner to trust except Maengho, who always rescued the team from crises.

[Top of the 8th inning, leadoff batter is Maengho. On the mound, UG’s closer Kim Woo-jun. Manager Moon Ki-taek throws another curveball.]

[Can they stop Maengho? The 2023 championship hangs on this one? Manager Moon Ki-taek plays his strongest card from the remaining deck.]

Kim Woo-jun, considered a step below Go Young-hwan, was a top-tier domestic closer who had consistently recorded 30 or more saves each season.

[He caught Kim Woo-jun’s pitch! Maengho hits it hard! Hard! Right fielder, center fielder! The center fielder catches it!]

“Ah, damn it! How did he catch that?!”

Thinking he had hit the ball well, Maengho watched as the center fielder caught it at the end of the wall. He swung his bat in frustration, knowing that if he aimed for a walk or a hit, he could have reached base. But his determination to resolve it himself turned out to be his downfall.

-I’m grateful for your support, but I had to deactivate my Instagram account because of you guys. Damn it. And the jerk who sent a dick pic, I’ll find and kill him. Thank you for cheering me on, I’ll keep working hard in the future. Please look forward to the second half. [Total comments: 7036]

-Ah, damn it, can’t you hit that?

-F**k, what a disaster hahaha

-You were talking big, now you look pathetic hahaha

-Their own World Class level hahaha. Did Kim Woo-jun get destroyed?

“That’s it!”

Watching Maengho’s out, Moon Ki-taek couldn’t help but let out a sound of relief as his pitcher change paid off. After Choi Jin-cheol hit a single with one out, Kim Woo-joo finished his inning without allowing any runs and left the mound.

“Now, if we can just score…”

Moon Ki-taek imagined the happiness of winning as he watched the pitcher throwing in the bullpen on screen.

[Austin Webb is getting ready in UG’s bullpen?]

[Although he started in Game 5, it seems like he’s being held in the bullpen after struggling early.]

The reason Moon Ki-taek boldly brought in the closer in the 8th inning was because of the presence of Austin Webb, who had delivered MVP-level performances despite being a mercenary. Unusually, Webb volunteered to pitch in the last situation of Game 7, and Moon Ki-taek gladly accepted.

As Game 7 went on, just like AT was crumbling, it was natural that UG’s bullpen, including Webb, was starting to feel the physical strain. Moreover, with Benjamin faltering today, the bullpen had been heavily used, making Webb’s request to pitch unavoidable.

“Please, let’s just score one run. Then AT’s lineup starts from the 8th spot.”

And miraculously, UG Overz’s home stadium granted Moon Ki-taek’s wish.

[Kim Jung-wan hits to left! Left! Over the wall! It’s gone! A solo home run! This player, who replaced Baek Kyung-ho due to injury, creates a game-changing score! The hero is Kim Jung-wan!]

“This is the beauty of baseball! A substitute coming in and making a decisive score! Just over the wall, AT Thunderz players must be cursing the Literature Stadium!”]