Pitchers' Nightmare Returns!
The pitchers' nightmare had returned! Reaching first base on a walk, Kim Hu-seong felt a twisted sort of thrill from it. He glanced toward the dugout to check for any signs. Sure enough, the dugout was buzzing with activity over his first time on base—strategies like steal attempts and sacrifice bunts seemed to be under discussion. Still deliberating, then... He crouched low on the base, eyes locked on the pitcher.
Choi Kang-hyuk was a lefty. And stealing against a left-handed pitcher was risky. Kim Hu-seong shifted his gaze to the catcher. Daejeon MacPies' catcher was Ha Seon-gyu—not even an A-grade or B-grade guy. Yet he was the starter simply because the MacPies lacked any good options behind the plate. From the pitcher's perspective, it was dangerous; from the catcher's, it was doable. His mind screamed risky, but his body radiated confidence: This is winnable—why not go for it?
They must have decided by now. What? Do whatever I think is best? In this situation...? Of course, he preferred freedom. But no instructions in a key moment like this? Or did it mean they trusted him that much? He fixed his eyes on the pitcher and took the maximum lead possible against a lefty—one step, half a step. Any farther and it'd be too dangerous. But this distance? Winnable. It was about the same as when he'd faced Gwangju Pigeons' ace Im Jong-hyeon before.
Huh? Something clicked that he hadn't noticed before. There was one more huge advantage against a lefty: just as they could watch him easily, he could watch them too. Whoops, almost laughed out loud.Gang-hyuk, whatcha gonna do about it?
Unfortunately for Choi Kang-hyuk, even from here, his arm was visible. No twitching in the muscles. That meant an off-speed pitch. If there was no pickoff attempt, Kim Hu-seong could go. The moment Choi Kang-hyuk went into his motion, he bolted.
Tadak-tadak—
"Runner's going!"
Gu Min-seok, spotting him, swung through. The catcher received the ball, twisted back slightly as he rose, and fired. It came in fast but a bit high. The tag came late, and Kim Hu-seong stretched out, touching the bag first.
"Safe."
It was a clean slide. Whew... He lay flat on the base, exhaling softly in relief. Adrenaline surged, his heart pounding, but he kept his face neutral. He popped up quickly and eyed the opposition. Choi Kang-hyuk wore a "got me" expression.
Kekeke.Bet you didn't see that coming right away.Who throws an off-speed there? And lobbing it casually against the guy who's third in steals? Still got that rookie vibe, huh. Good—now for the bench's call...
Same instruction: do what he thought best? Hm. Probably smart to hold here. One hit and it's a run. But their bats weren't clicking today. Then...
Choi Kang-hyuk was mostly fastballs now. Occasional changeups or sliders, but way less. Minus. The catcher's green—plus. Not enough, though. Stealing third needed at least one more edge...
Alright, let's make one. A massive lead.
"Kim Hu-seong... that's a huge lead..."
"He's saying he's going. That kind of lead is basically taunting the catcher."
"So, is Kim Hu-seong basically trash-talking, like 'Bet you can't stop me'?"
"Exactly. Second base is a battle with the pitcher; third is with the catcher. Let's see how this plays out..."
Lee Seo-jin the commentator sounded impressed yet conflicted.
"Ah, looks like Kim Hu-seong... yeah, he's definitely going. No need for that lead otherwise."
"Or is it some advanced mind game?"
"Kim Hu-seong tries tough stuff a lot... unless there's something else, I dunno."
The catcher, fresh off allowing the steal, was rattled—either dazed or heating up. Tense people slip up. Vets stay cool, but...
How's MacPies' catcher handling it? Choi Kang-hyuk wound up again. Quick four-seam fastball, clocking 155 km/h.
"High."
"He's aware of the runner—ball's sailing up. Choi Kang-hyuk needs to refocus on the hitter."
"No pickoff option?"
"Could work, but nabbing runners is tough. Plus, Kim Hu-seong's the fox who's beaten national team guys. Best to attack the batter."
Suddenly, the catcher fired to second. No you don't~! Kim Hu-seong dove back, and the shortstop bobbled the rushed throw.
"Dropped it~! Tsk... didn't get far enough. No third."
"Close call... a bit more and Kim Hu-seong's at third."
Ball back to the mound; he widened his lead again. Choi Kang-hyuk turned, glaring. Silence hung...
...Whatcha got?
Choi Kang-hyuk faced front. The instant his leg lifted—Kim Hu-seong sprinted for third without hesitation.
Pop! Gu Min-seok froze, no swing. Sometimes that's more threatening on the third-base side. Daejeon MacPies' Ha Seon-gyu caught it and hesitated a split-second before lunging forward for the throw. His form crumbled; the ball tailed off. Kim Hu-seong slid in—safe again.
He caught his breath on third, rising slowly. Faint murmurs from the dugout.
"Kim Hu-seong's steal puts him at 32 on the season. He's now solo second in steals, just six behind Eulji Crows' Chae Ji-hoon for the lead."
Pausing, Lee Seo-jin added, tracing the momentum: "At this rate, Kim Hu-seong could catch him."
A sign from the bench? Gu Min-seok looked lighter at the plate.
Sweeeep! Thwack!
"Batter connects." Intentional swing, no greed—just pushing it up. The ball floated high to right, not deep, but enough for him. Kim Hu-seong watched only the right fielder from third. Ball hit glove—he started.
"Kim Hu-seong tags up! Heading home."
The catcher got it, but way too late.
"Bottom of the fourth. Gocheok Turkeys draw first blood."
Cheers and applause greeted him back in the dugout. Breathing hard, he sat. Whew... hold up, these macarons really suiting me? Desserts aren't healthy, but damn, they're helping. Ask Ha-yoon where she got 'em later?
By the sixth, Daejeon MacPies yanked their pitcher immediately. Tight 1-0 game—they couldn't lose momentum. Up stepped Moon Chan-seok, practically a closer-tier arm.
Damn... shoulda eaten the rest of those macarons.
At the plate, fatigue spiked again. He'd planned to snack before defense, but regret hit hard.
Sweeeep! Pang!
Crisp smack into the mitt. Hah... look at that velocity. Insane... First pitch confirmed it. Tough. Board showed 157. Felt faster; different sound on contact. Inside fastball—bat didn't come through.
Moon Chan-seok threw again. Shweeeeeep! Pop!
Whoa... that a slider? Late-140s heat slider inside. Two-pitch guy: four-seam and slider. Fastball tough enough; this one mimicked it before breaking hard. In top form, he'd have chased the strike, whiffing as it dove. But now, condition tanked—legs heavier, arms losing power on swings.
Ah... power's draining... how to handle that in this shape...
No choice now. Deep breath, refocus. Eye the pitcher, figure the read.
Sweeeep! Another fastball.
Uh... shit. No reaction. Pang!
...Huh? Checked the board. Three green lights: 3-0.
Eh...? Control's trash? Makes sense—no pinpoint with that velo. Power pitcher, wild. Fine by him. He stared boldly.
...Sweeeeeep! Pang!
Another heater—but no strike call.
"Ah... ball high. Straight walk."
Lee Seo-jin stated it flatly.
"That's it confirmed. Kim Hu-seong's eye is sharper now. This feels like prime Lee Gyu-yong back in action. Safe to say the pitchers' nightmare has returned."