Towards Fifth Place (7)
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
“Jung Woojin—base hit!”
Watching leadoff hitter and center fielder Jung Woojin, the Seoul Grizzlies’ home fans begged him even more desperately to hang on and keep fighting.
Whoosh—!
“Strikeout!”
But there were no exceptions.
Outside corner! Strikeout! The Daejeon Hawks take a precious 5–1 victory and close the gap to half a game!
Yesterday and today, the Daejeon Hawks are truly showing the face of a powerhouse.
Nice.
It was a game that left Lee Hajun with no choice but to smile brightly.
He had done his job as the leadoff hitter. Yu Seungjin had pitched brilliantly as the starter. The bullpen remained an iron wall. And even Park Jinhyeok, who had struggled through the middle of the game as the three-hole hitter, had come through with the insurance runs.
This team was truly strong.
Watching them prove it day by day was simply pure joy.
“Ooooooh! Strongest Daejeon will claim victory!”
The Hawks fans stayed behind, still chanting the name of today’s winners.
“Hajun and Jays kept creating chances, and I couldn’t cash them in. I’m sorry.”
Park Jinhyeok, the hero of the three-RBI dagger, answered the interview with a genuinely apologetic face.
He really shouldn’t have felt that way, but if he had simply grounded out with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, he would have wanted to snap his bat in half.
“Tomorrow’s game is going to draw a huge amount of fan interest. That concludes the interview.”
The Daejeon Hawks’ surge.
Most people love an underdog story.
Professional baseball is no exception.
On a more realistic level, the dominant teams of any era tend to attract envy and jealousy, so when a weaker club climbs the standings, fans of other teams can cheer without bitterness. But the Hawks’ second-half run had earned genuine respect from baseball fans across the board.
As long as they don’t threaten my team, I hope the Daejeon Hawks do well.
More and more fans were saying exactly that, and the weekend series between the Daejeon Hawks and the Seoul Grizzlies was drawing more attention right now than even the race for first place in Korean baseball.
“Yesterday and today, we clearly led those games.”
Manager Park Taesik gathered the players and spoke.
His style had changed after years of coaching experience and exposure to Japanese and American baseball, but the leadership that had made him famous as a player still gave his words a persuasive force that went beyond the content itself.
“We are stronger, and they are tired. We take tomorrow’s game for certain.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Even if you want to go out and play, hold off until after tomorrow.”
The moment the manager stepped away, captain Kim Dongseong spoke up.
He said things like this especially often whenever they came to Seoul on a road trip.
That said, finding anything that could dump more dopamine into their brains right now than climbing into fifth place was nearly impossible, so he trusted them to handle themselves.
“I’m still shaking.”
“From what?”
“That Steven kid’s swing is so vicious I honestly thought I might get hit this time.”
On the bus ride back after their showers, Jin Yeongil spoke up.
Yeongil’s face always showed exactly what he was feeling, so Hajun knew the words were sincere.
Even though he had been overshadowed by Hajun this season, Yeongil was having a career year of his own.
A reliable lefty card you could trust against the opposing lineup’s ace left-handed hitters. And the coaches were starting to expect even more from their left-handed bullpen arm.
The massive trade with the Seoul Lakers truly had no dead weight in it.
“Hey, hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“About Elliott tomorrow.”
Hajun was already thinking about tomorrow’s starter for the Seoul Grizzlies—the left-handed starter Elliott.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“His delivery looks a little similar to yours.”
“Does it?”
“·····”
He’s not that interested, huh.
The two deliveries Hajun knew were genuinely almost identical.
“Full overhand like you, and the slider’s his main weapon. Any tips?”
“I’ve never faced myself, and I wasn’t much of a hitter back in school either, so I’m not sure what to tell you.”
Surprisingly, Yeongil’s expression turned serious as he thought it over.
“Guys with good eyes who don’t strike out easily are the most annoying.”
“Are there hitters who aren’t like that?”
“It’s a little different. Pitchers who throw as dynamically as I do usually don’t have great command on top of it.”
Yeongil briefly demonstrated his own form.
Overhand power pitchers have high release points, so from a hitter’s perspective the ball inevitably feels more intimidating.
“I’m not a pitch-to-contact guy either, so if the other guy won’t strike out and won’t even swing at balls, I’m really in trouble.”
“Ah·····”
So against an overhand pitcher, the smart approach was to shrink the zone and choke up on the bat for shorter cuts whenever possible.
Hajun had already heard that from the coaches many times.
Yeongil’s advice wasn’t particularly special.
Yet strangely, the thought of facing Elliott tomorrow felt a little lighter.
“What if it were me?”
“I’d probably just try to get you out with contact and move on.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, wait—then you’d just steal, so that wouldn’t work either.”
“·····”
Hajun let out a short laugh.
“Batting first, Lee Hajun! Batting second, Jays! Batting third, Park Jinhyeok! Batting fourth, Kim Dongseong! Batting fifth·····”
This entire weekend series at Jamsil will be played in front of sellout crowds. Hello, baseball fans. Daejeon Hawks versus Seoul Grizzlies, Seoul Grizzlies versus Daejeon Hawks—today is the final day of the series.
The cheering battle is already fierce, isn’t it?
A team that refused to drop out of fifth.
A team desperate to breathe the air of a higher floor.
The standings could shift again next week.
But right now they only cared about the ranking from this evening through tomorrow.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
Once again, Lee Hajun took the field as the leadoff shortstop.
Cheers and camera flashes exploded from every direction.
Elliott of the Grizzlies takes the mound to protect his team’s ranking and will face Lee Hajun.
He’s known as a lefty killer—how will he fare against this particular hitter?
First pitch!
Elliott wound up with his dynamic delivery and fired.
Whoosh—!
“Strike!”
“Hoo·····”
A 153 km/h fastball.
On top of that, the tall pitcher raised his arm so high that it felt like the ball was dropping from the top of a building.
Elliott challenges with heat right from the first pitch and takes the early strike.
If it’s out of the zone, no need to swing.
He had simply watched because left-handed power starters were rare in the league.
Hajun did not flinch.
Whoosh—!
“Ball!”
Crack—!
“Foul!”
After fouling off the outside pitch, Hajun briefly called time.
It definitely looked like it was in the zone.
A dropping splitter followed by an outside slider.
The pitch had been in the zone, but the stuff was so good he couldn’t square it up.
Elliott has two strikes and prepares to pitch.
With the count 1-2, Hajun choked up a little shorter on the bat than before.
Then Elliott delivered.
Fastball!
Crack—!
He got wood on it!
The ball lofted upward, and Hajun simply ran out of obligation.
The ball doesn’t leave the infield—one out!
Elliott does a fine job retiring a very difficult hitter.
Tch.
“How was it?”
“He’s throwing with everything from the start.”
“Got it. Tough break.”
“Yes.”
Passing Jays as he headed to the plate, Hajun spoke to Park Jinhyeok, who was moving into the on-deck circle.
The powerful breaking balls had made him a half-beat late on the fastball, and he had simply popped out to the infield.
“·····”
Don’t get impatient.
Hajun looked ahead to the next chance.
The Hawks were mostly right-handed hitters by nature, and even if they failed to score in the top of the first, they still had Ryze—the most trustworthy starter on the staff today.
Whoosh—!
“Ball!”
Walk! The Seoul Grizzlies seize a no-out, first-and-second chance!
Ryze’s pitches are missing the zone a little more today.
As always, baseball loved to betray expectations.
If we can just get past this guy·····
Gulp.
Hajun swallowed dryly.
It wasn’t because the heat still hadn’t broken.
It was because the batter was Steven, the league’s home-run leader.
Crack—!
“·····”
He pulled it! Over the right fielder’s head! Over the right fielder’s head!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
Hajun’s eyes flicked toward the right-field wall for a split second before he realized it was meaningless.
Even the home cheering section along the first-base line had already moved past hope into pure certainty.
It’s gone! Three-run homer! Once again the Grizzlies’ cleanup man Steven delivers—season home run number 41!
The fastball was a little middle-in, but to just crush it like that····· truly incredible.
“Come on, come on—we can still turn this around! Let’s give Ryze a big round of encouragement!”
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
The Hawks cheer leader called for support.
Of course they still expected a comeback—they knew how strong this Hawks team was.
Crack—!
But expectation always carried the possibility of betrayal.
It’s gone again—this time to left! Yoo Sihyeok’s two-run homer makes it a five-run lead!
“Ah·····”
The infielders, including Hajun, and Ryze on the mound all simply stared up at the sky.
“Batting first, Lee Hajun! Base hit! Lee Hajun!”
Elliott has not allowed a single baserunner through three innings. Now he faces the Hawks lineup for a second time.
His stuff is truly excellent today.
“Hoo·····”
Elliott of the Grizzlies was still pitching a perfect game through three. Ryze of the Hawks, at least, had stopped the bleeding since the second. Trailing by five, the first batter of the top of the fourth for the Hawks was Lee Hajun.
Nothing’s changed.
Whether the other guy was throwing a three-inning perfect game or not, he still had to do what he could do.
It was about synthesizing the swings he had practiced, the data he had studied on the opponent, and the feel he was getting today into one agreement.
Whoosh—!
“Strike!”
“·····”
155 km/h! Elliott records his highest velocity of the day!
Still got gas left? Elliott is shifting into a higher gear against a tough hitter.
Monster of a guy.
He was clearly an outstanding pitcher.
Crack—!
“Foul!”
The scoreboard lit up with 155 again.
But not so good that I can’t touch him.
His contact ability was something he trusted.
Hajun had enough faith in his own skill that velocity like that wouldn’t make him shrink.
Whoosh—!
“Ball!”
Crack—!
“Foul!”
Crack—!
“Foul!”
Whoosh—!
“Ball!”
The pitch misses! This battle still isn’t decided even on the ninth pitch!
That’s Lee Hajun for you—he never goes down easily.
Elliott, who had dominated the Hawks lineup for three innings, twisted his face.
No pitcher on earth enjoys having to throw at least ten pitches to a single batter.
Here comes the tenth pitch!
“Hit! Hit! Hit!”
“Strikeout! Strikeout! Strikeout!”
Score difference or not, this had become a battle neither side could back down from.
Elliott threw the tenth pitch.
Crack—!
He pulls it—and it finds a hole! Base hit!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“FUCK!”
Elliott’s mouth shape was unmistakable.
A clean single that threaded the gap between first and second.
Hajun, who had tormented Elliott, stood on first.
Was that a slider?
The slider that should have worked the outer half against a lefty had come in flat and middle, and Hajun had not missed it.
“Safe!”
“Booooooooooo!”
Ignoring the pickoff throws, Hajun kept widening his lead.
The score difference was large.
He wasn’t actively thinking of a steal, but he still wanted to rattle the opposing pitcher any way he could.
Whoosh—!
“Strikeout!”
Inside fastball! Elliott’s sixth strikeout of the day!
Even Jays, with his excellent eye, could only watch it go by.
After working the outer half, the fastball came screaming inside.
Elliott stayed composed and retired Jays.
Crack—!
He pulled it! It’s carrying! The wall! It’s gone!
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
Yes!
Standing on first, Hajun clenched his fist and slowly circled the bases.
The Hawks close the gap by two! Season home run number 30 for Park Jinhyeok!
Did that ten-pitch battle earlier take a toll? The fastball was up in the zone.
It was hard to believe this was the same Park Jinhyeok who had been swinging and missing endlessly through the middle of yesterday’s game.
He had produced a lightning swing and a home run.
“Yes! Nice!”
“We can do this. We can do this.”
Hajun and Park Jinhyeok high-fived their teammates as they returned home, and Kim Dongseong stepped into the box with eyes that had gone razor-sharp.