That Damn Marte
[A grounder to the first baseman records the third out, and just like that the top of the fifth is over.]
[There was one hit-by-pitch, but they didn't allow another base beyond that.]
[Looking at Kang Hajin's pitching today, isn't he throwing more balls than usual? He's already issued two walks and one HBP.]
[That's right. The only real issue is that new slider he's debuting today—everything else looks perfectly commanded.]
[Should we take it that he hasn't fully mastered it yet?]
[Mm… something like that, I suppose. But it's improving rapidly as the innings go on. And the hitters are eating it up.]
[His pitch mix today is completely different from usual, isn't it? Just the fastball and the slider—only two pitches against every batter.]
[Well… actually you should count three. The four-seamer touching 160 km/h, plus two kinds of slider. Some people say the Deathball should be classified as a curve, but either way, the Savers battery seems to think these pitches are more than enough for today's game.]
"Whew… how we looking?"
"We can keep going like this through the next inning."
"Good."
Ko Mandeok and I had the same conversation at the end of every inning.
Ever since I'd thrown the Deathball, I'd been facing hitters with nothing but the fastball and the two sliders.
If the other side had figured out the little problem I was showing, I planned to go right back to my usual arsenal—but watching the hitters, they still hadn't caught on.
Or maybe they had and just couldn't do anything about it.
That little problem? When I threw the Deathball, my arm slot rose just a hair higher than normal.
The pitch itself was one that high-arm-slot guys loved to throw, so without thinking I was lifting my arm a fraction. Probably because I was chasing a sharper break.
It wasn't a huge difference, and I figured hitters would have a hard time picking up the angle in that split second anyway, so I just kept throwing it.
Ko Mandeok had fretted that the slot change might mess up my other pitches, but weirdly enough, everything else came out clean. Only the Deathball made my arm rise naturally like that.
After the game I'd probably tweak the angle or find some other fix.
"Rising four-seamer, sweeper, Deathball… those hitters are about to lose their minds. Heh."
Ko Mandeok snickered while staring at the other dugout.
This guy. He'd tried so hard to talk me out of throwing it when I first said I wanted to try… and now he was more excited than I was.
Opening Day was going perfectly.
With the score 1-0, Shane crushed the opposing pitcher's fastball and sent it over the wall—our first home run of the season, a two-run shot that made it 3-0.
I'd walked or hit three guys, but I'd only given up one actual hit. The dugout atmosphere was great. Everyone except one person.
Michael Len, the guy who'd taught me the grip, looked lost in thought despite the good vibes.
"…How is that even possible?"
"I-I dunno? Maybe it just suits me?"
Hard to explain…
Crack.
"Oh! Nice!"
Right on cue our captain ripped a single and reached first.
"I'll talk later~"
I grabbed my bat and hustled to the on-deck circle, ducking Michael Len's strange stare.
Shane, who'd already gone deep earlier, tried for another big one but flied out to center for the second out.
Two outs, runner on first—my third at-bat of the day.
Previous plate appearances: grounder to short, so I was 1-for-2 so far.
I'd cut almost every one of this pitcher's fastballs. Honestly the velocity wasn't anything special.
After I'd singled off his curve in the first at-bat, he seemed to be saving it. Second time up I'd grounded out on an inside sinker.
So this time I stepped in looking for only the sinker.
Fastballs I can foul off. Curve? I'll take until two strikes.
They said he also threw a slider and changeup… but I still hadn't seen either. He just wouldn't throw them to me.
First pitch of the at-bat, eyes locked on that inside sinker.
"Ball."
"…???"
What the hell was that changeup.
A changeup that just barely missed. Lucky for me—I hadn't moved a muscle.
I simply hadn't expected the pitch; the stuff itself was nothing special. No wonder he never threw it.
"Ball."
"Whew…"
A low outside fastball and I missed the timing again. Thankfully it was just off the plate once more.
Now the count was against him. What was he thinking, staring at a guy who hadn't even twitched?
Would he realize I was hunting the sinker? Or would he think I was sitting on the curve?
Whatever comes next, I'm swinging.
I didn't figure he'd go back to the changeup or the fastball. The changeup wasn't good enough to use twice on the same hitter, and I'd been fouling off every heater.
So curve or sinker…
Throw the curve. Curve. I'll take a nice free swing for you.
I wanted to look like I was sitting on the curve.
And the ball that left his hand was exactly the one I wanted.
CRACK!
"…Huh?"
[He got it! The left fielder isn't even moving! Kang Hajin pulls Martinez's curve perfectly—two-run home run! His first of the season!]
[He was clearly looking for it. Perfect timing. You could tell the second it left the bat it was gone.]
What the… why did it connect so cleanly…
I'd swung casually, figuring a whiff or a foul would be fine…
The ball made that splitting sound and rocketed into the distance.
"You crazy bastard! What the hell? How'd you hit that?"
"…"
I was trying to swing and miss and it just… hit.
[Top of the eighth. Kang Hajin is still on the mound. Pitch count so far: 103. Is he going for a complete-game shutout?]
[I don't think so. No reason to push it in the first game of the year. The lead is big and there are guys warming in the bullpen. He'll probably face Park Jun and then come out.]
The Dolphins hitters never did solve my slider, right to the end.
Seven innings, two hits, three free passes.
All with just the fastball and two sliders.
Then the top of the eighth.
Manager Park actually wanted me done, but I told him I wanted one more batter and climbed back on the mound.
Just one more hitter, I'd said.
No big reason. I just wanted to throw some other stuff.
It had been fun, but the simple mix got a little boring toward the end.
If the game had been tight I never would have thought that way, but once the score blew open…
So…
"Stri~ke!"
"Stri~ke!"
"Foul."
"Stri~ke! Out!"
[Kang Hajin comes out for the eighth and strikes out another one.]
[Watch closely—he just threw a curve, two-seamer, cutter, and splitter. Isn't that fun?]
[Ah… completely different from the mix he used through seven.]
[Exactly. He showed pitches he hadn't shown all day. Not sure what the intention was, but it's impressive and entertaining. How many different pitches did he use today, honestly? Haha.]
[Taking over the mound from Kang Hajin is rookie Jang Hak-yeon. Left-hander whose heavy fastball tops out at 150 km/h.]
[That fastball is really good. He used to struggle with secondary command, but apparently he cleaned it up a lot this spring.]
Jang Hak-yeon started the eighth with a walk, nerves getting to him.
But he settled down fast and even punched out Park Kang-su for a strikeout.
Then in the ninth it was Min Kyung-hak, the guy we'd acquired in the trade with Ko Young-soo.
Min Kyung-hak used his forkball to erase the ninth with one strikeout and two routine outs.
[The 2029 Opening Day ends with Kang Hajin's 7.1 scoreless innings and home runs from Shane and Kang Hajin—Savers crush the Dolphins 8-0!]
[Kang Hajin looks every bit as dominant as last season. And the Savers lineup looks very well prepared.]
[Player of the game is obviously this man. Let's go to the interview with Kang Hajin.]
I headed over for the interview and found Yoon Jia waiting.
Off-camera she called me "hyungbu"—brother-in-law.
"You showed another new pitch today. When did you prepare that one?"
I knew that question was coming.
If I answered "I learned it mid-game and used it right away," all hell would break loose.
So…
"Ah. This pitch, I…"
I was about to give some vague cover story when—
"$%^@$#%^@%$@^&%#^%@$%^%@$"
"…Huh?"
Marte suddenly barged in.
What the hell was this guy even saying?
But the look on Yoon Jia's face next to me was not good.
"O-oh, so is it true you learned it for the first time during today's game?"
"…Shit."
Come on, seriously… why are you doing this to me.
Articles and community boards were nothing but my name.
Genius, monster… someone even called me a player who'd walked into a video game…
"That goddamn Marte!"
Everyone who saw me kept asking about it—I was sick of answering. That was exactly why I'd tried to give a vague answer in the first place.
This was all Marte's fault.
"Just you wait… next time you pitch I'm hitting into five double plays…"
I mean it. Five double plays. Guaranteed.