Damn Hanging Tough (4)
Top of the 6th. Titans' No. 7 hitter Kim Taeyong stepped up to the plate.
Crack!!
“Strike!”
Whiff!!
“Swinging strike!”
Crack!!
“Strike three!”
After Kim Taeyong trudged back to the dugout.
Thud, thud.
Next up was No. 8 hitter Jeong Hanseong.
Crack!!
Soyanghyeon clicked his tongue for no reason.
Thwack!
“Ball.”
Jin Yuha's four-seamer averaged 160 km/h. Harold Gallen threw hard too, but...
Crack!!
Pat, pat.
Thwack!
Batters get more comfortable facing pitchers the more they see them. That's why starters need a wide arsenal to survive. Even I, who thinks my four-seamer has more bite than Harold Gallen's, throw over eight pitches. And yet.
“Why can't anyone hit this guy's two-pitch stuff?”
“Ugh... but the contact was solid, right?”
Half-joking, of course. Harold Gallen's four-seamer and curve were both big-league quality.
Plus, I tend to believe in matchup luck.
The Dodgers and Mets were like that for me. No matter how great the hitter, wearing their uniform just made things easier.
The Titans must be Harold Gallen's kryptonite team. But.
'He'd struggle as a big-league starter. That's why he stayed in Korea?'
Most pitchers would've pushed for the majors even as relievers.
'People are different.'
Not my place to judge. I'm the guy who picked KBO over MLB.
“Ha, why'd Baek Jihun sunbae bunt on the first pitch? Didn't even give me time to gear up...”
“Hanseong, I can hear you.”
“Oh, slipped out.”
“Is that a trend now? Hyung's hurt, man.”
Leaving Jeong Hanseong scrambling into his catcher's gear, I headed out with Baek Jihun sunbae.
“Sunbae.”
“Call me hyung.”
“Anyway, you know the first-pitch bunt was kinda iffy, right?”
“Ugh...”
I grinned and encouraged him.
“So show it on defense. Balls are coming your way today.”
“R... right.”
“All-Star. Gotta go, yeah?”
“...Yeah!”
Easy guy to handle, all around.
Crack!!
. . .
Thwack!!
. . .
Thwack!!
“Shxt.”
Rangers starter Harold Gallen muttered under his breath as he headed to the mound.
'No rest at all.'
He'd barely sat on the dugout bench before having to climb back up. As an ace, how could he not feel the gripe? Especially.
'Lineup starts from the top... Damn, these guys are tough enough already!'
The Titans, leading the Eastern League. Their success rode on Jin Yuha and James Gilbert, sure—but you couldn't ignore the top of their order's firepower.
'Leadoff Jeong Suyeong. Classic table-setter. Pesky, precise. Tough matchup for a guy like me. But...'
Harold Gallen wasn't just anyone against the Titans. He struck out Jeong Suyeong on six pitches.
'Kang Gihoo. Season's top slugger. Gotta be careful here.'
As he feared, Kang Gihoo ripped a sharp liner—but.
“Out!”
Thankfully, right at the second baseman.
“Phew...”
Harold Gallen exhaled in relief.
'Getting dicey... And matched up against Jin Yuha, of all people.'
Last year, since debuting in KBO, games against the win-machine Titans had never felt this heavy.
Bottom of the 7th.
'Frank's not on today.'
One of my most reliable bats, Frank Rodriguez, looked off. Not just hitless so far.
'Swing's sloppy.'
Unlike his usual compact stroke, today's swings were amateurish. Exaggerating a bit, like Baek Jihun sunbae's.
“Tch.”
Nothing for it. Blaming a guy in a slump was foolish.
'At least defense is holding.'
I'm inducing grounders and Ks, but flies happen. Luckily, Frank and the outfielders covered Jamsil Dome's vast grass cleanly.
Guess the hellish fungo drills after the Carvers' error fest paid off. Or they're just hyper-focused to avoid repeats.
Thwack!!
“Ah.”
No. 1 hitter Son Myungwoo pushed an outside two-seamer the wrong way. Dropped where even Baek Jihun sunbae's range couldn't reach.
Between me and Harold Gallen, mine cracked first.
'Feels kinda weird...'
If I had to name it, irritating.
Thwack!
No. 2, Lee Geonmin. The bad-ball hitter usually greedy, but he bunted right away. Rangers desperate not to waste the breakthrough.
“First!”
Fielded and fired to first on Jeong Hanseong's call.
“Out!”
Batter got—but.
“Safe!”
Couldn't stop the runner to second.
“You good?”
Jeong Hanseong asked.
“Just get the next guy. Whatever.”
I shrugged.
“Shut this inning scoreless, so step up and deliver at the plate.”
“Tch. Sorry, no excuses.”
“Knew it.”
Sac bunt? Zero sweat.
Crack!!
“Strike three!”
Crack!!
“Strike three!”
Strike out the rest, and it's meaningless.
'Song Hanil sunbae's eyes softened up.'
Makes sense after three straight Ks.
Late innings. Cracks finally showed in both aces' perfection.
Bottom 7th, I gave Son Myungwoo my first hit. Top 8th, Jegal Hoon ripped a wall-double off Harold Gallen.
But today's duel masters wobbled without breaking.
I escaped man on second, one out with back-to-back Ks. Harold Gallen whiffed the last guy with a high-curve targeting the ABS zone.
. . .
“Phew...”
Crack!!
A clean rip echoed through Jamsil Dome.