Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Revenge Against Japan (2)
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‘Darvish...’
Seeing Darvish brought back memories from Joo Seung-cheol's childhood for a moment.
'Dad's last season in Texas... that was when Darvish debuted there.'
Back when his mom was working as an actress in Korea, he hadn't been in the States with his dad in Texas, but Joo Seung-cheol had always watched his father's games on video.
And that's how he first saw Darvish pitching on TV. Darvish's first impression left him in awe: An Asian guy can do that? Darvish was the first wall that made Joo Seung-cheol gasp in admiration.
The young Asian player who had played alongside his father and made him feel like a wall was now a veteran standing in Joo Seung-cheol's way.
Pa-ang!
“Strike!”
‘Heavy as ever.’
He'd confirmed it on video, but the velocity hadn't dropped much from his prime. Darvish had been performing so well in recent years that you could call this his second golden era.
And Darvish's out pitch was...
“Swing strike!”
Just like the pitch Joo Seung-cheol swung at now—a slider. It was a predictable pattern, but the ball came in looking like a fastball before breaking sharply, fooling him completely.
‘Decided to go with the slider today, huh? Makes sense—fastballs against Joo Tae-sunbae and Sang-joo sunbae, sliders to catch Jin-mo sunbae and Han-beom sunbae. Yeah, Darvish's key today is the slider.’
Joo Seung-cheol quickly recalled the earlier at-bats and locked in on his target pitch. Then he faced Darvish's next delivery.
Whoooosh!
“Swing strike! Out!”
“Arghhh!”
He knew it was coming, but he still couldn't make contact. Joo Seung-cheol let out a burst of frustration. But this slider dropped vertically, unlike the horizontal breaker from before. With his mind fixed only on the horizontal slide, he had no choice but to bite.
“Sunbaenim, he threw a vertical slider too.”
“Yeah? He didn't use it in the first, so I thought he was all horizontal sliders today, but he's mixing it up.”
Kim Soo-ho's words were unusually long. He was feeling the pressure too. But his situation was better than Joo Seung-cheol's. As a lefty facing a righty's slider, the pitch was plain as day to him.
Darvish's main weapon, the slider, was basically neutralized against lefty Kim Soo-ho. That said, he still had the two-seamer for lefties, so complacency wasn't an option. The two-seamer that ran away to a lefty's outside corner. But overpowering Darvish wasn't the plan anyway. Push the two-seamer—that's what filled Kim Soo-ho's mind.
‘Two-seamer only. Two-seamer only.’
Kim Soo-ho stepped in, his focus solely on Darvish's two-seamer. After a gritty battle to seven pitches...
Tak!
“Short!”
He grounded out to shortstop and retreated.
“A hair late.”
His voice dripped with regret. As Kim Soo-ho headed back to the dugout, he spotted the next batter, Ji Maeng-ho. The young guy from his organization who'd spouted nonsense at a senior like Sung Hyun-han. Kim Soo-ho, who'd bounced around three teams, wanted nothing to do with him.
But...
“Ji Maeng-ho!”
“...Yes?!”
“Get one. I believe in you!”
He'd chewed him out after the first inning, so he wanted to encourage the frozen rookie. The kid lacked common sense, but they were teammates, after all.
‘Not like me at all.’
Kim Soo-ho's face flushed a bit as he ducked into the dugout, unaccustomed to such behavior.
*
Why'd that guy suddenly talk to me? Feeling sorry? I was chatting with Rogers when Kim Soo-ho suddenly spoke up, catching me off guard.
‘Rogers, you ready?’
‘Yep. I'm good. You?’
‘Ready as well.’
I'd boasted to Sung Hyun-han like that—striking out here would be embarrassing. I stepped up to the plate fully prepared.
‘First pitch: horizontal slider tailing outside.’
‘Got it.’
Ignore the slider. Its break was sharper than any Korean pitcher's—I didn't trust my timing. Even if called a strike, I had to let it go.
Darvish's pitch fooled the eyes, drifting outside. If I hadn't known what it was, I'd have swung blindly.
Pa-ang!
“Ball.”
Luckily, the ump called it a ball.
‘Inside fastball next?’
‘Changeup.’
A changeup here? Darvish's wasn't famous. He could throw it, sure, but unveiling it now would definitely throw the batter off.
‘If I didn't know the pitch.’
But a changeup you see coming is the easiest pitch to hit. Darvish went into his windup and fired.
For a split second, the ball seemed to hang... and my bat was already waiting.
Crack!
‘Hit it!’
The ball rocketed through the infield like a bullet, rolling to center field. I trotted easily to first. First time seeing Darvish's changeup—no homer, disappointing, but a solid hit nonetheless.
-Whoaaa!
Hearing the crowd roar, I pumped my fist toward the dugout.
“Maeng-ho! Nice!”
“Great hit! One more run!”
“We got this!”
“Yong-gi! Clean it up!”
Lee Yong-gi, batting ninth today, grinned in satisfaction. As I soaked in the electric vibe, the first-base coach grabbed my shoulder and whispered,
“Maeng-ho. Rattle the pitcher. Get Yong-gi a good pitch.”
“Got it.”
Disrupting pitchers was my specialty. I took a bigger lead than usual—four steps. Close enough for a good pickoff to nab me.
Darvish glances over.
‘Good, he's aware.’
‘Fastball grip. Watch the pickoff.’
‘Yep.’
I prepped to dive back, eyes glued to his every move.
Whish, pak!
“Safe!”
Pat pat—I brushed off the dirt and reset my four-step lead.
‘Fastball. You're really bothered by me, huh.’
Japan would've gathered data on me from the WBC. They knew my speed. Even with two outs, they couldn't ignore me. If they did, I'd race to third.
“Ball.”
‘Just need Yong-gi to deliver now.’
Lee Yong-gi's WBC stats: 3-for-14. Disappointing for Korea's top catcher, but he had pop. Please, just one good swing.
‘Fastball.’
I wanted to yell it out, but I held back and trusted him. Yong-gi's biggest strength was his baseball IQ. Praised for leading the team as catcher and his pitch-calling, which meant great pitch recognition.
‘He'll see it. Korea's best catcher!’
Pa-ang!
“Safe!”
Another pickoff. I stretched my lead to four-and-a-half steps. Too far for an off-speed pitch to catch me at second. I had to commit—no hesitation.
Darvish glances again, his major-league vet stare screaming, You can't steal. My blood ran cold. Then my eyes met switch-hitter Lee Yong-gi's. He knew what I was planning.
Darvish fired toward the plate. I didn't check the radar gun, but probably his fastest of the day. As I reflexively dove for first,
Crack!
A sharp hit echoed. Yong-gi extended his arms, pushing an outside pitch!
“Run!”
I was already sprinting to second before the coach yelled.
‘Ball!’
‘Foul line! Keep going!’
Passed second.
‘Ball!’
‘Right fielder caught it!’
Now at third. Third-base coach signals stop! But I kept running.
‘Thrown!’
I slid into home. As I caught my breath face-down, the ump's call rang out.
“Out!”
Out? Didn't even touch the mitt?
‘Out at second.’
Rogers' words made me turn—Lee Yong-gi lay sprawled at second. It clicked instantly. He'd dashed to second hoping I'd score, and Japan cut it off from the relay.
‘Have a little faith.’
I could've scored if he held, but his overrun to save the runner was textbook. No complaints.
“Great run.”
Choi Joo-tae, who'd chewed me out earlier, grabbed my hand.
Thwack! His left hand slapped my back. Not a scold—a pat of approval. Felt good.
“Ow.”
“Quit faking. Wasn't that hard. C'mon, prep for defense next inning.”
“Yes, sir.”
Down by one now. Just a little closer!
*
[Both starters exit after the fourth. Now, in the top of the fifth, Korea's new pitcher takes the mound: Jung Woo-sung! Ten wins in the majors last season.]
[Sung Hyun and Darvish, both battle-hardened in the States, topped 85 pitches in four innings. Shows how intense this game's been.]
[Sung Hyun wobbled, giving up three in the first, but shut out the rest. Darvish allowed one in the first, one in the second, and got two on in the fourth—no runs, though.]
[Japan's dugout must be sweating. They saved Darvish for a Game 7 push, but he only went four. Big chance for Korea—and Jung Woo-sung's gotta nail this inning scoreless.]
[Jung Woo-sung can do it. He's a starter now, but early career he notched 36 saves as a major-league closer. Time to show it. First pitch strike! 153 km/h!]
[Rare velocity from a sidearmer. And his unpredictable trajectory? Japan won't adjust easy. Even lefties struggle with that outside sinker.]
But contrary to the announcers' hopes, Japan's bats ignited again.
[Ah... Murakami's three-run homer... Score's 6-2. Four-run lead.]
[Two outs and he crumbles. Jung Woo-sung, snap out of it!]
[Jung Woo-sung strikes out cleanup hitter Yamakawa! Top of the fifth finally ends!]
Bottom of the fifth: Orix ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto climbed the mound.
The pitcher who'd announced his era with a 1.99 ERA in 2019 dominated with the pitching Triple Crown in 2021 and a 1.75 ERA in 2022—NPB's best alongside Sasaki.
Saved for the U.S. game, but a bold move to seal this one.
[Oh, Yamamoto Yoshinobu's on the mound...]
The manager who sent him up, the fans watching, Yoshinobu himself—all thought the game was done.
And then...
[Joo Seung-cheol, Kim Soo-ho back-to-back hits! Japan walks Ji Maeng-ho intentionally—bases loaded!]
[Lee Yong-gi drove in a run earlier. Please, do it again...]
[Catcher pop fly!]
[Drop it, drop it... Ah, caught.]
[One out, bases loaded. Batter: Choi Joo-tae.]
Thwack!
[Choi Joo-tae's grand-slam RBI! Runners score! Home! Home! Home! Ji Maeng-ho slides in! Still got those wheels! Korea's star shortstop! Choi Joo-tae's laser to right-center clears the jam! He saves Korea from doom! The score! Is! 6-5! One run game!]
[Raaaaah! Choi Jooo-taaaaae!]
The air in LoanDepot Park, Marlins' home, reeked of gunpowder.