Chapter 72
Chapter 72
A grueling battle stretched all the way to the 15th inning.
The Wolves emerged as the victors, but their relief was far from pure joy. They had poured everything into this game just to scrape by. The toll on the pitching staff was immense. Starters and relievers alike had all taken the mound. The closers pitched the standard two innings, and the game stretching into the early hours with the cold had left everyone far from peak condition. The only consolation was that the Marines were in the same situation.
“In the end, it’ll come down to the starters,” Coach Lee Jung-hwan said, and the other coaches nodded in agreement.
The starting pitchers for Game 7 were Nate Nash and Danny Jones. The outcome would hinge on how long each could hold up on the mound.
“It’s still not the worst-case scenario we feared,” Lee Jung-hwan added. Danny Jones was a solid pitcher, but the concern wasn’t him. Three days ago, Park Si-woo had pitched in Game 5.
“Even so, two days of rest might not be enough.”
“If he’s not starting, he’ll come in from the bullpen.”
Even the coach had to admit that much. It was certain that Park Si-woo would take the mound today. Today’s game was essentially a time attack. They had to take down Danny Jones before Park Si-woo entered.
Lee Jung-hwan didn’t need a special plan for today. In a Game 7 situation, any player could make mistakes if distracted by overthinking strategies. With stamina pushed to the limit, he had to trust the skill and mental fortitude of each player. All the training and effort up to this point had to carry meaning.
‘The ideal scenario is Jones breaking down before Si-woo steps up.’
Coach Kwak Gu-beom was the type to set innings for Park Si-woo. In this series, he preferred using players within a defined framework rather than being flexible. That was both his greatest strength and weakness.
Arriving at the dugout, Lee Jung-hwan glanced at Kwak Gu-beom, whose unreadable expression betrayed nothing as he prepared for the game.
‘We’re winning this one.’
That thought steeled Lee Jung-hwan as he readied his team.
“Play ball!”
The tension in Game 7 was on an entirely different level. First to take the mound was Danny Jones.
‘Hailey… there she is.’
He spotted her in the stands, hands clasped together in prayer, and couldn’t help but smile. The tension evaporated in an instant.
‘I just need to do my job.’
Danny Jones had watched the previous game closely and knew how critical his performance would be. Kwak Gu-beom told him to focus on giving his all without worrying about the outcome.
‘Si-woo, of course,’ Danny thought. He had allowed two runs over seven innings last time, but he didn’t care. He knew that Park Si-woo had been the one to make Hailey smile, and he respected Si-woo as a pitcher. Having him waiting in the bullpen was reassuring.
‘I’ll do as much as I can.’
Danny Jones began his pitching. Today, the Marines’ starting catcher was Song Min-seok. While he had worked with Jones during the season, Kim Min-ki was still recovering from yesterday’s game.
“Fighting, fighting!”
Kim Min-ki cheered as loudly as he could without showing his condition. Every player did their part. Nobody was holding back.
Jones gave up a single but ended the inning without surrendering a run. Park Si-woo approached him.
“Danny, signal me if a batter is uncomfortable.”
“Signal?”
“Yes. Just a brief moment—I’ll try to force them to swing early.”
“Good, that works for me.”
Park Si-woo knew the opposition was aware of him. The Marines had no one else they could trust after Jones. But even after two days of rest, Si-woo had mostly thrown knuckleballs. The Wolves needed to score before he came in, and he planned to use that pressure.
In the top of the third, Jones looked toward the dugout and signaled Min-seok to switch the ball. Si-woo grabbed his glove and stood up. All eyes in the stadium turned toward him.
“Park Si-woo is heading to the bullpen!”
The Wolves stiffened. They had expected him, but his timing was earlier than anticipated. Panic set in naturally.
‘We need at least one run before he comes up.’
‘Why is he coming so early? Just take a break already.’
The Wolves’ batters, already anxious, swung even at trick pitches. This allowed Jones to finish the third inning safely.
‘They must realize it’s a bluff,’ Si-woo thought. He wanted to step in immediately but waited for the coach’s nod.
“You’re not starting,” Kwak had said.
“…Understood.”
Si-woo had wanted to go full tilt as a starter, but the coach understood his restraint.
“Danny’s a good pitcher. Trust him and wait a bit.”
If Si-woo came in and was pulled, the only reliable pitcher would be Jones. If Jones left, Si-woo would be there. That difference was crucial. Ideally, Si-woo would start and finish, but with two days of rest, variables had to be considered.
“I promise. I’ll bring you in at the most critical moment tomorrow. After that, you won’t be taken out.”
“Ball!”
The moment drew closer.
The pressure was immense. Every pitch could decide the season. Who could remain calm in such a moment?
Top of the fourth, Wolves at bat. The leadoff hitter drew a walk, and the next went into a bunt motion, then faked and slashed for a hit. Unbelievable. Someone had devised this plan at the most stressful moment.
Bases loaded, no outs. The Wolves tried another bunt. The ball landed perfectly on the line. No one could touch it, and suddenly, the inning became tense. Bases loaded, the dugout stirred. The coach visited the mound again.
Si-woo’s bullpen teammate was called.
“Si-woo, get ready.”
“Yes.”
He was loose but far from perfect condition. Still, he didn’t mind.
“Show them what you’ve got!”
The crowd erupted. Si-woo took a breath and stepped onto the mound. Danny Jones mouthed an apology and left the mound. Infielders and the coach waited silently.
“Si-woo.”
“Yes.”
“No matter the outcome, I’ll take responsibility. Pitch your way.”
“Thank you.”
Only the players were left on the mound now.
“Feels like old times.”
“Old times?”
“The opening game.”
Relief pitching with bases loaded wasn’t new to him. He had done this before.
“Oh, back then?”
“Exactly. Let’s pitch like that today.”
The tension eased slightly as everyone recalled past games.
“I’ll throw my best. Count on me.”
“Si-woo.”
“Yes, senior.”
Cha Jae-hoon took a deep breath, joking that if he stopped the ball, he’d hit a home run. He immediately recanted as his face turned pale. Everyone laughed lightly, the tension melting away.
Now, the mound was Si-woo’s alone. Min-seok spread his mitt wide, ready. Si-woo threw lightly, testing his knuckleball, hard knuckleball, fastball, splitter, and slider. His last appearance of the season. The outcome uncertain, but he refused to have regrets.
“Play ball!”
He felt the ball gripped firmly between his index and middle fingers.
-Whhhhoooosh!
“Strike!”
The batter swung too late. Velocity 157 km/h. Bases loaded. Infielders in proper positions. It was still early in the fourth. Even if a run scored, securing outs was priority.
Desire crept in. The batter was trying for contact. Si-woo exploited it to get strikeouts.
-Steady.
He maintained composure, acknowledging he couldn’t achieve perfection alone. Teammates’ support had made this possible. A measured approach was best.
-Whhhack!
“Foul!”
A slider clipped the bat, fouled off.
-Whhhack!
“Foul!”
The batter desperately managed contact. Si-woo made his final choice: a hard knuckleball. A swing-and-miss was likely, and the batter couldn’t anticipate it. Three fingers positioned, he threw.
“Strikeout!”
A high-risk pitch, perfectly executed.
The Wolves substituted a pinch hitter for the eighth batter, a power hitter for the outfield. Risky but necessary.
-Whhhhoooosh!
“Out!”
Two outs now. Cha Jae-hoon handled a sharp grounder flawlessly, approaching with disbelief.
“…This isn’t a dream, right?”
“Yes, it isn’t.”
At this critical moment, who could have expected Cha Jae-hoon’s defense? In the Korean Series, he had been flawless in batting and fielding. His expression, as if performing a super play was nothing, remained subtle, ignoring the cameras.
“Senior, looking forward to the home run.”
“…This should be enough, and that was just a joke.”
“Still being filmed.”
“…Ah.”