Chapter 686 – Episode 673. Game 1 of the 2026 Korean Series. (2)

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Fastball? Also? Throw a shit ball again. ‘I’ll blow you out of the stadium.’

I had no choice but to acknowledge Seonghyun’s courage in hitting a 142 ball into the zone against me, but that doesn’t mean he can be quietly put out.

I promised myself that I would swing the bat without delay if a shit ball like that came again this time, and then I waited for Seonghyun’s pitch.

And then a fastball with a familiar trajectory headed towards my body.

‘… ‘Huh?’

… Faster than you think.

Since the bat was already going out, I couldn’t stop it,

Perfect!

The batted ball curves straight toward first base. When I checked the electronic display board, Seonghyun’s speed recorded on the electronic display board was 149 km/h.

‘I felt like it was around the mid 150s…’

For some reason, the guy who had rested for three weeks seemed like he was going to throw a shit ball from the beginning, and it seemed like he boldly thrust into the zone from the first pitch, aiming for this effect.

The count is now two strikes. The count was over after just two balls.

‘Sseu-eup, I didn’t see the condition of the breaking ball today.’

Honestly, things weren’t that good. It was a situation where I had to swing the bat without even being able to check what the breaking ball was against Seonghyun, who deserves the word ‘8 colors’ better than anyone else.

However, I was not scared or anything like that because I had been training to swing the bat without Mr. Rossby in preparation for situations like this.

‘It’s a curve.’

‘Curve? Okay. ‘You’re just throwing away one count, right?’

Here, throwing a curveball, which is like a meal, means throwing the ball and testing it. Of course, Seonghyun and Lee Yonggi’s battery could have put it in the zone here unexpectedly, but it was doubtful whether Hwasan’s battery would take such a risk, as a home run by the leadoff hitter in the top of the first inning would have been fatal.

‘Well, you’ll know when you see it.’

Once I feel like the curve is in the zone, that is, I can hit it right even if I go out a little later than usual, so my basic stance is to watch the ball.

Moreover, everyone knew that the decisive ball thrown against a right-handed hitter was a changeup anyway, so I waited for the third ball with an open mind.

‘… Fuck!’

Seonghyeon’s curves were wide across and pointed towards his body. This course is within the zone!

Perfect!

… As soon as I felt that, I immediately swung the bat and kicked Seonghyun’s curveball. Once again, the batted ball drifts towards right field. Although it was a foul based on my previous experience, it was quite meaningful to foul out a dangerous ball that would have resulted in a strikeout if I had left it alone.

‘Phew, I still got it out. This battery is definitely strong.’

At that time, when I was sighing in relief and trying to focus again on her hit,

Cheers rang out from the expedition seats along with the sound of a thud.

-Wow!

‘… Huh?’

When I look in the direction where the batted ball flew, I see the first base umpire turning his hand widely. That signal has only one meaning. It means home run.

‘Seonghyeon is old too. This ball goes over… Well, I’m thankful.’

“Oh, shit. Is this going to pass?”

And the low sound of Lee Yong-gi swearing.

“… Next time, don’t throw curveballs.”

I was still dazed by the batted ball that I just touched, but I couldn’t show the enemy that way, so I spit out a word to Lee Yong-gi as if I was aiming and turned the bat and headed toward first base.

‘What, how did I get over it?’

‘The wind was nice. Well, if it was that stadium, I wouldn’t have passed.’

‘Oh, did you see Mr. Rossby? This is me.’

‘Okay. I have seen the strength of a gorilla well.’

‘Hey, I’m not a gorilla!’

To be honest, I didn’t think it would go over due to the feel of the hand and the direction of the hit, but I think I got a little lucky.

Well, that luck would have to be supported by skills like mine.

“Meng Hao, it was a good home run.”

“Senior, I am Ji-maeng-ho. Oh, and it’s slightly wider on the outside. Is it because he’s a right-handed hitter? Just check it first.”

“Okay.”

After relaying the information I found to Sangju senior, who was waiting at home plate, and returning to the dugout, enthusiastic cheers from my teammates poured over my helmet.

“Nice!”

“Meng Hao! I believed it!”

“Stop! Stop! “I’m getting a headache!”

“It can’t get any worse…”

“… “Who are you just now?”

“So, how is Lord Seonghyeon doing today?”

“First, it feels like the umpire is a bit generous on the outside of the right-handed hitter and the ball is light? But the equipment is pretty good.”

And even passed on the information I found out to other colleagues. Well, I guess this is enough for me to play the role of number one hitter, right?

*

[Ji Maeng-ho’s hit! It floats high on the right. This batted ball is par…, Uh?! I got hit by a pole! Homer! Ji Maeng-ho’s home run as the leadoff hitter hits from the top of the first inning.]

[Wow, that’s incredible strength, isn’t it? How can you push the ball over your body like that? There’s definitely a reason why you don’t throw a curveball at Ji Maeng-ho, right? They were probably aiming for it.]

[With a powerful home run, the score is 1:0! AT Thunders are 1 point ahead!]

“Why did the ball pass over like that?”

Even though it was a little bit centered on his body, he was able to push the ball over. Of course, he thought it was a foul, but Seonghyeon was dumbfounded when the ball hit the pole and fell.

“Brother, don’t worry. Did you see that little bastard too? He was surprised to hit himself too. Do you like the ball today? Just throw like normal. “

And Lee Yong-gi, who has already arrived, comforts Seonghyun.

“Okay. I’m fine.”

The words that came out of Seonghyun’s mouth, saying it was okay, were filled with sincerity without a single lie.

It was a shame that he couldn’t catch Ji Maeng-ho after getting two strikes, but Ji Maeng-ho was a natural disaster anyway. From the beginning, he had no intention of going easily.

Although I was a little surprised by the absurd home run, Seonghyun was a pitcher who had thrown close to 1,400 innings in the major league alone, and there were quite a few players in the major league who boasted such monster-like strength, so it was not that big of a blow.

‘Anyway, 1 point. The important thing is from now on.’

Now, the batting order that follows is AT’s veteran trio of Ki Ki-joo, Choi Jin-cheol, and Kim Su-ho. Although it was an easier opponent than last year, they were not the kind of hitters you would face while thinking about the home run hit by Ji Maeng-ho.

-No. 2 hitter, left fielder, weatherman.

The announcer’s comment is heard, and the weatherman comes to bat.

Seonghyun erased the memory of the ridiculous home run he had just hit from his mind and exchanged autographs as if he was on the mound for the first time today.

‘First, it’s my first time as a left-handed hitter, so start with the zone.’

The first pitch is deep and outside.

“Ball.”

‘You can’t hold on to this much, okay. Then, shall we add a little more?’

Even though it was a ball, Seonghyun was rather satisfied. Knowing the referee’s zone today had a greater impact on winning or losing the game than just this one ball count.

And the second ball thrown.

“Strike!”

The referee’s hand goes up when the ball surprisingly goes in one more ball than was just thrown. Ki Ki-joo looked at the referee as if he was a little dumbfounded, but the decision did not change.

‘Okay. Just make sure the style is wide on the outside.’

Seonghyun confirmed the information that there was no significant difference between the outside pitches of right-handed and left-handed batters and began pitching in earnest.

“Strike! Out!”

And on the counter of a two-ball-to-strike call, he hits his outside slider with his bat.

It was veteran pitching that didn’t seem to have any aftereffects from Ji Maeng-ho’s home run.

Choi Jin-cheol is now a right-handed hitter at the plate.

‘Focus on change-ups?’

‘Okay.’

In fact, Seonghyun’s changeup was a ball that a right-handed batter could not hit if he had control of it. If it weren’t for a hitter like Ji Maeng-ho. Even Ji Maeng-ho sometimes had bad hits with his change-up.

“Strike!”

The referee’s hand goes up once again as the change-up hits the outside corner accurately. He got a strike on the first pitch, and from then on it was his time.

“Jitterbug! Strike!”

This time, Choi Jin-cheol’s bat came out with a high fastball that hit the body,

Perfect!

Next, Choi Jin-cheol could not resist the changeup that went outside the zone by about 1.5.

“Out!”

And the result of that hit was an ordinary shortstop ground ball.

Perfect!

“Out!”

After that, Seonghyun ended the inning by throwing out Kim Soo-ho, who was the 4th batter today, with an infield fly. Ji Maeng-ho, who came out as the number one hitter, hit a home run, but it was a no-frills pitch.

‘Okay, if this is enough for today, I just need to control Ji Maeng-ho well.’

Seonghyun was in excellent condition today.

But…,

[… Out! … Out! … Strike! Out! Bellingham ends the inning with a three-way strike!]

… Bellingham also threw the ball with all his might from the first inning, as if there was nothing to lose, so the second inning came without a tie.

“Out!”

“Strike out!”

However, Seonghyeon paid no heed to that and neatly eliminated the two batters. And the batter who stood at bat was Baek Kyung-ho, the 7th batter.

“Ball.”

“Ball.”

“Ball.”

“Base on balls!”

Seonghyun, who was in good shape today, gave up a walk and Baek Kyung-ho reached first base.

-What is it? Suddenly a straight walk?

-Is Seonghyun not in good condition?

All the fans were questioning Seonghyun’s sudden walk, but Seonghyun smiled with satisfaction knowing that everything was going according to plan.

‘Good. In this way, if I catch the 8th batter, I will be able to trap Ji Maeng-ho since he will start from 9th in the next inning.’

[Baek Jeong-jin’s batted ball! Grab the second baseman and hit first base! Out! Seonghyun gives up a walk but ends the inning!]

And Seonghyun was able to end the inning by catching Baek Jeong-jin as planned.

In the beginning of the third inning, the Hwasan attack ended scoreless once again.

“Base on balls!”

Once again, Seonghyun walked the leadoff hitter, and the hearts of the fans watching the game began to pound, but in such a situation, Seonghyun did not waver at all.

Now, Ji Maeng-ho is at bat.

If Ji Maeng-ho got on base here with a walk, it would have been a crisis with no outs on first and second base.

However, the probability of scoring against Ji Maeng-ho and the probability of cleanly blocking the batter behind him after giving up a walk. When all of that was calculated, the odds of winning were higher to skip Ji Maeng-ho,

“Base on balls!”

… If he was in good condition today, Seonghyun was confident that he would cleanly block the hitter from behind.

[No outs, 1st and 2nd bases! At bat, Gigi Joo. … Strike out! Seonghyeon strikes out Ki Ki-ju! … Choi Jin-cheol! I touched it! Second base! Out! First base! Out! Seonghyun ends the inning with a double play! Seonghyeon roars! Seonghyeon perfectly prevents the crisis of first and second base with no outs!]

[The pitcher prevented a crisis created by himself with a double play, right? This is big.]

“Aaaaah!!”

Although he no longer has a fastball that crosses the mid-150s range like he did when he was younger, Seonghyun, a pitcher with more sophisticated control and a game management ability that was considered the best in the major leagues, roared…,

-Saint! Saint! Seonghyeon!

… The audience cheered with the roar of the saint.