Chapter 742 – Episode 729. Fallen King. (2)

[Huff’s hit! Let’s go! In the bottom of the first inning, Huff hits a two-run home run! Score 2:0! Rangers are ahead! … In the top of the second inning, DeGrom blocks the Yankees’ batting lineup with a three-way strike. DeGrom’s pitching looks a little different today, doesn’t it?]

[DeGrom did not show very well in the four games he appeared on the mound just before this season, but today he is suppressing batters by hitting every corner of the strike zone.]

[… Bottom of the second inning, Rangers attack. … Buehler holds off this inning without allowing any runs. With the score difference of 2:0 maintained, the team attacks in the top of the 3rd inning. … Ah, Ji Maeng-ho’s batted ball! Ah! Caught by left fielder.]

[Ji Maeng-ho’s timing isn’t right today, right? In fact, the Yankees faced McClanahan in the previous game, so the timing of DeGrom’s pitch may not be right. DeGrom’s average fastball velocity in today’s game is in the low 90s.]

[Okay. … DeGrom ends the third inning with no runs allowed. … At the end of the 3rd episode… Top of the 4th inning… Buehler finishing the bottom of the 4th inning. The score is still 2-0. … A fierce pitching battle is taking place between Buehler and DeGrom today, right? Other than the two-run home run, there are no scores.]

[Yes. In fact, Buehler was showing good form this season, recording 2 wins and an ERA of 1.74? However, with deGrom recording 3 losses in the 7-point range, I thought today would easily end with a landslide victory for the Yankees, but an unexpectedly exciting pitching battle unfolds.]

[In fact, the Yankees’ batting lineup is stronger than the Texas batting lineup.]

[Yes. After all, deGrom is deGrom. I hope that this game will be an opportunity for deGrom to show a good performance once again. However, it is still too early to let down your guard. The 5th inning is the true test for the starting pitchers.]

[… DeGrom allows a home run to Kelnick! The score difference is narrowed to 1 point! … But there were no more goals conceded. … Buehler ends the bottom of the 5th inning with no runs! Today, Texas’ batting line is struggling with Buehler’s pitch.]

[Hey, it’s a tight pitching match. I’m looking forward to seeing how both teams’ batting lineups will show up and attack the pitchers in the 6th inning. Now it’s time for both teams’ batting lineups to meet their pitchers for the third time. Of course, the Yankees’ offense in the top of the 6th inning was the 9th batter, Volpi.]

[In the top of the 6th inning, the leadoff hitter is Volpi, who takes his second at-bat against deGrom as mentioned. … Sharp hit! Penetrates 1st and 2nd bases! And now, Ji Maeng-ho faces DeGrom for the third time at the plate!]

[Okay, Ji Maeng-ho’s timing was a little bad today, but he’s not a player who’s going to keep getting bullied, right? I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ji Maeng-ho will show. The Ji Maeng-ho we know is a player who never misses a situation like this, right?]

[Yes. Ji Maeng-ho is the player who delivers the necessary punch at the right time. Many Yankees fans who came to Globe Life Field also have high hopes for Ji Maeng-ho. No out and 1st base. And Ji Maeng-ho at bat!]

*

‘Whoa, is that him now?’

DeGrom sighed inwardly and looked at the Asian man standing at bat.

He was tall for an infielder, about 6 feet 4 inches, and his muscular body was visible even through his uniform. If he got caught properly, he would go over the fence.

However, what deGrom felt upon seeing Ji Maeng-ho’s body was envy rather than fear.

‘… I envy your youth. There was a time when I was like that too.’

A brilliant heyday that he lived without knowing he was injured. Back then, I could throw a ball at 100 mph, but I no longer have that confidence.

In fact, deGrom thought he could throw that fastball forever. After returning from a Tommy John injury in 2024, DeGrom was in the rotation normally in 2025, and his records were 9 wins, 6 losses and an ERA of 3.45, which was not as overwhelming as in his prime, but he posted decent results.

And in his 26th year, deGrom continued to try to throw the ball an average of 100 mph like he did in his prime, and that effort resulted in an earned run average in the 6-point range for the first time in his life. Since he did not accept the limitations of his body and tried to increase his velocity, his balls tended to be centered or deviated to the outside, so in a sense, the result was natural.

And this season, he prepared harder than anyone else for spring camp to make up for last year’s failure and tried to throw the ball faster, but in the end, his velocity did not return, and his performance only worsened.

After losing four games like that, deGrom had no choice but to admit it. He said he could no longer go back to the way he was before.

But that didn’t mean he could give up baseball. Because what he wanted more than to hit a ball 100 mph was to throw at least one more ball from the mound.

A 100 mph ball is just a means of standing on the mound. Once I realized that that method wasn’t working, a change was needed.

Four days was a very short period of time compared to the spring camp period we had prepared for, but was it because of our natural talent? Fortunately, it was easier than expected for deGrom, who was only trying to throw the ball fast, to throw the ball slowly.

Moreover, since he didn’t push his velocity too hard, he regained the control he had from the beginning. No, maybe his command was better than in his prime.

And today, deGrom tried to throw the ball into the corner as much as possible rather than throw it quickly, and he was able to achieve the feat of allowing one run in five innings. It was an incredible result considering that he went against the Yankees’ batting line, which was said to be the strongest in the league, with his improvised pitching strategy, but deGrom, who had risen to the top, was not satisfied with that.


I wanted to last 6 innings, which was at least a quality start, and if I went further, I wanted to be on the mound until the 7th inning.

To do that, there were now three mountains left in front of deGrom. Ji Maeng-ho, who ranks first in all batters’ records, Judge, who has a batting average of .306 and 9 home runs, and Soto, who has an on-base percentage close to .500 and 5 home runs.

And the most dangerous batter among them is the Asian batter in front of him right now, Ji Maeng-ho.

… DeGrom was thinking before the game started. However, the Ji Maeng-ho I actually met felt a little different from that feeling. Does it feel like he just throws the ball near the borderline, and it dies on its own? It was clear to me that the guy wasn’t timing his balls at all.

The problem is Jersey and Soto…

‘Let’s get this guy out for now and think about it.’

The current situation is 1st base with no outs. And in this situation, the best way was to induce two out counts at once with a double play. He currently had 16 stolen bases, and he hadn’t committed a single double play, but since no one can be faster than the ball, catching a double play wasn’t a big deal as long as he could force an infield grounder. In addition, because his batting speed was fast, he was able to somehow bring about a double play by inducing a ground ball to the infield.

‘First, the changeup has little difference in velocity from the fastball, so it is rather dangerous. However, there is data showing that it is strong enough to throw a curve, so what’s left is to fix the slider? I’ll have to drive the count and induce ground balls with sliders.’

With that in mind, the first pitch I chose was a fastball. DeGrom was confident in his slow fastball as both balls that led to today’s batters were fastballs. Although his fastball was not at 100 mph like in his prime, it was caught at a perfect borderline.

‘Big…’ .’

Since he passed 70, the moment he throws the ball, you can feel a little fatigue in his arm. However, deGrom was able to endure this fatigue because he had felt it countless times while playing baseball. And the coiling sensation he felt as the ball left his hand told him that the ball was thrown the way he wanted.

‘Good!’

DeGrom was happy to see that the ball left his hand and headed towards the high outside zone, which is the most difficult area for him, but there was something he overlooked.

Ji Maeng-ho’s batting average in the high outside zone is the worst, but that is only when dealing with fastballs approaching 100 mph. And the high course outside the 90-mile mark was a ball that Ji Maeng-ho had always seen in the KBA League.

Ta – Aak!

‘… Huh?’

The moment I heard the sound and reacted, the batted ball was already flying beyond me and into the distance. And the guy standing in front of him was cheekily appreciating the hit.

‘Such a bastard… !’

How dare you admire the batted ball ahead of you. My murderous desire for him boiled over, but that feeling couldn’t last for long. While watching numerous home runs here at Globe Life Field, a sound I had never heard before came through the cheers of the crowd.

Tongue.

Through the noise of the crowd, the sound of metal hitting something can be heard from behind. DeGrom instinctively looked back at that moment, and saw that his home run hit the steel structure of Globe Life Field, an open-and-closed dome stadium.

[Ji’s hitting is wow! It’s a huge home run that hits a huge top center structure and falls. As a rough estimate, I think it flew about 520 feet (158.4 m)? Tremendous speed, tremendous distance, tremendous power! Jijus, the Yankees’ savior, shows off his abilities once again. Score 3:2!]

‘How many feet did you fly? Does that distance make sense?’

A home run of such distance that I have never seen before.

“Heavy rain!”

And, I’ve seen it on video a lot, but this is my first time seeing it in real life. The home run ceremony of the guy who looks like he’s sniping with a bat.

[Haha, Ji’s sniping ceremony comes up again. DeGrom, you must be a little upset. Oh, according to the information we just received, Ji’s batted ball flew 529 feet (161 meters). If this wasn’t an open/closed dome stadium, someone walking outside could have gotten hurt. Haha.]

“Fuuuck!!!!!”

DeGrom let out a long curse as if he was angry about the whole situation.

‘Whoa, whoo…’ .’

After swearing once and taking a deep breath, my anger-filled mind calms down slightly. He wanted to hit the next batter right away, but if it were him in his prime, he would have hit the ball into the next batter’s side without even looking!

… I couldn’t do that now. The situation was now 3-2, and for the team to win, not a single batter should be on base. Moreover, if Judge gets on base, the next batter is Soto, who was the most difficult person today.

Facing Soto with the judge on base meant ruining today’s game, and deGrom didn’t want to ruin the game with that kind of anger.

‘Let’s endure, let’s endure.’

Still 1 point behind. It was more important to hold on and increase the team’s chances of winning than to teach that arrogant guy that his teammates could get hurt if he acts out like that.

“… Out!”

“… Out!”

“… Out!”

So deGrom held back his anger and finished the 6th episode,

“Jacob, good job. Let’s leave today’s game here.”

“Whoa…”

“… What are they going to do? Should I at least hit an empty ball?”

“No, let’s win first and see.”

“Yes, we are one point away, and there are still two games left.”

DeGrom, who once reigned like a king in the major leagues, threw away all his pride and wanted the team to win so badly that he refused the pitching coach’s offer of a bean ball.

However, contrary to deGrom’s feelings, Ji Maeng-ho’s huge home run completely changed the mood,

[In the top of the 8th inning, with one out and no runner on base, Judge comes to bat. … This batted ball goes over! Judge’s 10th home run of the season! Teammate Ji is following closely behind! … In the top of the 9th inning, with 2 outs and 1st base, pinch hitter Stanton comes to the plate. … The ball pushed by Stanton hits the fence! Runner on first base to home! Three leaves! 5:2! New York Yankees driving a wedge! … Game over! Miller, the Yankees’ guardian, perfectly sums up the bottom of the 9th inning!]

The game ended with the Yankees winning.

“That arrogant bastard needs some education. Do you admire batted balls and hold ceremonies like that? How dare you in Texas?”

With the Texas players’ fighting spirit burning brightly.