Chapter 752 – Episode 739. A Fateful Rivalry. (3)
-Waaaaa!!!
-Stanton! Stanton! Stanton!
‘There is definitely a reason for directing. ‘If you look at the tenacity and belief in Zane.’
Stanton’s ball went over the center fence at a speed that was difficult to follow, and the crowd cheered as if they had never booed before. As it is the first end of the season, cheers so loud that Yankee Stadium shakes pour out toward Stanton.
Is this a natural cheer that should be given to someone who hits the finish line?
However, after stepping on base and waiting for Stanton with my teammates, I felt a little annoyed. If Judge or Soto had hit an advanced base hit, it would be the team’s first shutout of the season, and the home stadium would be cheering loudly. All of this would have been mine… Because the thought occurred to me.
How thrilling would it be to receive this cheer as one? I felt so stupid that I passed up the opportunity to become a superstar.
Of course, if it had been a ground ball or a fly, the cheers wouldn’t have been as loud as they are now.
‘I thought wrong in the first place, damn it. I should just aim for a home run. Furthermore, I held out for no reason just to give up 1 point…’
The first game against rival Boston ended with Stanton seeing Stanton coming to home plate and pledging not to pass up this honor next time.
*
-Stanton finished! New York Yankees win in a walk-off victory over the Boston Red Sox!
… Stanton, who came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, hit Trilling’s first pitch… Meanwhile, Stanton hit 5 home runs in 17 games this season…
┗It’s a solid home run, but there’s no template?
┗Your strong shoes hit a home run, let’s go~ 1. If you are not feeling well, your head will suffer 2. An ape chimpanzee escaped from the zoo 3. Why on earth do you pass the ball with that kind of swing/form? 4. Heart of New York (filariasis) blah blah blah @@ 5. Calculating launch angle and exit velocity is something only idiots do 6. ㅇㅅㅌㅌㅅ
┗┗It’s coming out right away haha
┗Strong Shin, renew your contract~~~!!!
┗┗You bastard address
┗┗Local fans like all sturdy shoes, right?
┗Such a bastard, he’s coming back to life now that the free agent contract renewal season is coming ㅅㅂ
┗┗I’m 37, can I renew my contract?
┗┗What does age have to do with apes?
*
-Ji! Ji! Ji! Ji! Ji!
‘Okay, this is the right home stadium.’
Perhaps because of the impact of the walk-off victory, or because Singer ended the top of the first inning with a three-way strike, Yankee Stadium, which had been filled with boos from the first at-bat yesterday, was filled with cheers and name calls. I aimed for a home run to reward those fans,
“Base on balls.”
I was able to walk to first base from the first at-bat because the opposing pitcher gave me a straight walk, probably due to lack of control.
‘Well, that’s true if you’re a 6-point pitcher.’
I was a little upset because I was aiming for a home run, but since I was on first base, I had to do my job.
‘Slider.’
‘Okay.’
“Safe!”
Even though the opposing pitcher was a left-handed pitcher, I targeted his first pitch slider and stole second base,
Perfect!
Judge lightly swung the bat into right-center, and I was able to return home with ease.
‘You hit me like that yesterday…’
After that, Soto got a walk and the situation was 1st and 2nd base with no outs.
-Stanton! Stanton! Stanton!
When yesterday’s hero Stanton entered, everyone in the crowd chanted his name,
Ta-ah!
“He’s gone. “I went.”
Stanton’s bat once again responded to the crowd’s cheers. It was a swing that seemed to have been indifferently swung, but the Stanton-like hit seemed to have flown almost 150 meters. The fans who had been chanting Stanton’s name cheered again like yesterday.
-Wow!!!!
“Jean! “Didn’t you just eat something good by yourself?!”
“Hey, how old are you? You’re still the same. After all, it’s Stanton.”
‘Is my batting form going over there? ‘Why are there all these bastards?’
To pass with a batting form like that… This is what I felt when Stanton caught me in the bench clearing, but it was clear that my strength was at another level.
Stanton hit a powerful home run and the score was 4:0 from the first inning.
And that score difference was enough to instill a sense of stability in Singer, who had been showing poor form in the last two games, allowing 9 runs in 8.1 innings.
“Let’s go like this!”
“Let’s get rid of those Boston bastards!”
The second inning is over, but it already feels like they are winning. The person who put a wedge in that atmosphere was me, who came to bat with a runner on first base.
‘Fastball, outside.’
‘Okay.’
Since my ball control wasn’t very good, I just thought about the outside and focused for a few seconds. As Mr. Rossby said, the ball was stabbed outward.
… A fastball around 90 mph.
Ta – Aak!
-Waaaaa!!!
‘No matter how much he’s a left-handed pitcher, he’s a bit around 90 mph… That bastard will go to KBA later.’
There was no way I would miss a fastball around 90 mph, and the result was a home run. The score grew to 6 points in the 2nd inning, and although no points were scored after that, Singer blocked Boston’s batting lineup by allowing 6 innings without allowing a run.
And in the bottom of the 6th inning, first baseman Hall, who had been hitless for 4 consecutive games, hit a home run, making the score 7:0.
‘Well, I was expecting it because it was a rivalry match, but there was nothing special. Why did these bastards attack me when I wasn’t around?’
Although Trilling certainly pitched well, it felt like Boston was a bit lacking to be called a rival.
*
[Brady Singer ends the inning with a strikeout! In the top of the 7th inning, he gets a high-quality start as he walks out the inning, although he does allow one run!]
[Singer hasn’t been very good in the last two games, but the Yankees’ batting line made the starting pitcher comfortable from the beginning of the game, which eased the burden, right? The Yankees’ batting lineup has been in a slump for the past few games, but it certainly feels like the batting lineup is booming again with Ji Maeng-ho’s return, right?]
[Then, now we go to the Yankees’ attack in the bottom of the 7th inning!]
*
‘Garrett is coming up this inning too.’
As the top of the 7th inning ended, Verdugo, who was clapping as he watched the returning fielders, prepared to pack his bat as he saw Garrett Whitlock coming up to Boston’s mound.
And Verdugo’s judgment made sense.
The leadoff batter in the bottom of the 7th inning was Stanton. And Whitlock, who was on the mound, was a right-handed pitcher. Considering that tomorrow’s starter will also be a right-handed pitcher, there was no reason not to check Verdugo’s batting ability as a starter against a right-handed pitcher.
However, even when all of Boston’s fielders were in position, no word from Matting or Coach was heard as Stanton walked to the plate.
‘… What? Are you just saying to rest for sure? Well, I like it.’
In fact, Verdugo, who had a lot of fun at a club near New York yesterday because he knew that a left-handed pitcher would be the starting pitcher, did not dislike the manager’s decision that much.
[… Leadoff hitter Stanton’s double! Showing great striking power today!]
[If Stanton gives his strength, it could be a huge boost to the Yankees.]
“Great! Jean!”
That’s why Verdugo applauded Stanton’s double. Since Stanton and Verdugo were competitors, this was not a common sight, but there was only one reason why Verdugo applauded. It was because he was confident that he could win the competition with Stanton
Stanton, who came on as the starter last season in place of the injured player, hit .205 with a batting average of .205 with 19 home runs and an OPS of 0.618. Although he missed a season due to injury, he hit .306 with a batting average of. It was a far lower score compared to his own record of.
Moreover, Stanton has been a hitter with a solid downhill slope since the injury he suffered in ’24, and he is a 30-year-old hitter who is entering his prime.
Although Stanton has been performing well this season, he has no reason to let himself down. Because the season was long, his performance was bound to average out.
Therefore, Verdugo enjoyed a short break and applauded Stanton’s performance, and when the game ended with an 8-1 victory, he was able to leave work with a smile.
And the next day,
“Verdugo! Please sign!”
“Okay, here it is.”
“Please hit a home run today.”
“Yes, yes. “Look forward to it.”
“Verdugo! Me too.”
“Now.”
He completely forgot that he had been cursed and booed for winning a few games and went to work, signing autographs for Yankees fans who came to get autographs. And the training that followed.
Perfect!
“Alex, you look in good condition?”
“Hehe, I took care of it.”
“Okay, let’s just leave it like this.”
Today’s opponent was a right-handed pitcher, so Verdugo, who thought it was his turn to be included in the lineup, was able to clear the fence, showing off his good condition, perhaps thanks to quitting drinking for two days and attending training.
‘Today’s opposing pitcher was Espino, right? Just the type I like. I just need to raise my batting average in this game.’
The lineup was called, something I waited for with joy at the thought of raising the batting average so much.
“No. 1, second baseman Ji. No. 2, left fielder.”
When he heard that Judge was leaving his left field position, he thought, ‘Today I will be the designated hitter,’ and waited for his name to be called.
“No. 3, right fielder Soto. Stanton, designated hitter number 4.”
When Stanton’s name was called for the designated hitter position, his expression hardened.
‘What? ‘Why aren’t you using me?’
And perhaps sensing Verdugo’s dissatisfaction, after the lineup was called, the hitting coach, Mitch, approached.
“Hey, Alex, relax your face.”
“Write it. Didn’t I report something wrong to the director? Mitch, you saw my training today.”
“Oh, of course I reported it properly. But you know. Stanton hit a home run in two consecutive games. Shouldn’t it be used when the feeling of hitting is high? There have been a lot of games now, so please rest for one more game. “Alex.”
“Sweet, I understand for now.”
Although I felt uncomfortable in a corner of my heart, I nodded when the hitting coach said that Stanton had no choice but to use it because his hitting skills had improved.
Because the coach’s words were nothing more than a straight argument.
And the game that started with a back-to-back between Ji Maeng-ho and Judge in the first inning, and ended with a 12:2 victory with Ji Maeng-ho and Soto each hitting two home runs, and Judge, Hall, who was struggling, and Volpi each hitting a home run. .
But fortunately, Stanton’s performance was 0 hits and 2 walks in 3 at-bats.
‘Hmph, then that’s right. There’s no way that old man would survive just because he hit a few home runs in a few games.’
Even though he couldn’t go out as a pinch hitter today, Verdugo, who laughed at Stanton’s performance, looked for who his next starting pitcher would be as soon as he got home.
‘The next opponent is Kansas City. Since Williams pitched today, the next game in the rotation is a left-handed pitcher, Lagans, and the next game is also a left-handed pitcher, right? Hmm… Anyway, that’s good. Since I’m tired, I’ll take a good rest and have some fun. Because I’ve been running too much. If Jean keeps showing up anyway, his grades will drop.’
Without thinking much, I headed to my favorite club that I often went to.