"EH!? He's bunting with 2 strikes?"
Seiji Hanada shot up from his chair, not believing his eyes. He knew that Ken was a bunt expert back in High School, but this was an important game in the Major League, the World Series no less.
He wasn't the only one who was shocked. At some point or another, all of the patrons in the bar had turned to the TV and were watching the game between Detroit and Miami. A collective gasp rang out as the wooden bat made contact with the ball, propelling it along the 1st base foul line.
It teetered on the edge of play, rolling along the foul line.
However, both Ken and the pinch runner at 3rd did not even glance at the ball, their eyes focused only on their destination. The camera quickly panned into the ball, showing how close it was to going foul.
Ryan appeared in a flash, lowering his body to collect the ball. There was a fraction of a moment to decide whether he threw the ball to first in order to secure the out, or throw back home to try and save a run.
With the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the 8th, having a run scored against them would be a huge blow to morale. Despite Ken being his rival, Ryan chose to throw it back home.
He scooped up the ball with his glove and leapt into the air, changing the direction of his body as he sent a rocket-like throw back to his catcher. It swiftly and accurately flew through the air, surging towards the open glove.
PAH
Nigel Fortes caught the ball and threw out his arm for the tag. He spun around and looked at the plate umpire, holding up the ball in his glove to show the guy.
The umpire hesitated for a moment before ultimately making a call.
"Out!"
The entire crowd went into an uproar. They had sat through 8 full innings of no scoring, and finally their team had a chance to put a run on the board but it had fallen through.
Ken who had safely arrived at first base turned and saw the commotion. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, they had been called out at the plate. The blow was devastating.
After Daichi had sacrificed himself to get them in a scoring position, the Ligers failed to convert the run. They would now have to try claw their way back without Daichi.
'This isn't good…' Ken mused, his brow furrowing.
Mark walked over to the umpire and began to talk with him. Seeing this, Ken's heart soared with hope. They had yet to use their challenge, which meant there was a possibility of overturning the decision.
The umpire addressed the crowd, letting them know that the challenge had been issued.
Back at the bar in Japan, everyone was still glued to the TV.
"The Ligers are challenging the call on the field. The umpires will now speak to the replay center in New York to review the play."
"For all you watching at home, we'll go through the replay so you can make your own decision."
As the commentators prattled on, the replay showed on the TV. From the moment Ryan threw the ball and the exact point where the runner was tagged, everything was captured in high definition.
Even a cursory glance was enough to see that the runner was out.
Makoto let out a huge sigh, his large body deflating as he buried his face onto the table. His pristine and shiny head reflected the light directly into Shiro's eyes, causing him to let out a cry of pain.
"Damn it Makoto, can't you wear a beanie or something?" Shiro complained, shielding his eyes.
"It's too hot to wear a beanie…"
All 5 men at the table went quiet and despondent. Just when it looked like the Ligers were going to finally pull ahead in the game, a sharp play from Miami had put out their fire.
"This sucks. Even with Ken on 1st base, I'm not sure if they'll be able to get a run this inning." Hiroki said, his brow furrowed.
"Besides Daichi, no one has gotten a hit off that guy…" Yusuke added.
"I'm getting drunk." Makoto stated matter-of-factly, slinking off his chair and making his way to the bar.
"Get me a beer too." Seiji said, his mood also in the dumps.
Sure he had just found out that his star pupil was playing in the Major League, but to see the guy get so close but have nothing to show for it was depressing.
Hiroki picked up his phone and let out a sigh, "It's 1pm already, I should probably get going soon."
"Huh? But the game isn't even over yet." Shiro retorted.
"I've only been to the gym once today, how can I fit in the other two times if I'm stuck here all day?"
Shiro blinked a few times, not knowing how to respond to something so absurd. His eyes subconsciously roamed over Hiroki's body and a wave of jealousy flowed through him.
The chiseled muscles were only hidden by a thin yet tight shirt, a sight that would make most women swoon and most men green with envy. But from the sounds of it, Hiroki worked hard to maintain his body, even abstaining from anything remotely unhealthy.
"Looks like we have a verdict on the field."
The commentators voice got everyone's attention in the bar, stopping any ongoing conversations.
The TV showed the umpire speaking to the head coach of both teams, yet only one of them seemed to be happy with the call. The scene caused confusion for all those watching in the bar.
"What's happening?" Hiroki asked with a frown.
"I'm getting word that it was actually the bunt that was reviewed in this play…"
"Hold on… The ball was ruled foul, and the batter is out on the bunt. The runner on third will return to third and the game will continue."
"HUH!?"