"It's the top of the 7th inning with the score still stuck at 4-0 in Detroit's favor in game 7 of the World Series. As usual, Ken has been pitching fantastically this game, not yet giving up a hit."
"I think Ryan also deserves his flowers this game. Apart from the home run he gave up to Ken, he's only given up a few hits up till now."
"Still Bob, In a game that was meant to be a pitcher's duel, a single run can be the difference between victory and defeat. But when there's 4 runs difference…"
"I understand what you're saying Bill, but remember these Miami hitters are still some of the best in the world. They just need a single opportunity to turn it around."
"We still have 3 innings left to play, let's see how things progress from here. Ken is on the mound again, looking in great shape despite pitching for 6 innings in a row so far. His pitch count is in the mid 70's, but he still seems to have a full gas tank."
"That's one thing I'll say about these new players Bill, they have almost endless stamina."
"I wish I also had such stamina. I get tired when I get off the couch to grab a beer from the fridge in the next room."
While the two commentators were discussing about seemingly inane subjects, Ken had already walked onto the field and took the mound. He collected the rosin bag from the ground and rolled it around in his hand for a while, regulating his breathing.
Ken had great stamina as pointed out by the commentators earlier, but something seemed to have changed recently with his pitching. However, it didn't take him long to take a guess at what was different.
With his Perfect Calibration skill, Ken's mental and physical capabilities came together, allowing him to perform his pitching and batting actions without any wasted movements. Not only did this allow him to throw and hit more accurately, it also did so without losing power.
As a result, Ken was able to put all of his strength into these actions. But a byproduct of this, was that it put additional strain on the muscles, sapping his endurance.
If he had not reached the Legendary grade in his stamina, Ken would have likely been spent by now. Of course this was without mentioning the drain that his Showdown skill put on his body.
'Just a few more innings…' Ken thought, his eyes locking onto his brother behind the plate.
"Batting 1st for the Blue Marlin's, 2nd baseman, John Berti." The announcer called out in his best "away team" voice.
Ken turned to the new batter and felt his vision blur suddenly. He frowned, blinking a few times in an attempt to refocus. It was only after a few attempts that things finally turned back to normal.
For a moment, Ken was concerned, but he quickly threw it to the back of his mind. It was most likely fatigue, but he could push through it for now.
'This is the 3rd at-bat, we'll need to be careful.' Ken said in his heart.
Generally, once a batter has seen a pitcher for at least two at-bats, they were far more likely to hit the ball. This was why perfect games and shutouts were next to impossible.
Obviously this was even more the case when playing in the top level of competition in the sport, the Major League.
However, even if they were to face him 10 times, Ken believed that with him and Daichi, these guys wouldn't stand a chance. As if each were thinking the same thing, the two brothers locked eyes and the latter called for the first pitch.
Ken nodded and sent his first pitch, a curveball.
WHOOOOOSH
CLICK
"I got it." Ken called out, casually bending down and scooping up the ground ball with ease. He sent the ball right to first base, easily beating the runner.
"Out."
While Ken loved striking out players, he wouldn't be mad if every out was as easy as this one.
Next to the Blue Marlin's dugout, Coach Mattingly was pacing back and forth, clearly stressing about their current situation. It wasn't uncommon for the man who seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeve at all times.
Ryan on the other hand was seated on the bench, his eyes never leaving Ken on the mound. His pride hurt from giving up the grand slam, especially to Ken of all people.
The worst part was, his teammates were all super supportive. None of them blamed him for messing up, nor did the coaching staff. Perhaps this would have been great for other players, but Ryan was struggling to accept this level of grace.
After all, he'd never felt this kind of support before now.
"Ryan, how is your stamina? Can you still pitch some more?" Coach Mattingly entered the dugout and tracked him down.
"Ah, I'm fine coach. I can pitch as long as you need me to." He said, getting to his feet.
"Mmm, good. You just keep focusing on your pitching, the rest of us will create an opportunity somehow…"
Ryan nodded and watched the stressed coach walk away, speaking to some of the other players as if trying to motivate them. From his perspective, crawling back from a 4-run deficit against Ken was next to impossible.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't do his best to make it happen.
WHOOOOOOSH
WHACK!
As his thoughts went to this point, the sound of the bat striking the ball with force entered his ears, causing him to snap his gaze back towards the field.
The ball flew into deep right, allowing Michael Rojas to make it all the way to second base before the ball could make its way back into the infield.
Just when things seemed impossible, the door had been left ajar slightly.
The hit seemed to awaken the Miami bench who began to cheer.