Original subtitles

Considering it's the oblique muscles,

it will most assuredly affect his performance.

It's a hard call to make, since he's saying he can manage.

To be honest, I never expected his ribs to be hurt from his plays.

I doubt the opponent can tell, either.

What incredible willpower he has.

We have the Jingu Tournament coming up soon,

and you're the one who's going to pay the price for hiding an injury!

If we don't win today, there's no Jingu Tournament or spring invitational for us,

Rei-chan.

Not to mention...

...the coach will leave, too.

A swinging strike out on an inside pitch!

The first-year, Sawamura, goes three for three this inning!

Damn.

That fastball was sick.

Well, then. Let's do this.

I can't lose to a first-year.

Partnership

Top of the seventh, Seido is up to bat.

Batting third and second baseman, Kominato-kun.

Three more innings!

We need a run this inning!

Wow!

He broke the bat!

What a shootball!

The second baseman, Masuda, catches cleanly for an out.

He's always been a wild pitcher.

Thirty-four consecutive wins or something?

Did he gain confidence from beating Ichidai Third?

He looks more intimidating now than he did during the summer.

Sanada!

He's the cleanup! Stay focused!

You've got this, ace!

One out!

Shunpei!

Sanada-san!

Super Nada!

Hey, Mino-san!

Hey, Shunpei.

Are you in summer school?

I've gotta catch up on everything I missed.

Studying hard.

Sorry I can't go to practice much.

Yamauchi-san and Fuku-san come almost every day.

I wonder when they're studying.

Though I'm grateful for them coming to help.

So what are you doing over here?

Are you skipping out on your run right now?

I suppose I've always skipped my runs here.

Yeah, and drank tea at the tea club.

I'm training my lower body using weights right now.

Because you know,

you won't be the ace if you can't pitch nine innings.

I see.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Good luck with your studies, too, Mino-san.

All the third-years

know you've changed your attitude.

That's why Fukuda and Yamauchi can't resist helping you out.

You guys can definitely make nationals.

We all believe that.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Nice catch, Raichi!

Two outs now!

Right on!

Two outs!

Two outs!

He was pitching to the inside before.

What an unexpected strategy there.

That was a good two-seamer.

The cleanup is zero for four right now.

They were all to the outside.

What are you doing? Hit those damn balls, Kazuya!

This is how he really feels.

He couldn't perform in any of the three clutch situations earlier.

To be honest, if he could've hit once,

the game would've turned out differently.

For better or for worse, he's the central figure on the Seido team.

If he loses his shine, so will the team.

Wow! A strikeout!

H-He took out Seido's heart of the order.

Let's go!

H-He's good!

He didn't just pitch to the inside.

That was a cutter to the outside.

Nice, Sanada!

Awesome!

You're the best, Sanada!

What a way to pitch against their best batters.

That's gonna get the team going.

Two more innings.

If we can hold out for two more innings,

then we win.

We're just getting started!

Let's close this inning cleanly

and show them how scary our baseball is!

That's right!

It's all up to you!

Come on now, Sawamura!

Bottom of the seventh, Yakushi is up to bat.

Batting second and second baseman, Masuda-kun.

Out!

One out!

Everyone, one more time!

One out!

Sawamura's looking better with every inning!

Can he keep going against Yakushi's core batters?

Batting third and first baseman, Mishima-kun.

This is it.

Sanada took down our core batters three for three.

We got him with a change-up last time.

Before he forgets about it, let's...

Strike!

Yeah!

Two strikes!

Nice pitch, Sawamura!

But don't get overconfident!

Damn!

You know your job, Miss-shima.

If you can get on base before Raichi,

you can put pressure on their team.

What's going on?

This wasn't part of my plan.

I don't plan on losing...

...especially not to anyone my age.

Prodigy Yuta Mishima's Men to Beat

Putting them on that list

West Tokyo: Raichi, Sanada-senpai, Furuya, Narumiya, Amahisa | East Tokyo: Mukai

means they're better than me.

Damn.

I can't add any more names.

Foul!

He's tough.

Get aggressive, Sawamura!

Overpower him!

Be honored! Damn it!

I'll add your name

to my list of men to beat, as well!

Into left field!

Mishima shows persistence and gets on base!

Damn it!

He kept his arms close and swung with his body.

I didn't know he could swing like that.

Looks like he still has room to grow.

Coach!

Did you see that?

Coach!

Wow! He's annoying!

Batting fourth and third baseman, Todoroki-kun.

This is it.

It all comes down to this inning.

Any more runs could mean the game's over.

The situation with the captain is under control, right?

Why do you look so mad?

I'm not mad!

You definitely are.

Some things you can't tell unless you're in the dugout.

We have the Jingu Tournament coming up soon,

and you're the one who's going to pay the price for hiding an injury!

If we don't win today, there's no Jingu Tournament or spring invitational for us,

Rei-chan.

I've left the decision to the coach.

So long as I'm on the field, I'll do my best.

Yes.

I'll make the call based on his plays.

I've already told them that.

I don't know what Coach Kataoka said,

but it looks like their morale is high.

Hey, the catcher's sitting.

They're facing him head on.

Seido's so confident.

They can't win by avoiding him.

Sanada's a scary batter, too.

When's Furuya gonna play?

He jammed the first pitch last time.

I want to show him a change-up while he's focused on a fastball.

You won't get any more runs.

Nor any hits!

One run down in the bottom of the seventh.

They absolutely can't give up a home run.

Right?

He hit the first pitch in his last at bat.

He hasn't seen the change-up yet.

Can you make the call?

I'm sure they want to show Sawamura's change-up here,

but Todoroki bats left.

Yeah. It takes guts to make the call.

To a right-handed batter, it's effective as it breaks away.

To a lefty however, it's a dangerous pitch that breaks inside.

So southpaws don't usually pitch change-ups to left-handed batters.

I'm sure Sawamura knows this well.

In the intra-squad,

the left-handed batters went after his change-up.

Intra-squad?

You guys did an intra-squad mid-season?

Focus on the first pitch!

You hit the first pitch last time.

How about being more patient this time?

Will he pitch it?

Or will he avoid it?

Let's go.

First pitch.

Raichi!

Smack it away!

I want to hit the pitch he used to took out Miss-shima,

but I'm more interested in...

...that pitch.

That pitch.

Give me that pitch!

Foul!

He went for it!

That was a change-up!

The first pitch was a change-up?

And an inside pitch to his knees.

A completely opposite call from your "low and away" strategy.

What? But...

If they mess up even a little bit...

He reacted on his first time.

It would've been a goner if the control wasn't perfect.

So that's his change-up.

He waits until the last second to swing,

so a small mistake could mean the game's over.

You should know from the intra-squad that

when you pitch the change-up to lefties, you really need to be careful.

If it goes high, it's just an easy pitch.

And this is Yakushi we're talking about.

You have to swing your arm down like you're throwing into the plate.

Foul!

Another change-up?

Wow! Two quick strikes!

Those were some dangerous calls!

They're breaking his batting form with the change-ups.

Two consecutive change-ups against Raichi?

The second one was even lower than the first one.

Is he not throwing that pitch?

Damn! That catcher's gutsy.

It's gonna make Raichi think now.

Now, they have three balls they can freely use.

Even I would hesitate against those calls.

Those guys have complete faith in each other.

You've got him cornered, Sawamura!

I'm gonna run!

I'm gonna run, you hear?

Let's be careful!

Don't rush it!

We've got your back!

Is it coming?

Is it not?

You can do it!

Hit it, Raichi!

A catcher makes the calls to the pitcher to take the batter out.

A pitcher throws to the mitt to take the batter out.

Combining two minds...

...into one...

...makes a battery.

The best pitches

are works of art produced by the pitcher and the catcher working as one.

Works of art?

I'll draw out your full potential.

You just need to trust my mitt and throw your best pitches.

It's that simple.

We'll be great partners.

There it is!

The fastball!

Strike!

Batter out!

A fastball to the outside!

He strikes out Todoroki with just three pitches!

He did it!

Unbelievable!

Hey!

Don't get cocky!

Damn it, Sawamura!

Nice pitch. Damn it!

Two outs. Damn it!

Yeah! Two outs!

They got you good.

Seriously?

Damn.

I won't blame him for being aggressive and hitting early,

but if he could've seen the change-up in his previous at-bat...

Sawamura.

Sawamura takes out Todoroki for a second out.

However, with a runner still on first, his trial continues.

Batting fifth and pitcher, Sanada-kun.

It's only two outs.

He actually struck out Raichi.

Damn! This guy's intense.

I've decided.

I'm running!

Strike!

He opens up with a change-up against Sanada!

A change-up again.

He's really good against fastballs.

I bet they can just pitch three change-ups.

The arm swing doesn't change at all.

Second pitch!

Foul!

He didn't even hesitate on that fastball.

So close!

That was almost an outfield hit.

So scary.

That one was a ball.

They cornered the batter with two pitches again.

Kazuya Miyuki.

The third pitch is a fastball.

This one goes a bit wide, and it's a ball.

Nice pitch!

Be patient!

Don't rush!

Keep it up!

All the fastballs are balls.

The only strikes have been...

Strike!

Batter out!

Sawamura strikes out Todoroki and Sanada,

Yakushi's core batters, back to back.

Sawamura and Miyuki didn't back down, even once.

Seido goes into the top of the eighth with momentum!

Sawamura takes out Yakushi's four- and five-holes,

and we're looking confident.

Two innings left!

We're going to win!

We're going to nationals!

Damn pitchers.

I hate to admit I'm used to being hit,

but I'm not scared!

We can't give up after coming so far.

Next time on Ace of the Diamond Season 2: Party Boys.

Party Boys

Let's win the national title!