His recent bullpen success had boosted his confidence, but today was different; today, he'd test his mysterious system in a real game setting. As the fifth starter in the rotation, every outing was an opportunity to climb higher, and Jack was determined to make his mark.
Inning 1
Jack took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the overlay for guidance. The first batter for the Great Lakes Loons stepped into the box. The system prompted Jack to start with a fastball, high and outside. He executed the pitch perfectly, striking the batter out on four pitches after setting him up with two curveballs that teased the strike zone.
The next batter managed a weak grounder to second base, thanks to Jack's sinking changeup, meticulously thrown as the system advised. The third batter of the inning popped up to shortstop after Jack frustrated him with a series of fastballs and sliders, each one more precise than the last. The inning ended quickly, with Jack walking off the mound feeling empowered, his secret weapon guiding him effectively.
Inning 2
The second inning brought more challenges. The system flashed a new task: Initiate a double play. Jack eyed the leadoff batter, a known speedster. The recommended strategy was a two-seam fastball, aimed to induce a ground ball. The pitch worked as expected, and the batter hit a sharp grounder to third base, leading to a swift 5-4-3 double play.
The next batter struck out swinging over a beautifully disguised changeup, ending the inning with another boost in Jack's stats, his ERA dipping slightly, a reflection of his flawless performance so far.
Inning 3
With confidence growing, Jack faced the heart of the Loons' lineup. The system challenged him again: Three strikeouts this inning. The first batter went down on a devastating slider that dove right out of the strike zone. The second, fooled by a sequence of fastballs, then caught off guard by a knee-buckling curve, also struck out swinging.
The final batter of the inning was the toughest yet, battling through a long at-bat, fouling off several pitches. But Jack, following the system's real-time updates, finally struck him out with a high fastball that the batter couldn't catch up to. Jack's teammates clapped him on the back as he trotted to the dugout, his dominance now fully on display.
Inning 4
By the fourth inning, whispers were spreading through the stands and among the team about Jack's sudden and remarkable improvement. The overlay now suggested maintaining energy and focusing on pitch economy. Jack responded by mixing his pitches smartly, resulting in quick contact outs—a flyout to left, a soft grounder to first, and another flyout to center. Efficient and effective, Jack maintained control with minimal pitches, preserving his strength for later innings.
Inning 5
As the game progressed, Jack faced the lower part of the lineup. The system's interface flashed another objective: No walks this inning. He adhered to the guidance, placing pitches with surgical precision. Each batter either struck out or connected with balls that resulted in easy outs. One groundout to shortstop, a strikeout looking on a curveball that painted the corner, and a flyout to right field concluded another stellar inning for Jack.
As Jack stepped off the mound, his mind raced with the implications of his performance. Each inning had been a test, each pitch a calculated move guided by the mysterious system. He was pitching better than he ever had, but the fear of being discovered, of being accused of cheating somehow, lingered in the back of his mind. What was this system? Where had it come from? And most importantly, how long could he keep using it without being caught?
While the crowd cheered and his teammates offered high fives and fist bumps, Jack's thoughts were on the future. With every pitch, he was drawing closer to his dream of being called up to the majors, but at what cost? His secret was powerful, yet the weight of it was becoming a heavy burden to bear. As he sat in the dugout watching his team take their at-bats, he realized that his journey was only just beginning.