Chapter 146

Short Summary
Aiming to ruin the Mariners’ players, Tokuchi manipulates Brooklyn into hitting several double plays.

Long Summary
Brooklyn steps up to the plate, and Tokuchi calls him ‘Brocklyn’ to piss him off. His first pitch gets a strike with a fastball down the middle. Thomas is surprised Tokuchi would throw such an easy ball but Takami says Tokuchi knew Brooklyn would let it go by.

Tokuchi pitches three intentional balls, making the count 1-3. Brooklyn tells him not to walk him as he wants to get a home run. Tokuchi throws again and Brooklyn hits it off the end of his bat. It rolls and the fielders manage to get both Brooklyn and Amami out.

When Brooklyn bats in the fifth inning, Amami is on first base like last time. The count once again gets to 1-3. Brooklyn swings and hits a slow grounder. The fielders get another double play. Amami feels something strange is going on and again sees Tokuchi smiling as he walks off.

Fujita asks Tokuchi about Amami’s two hits and Ideguchi says Tokuchi's letting him hit them on purpose. Fujita and Imai get annoyed, saying he should just strike him out, but Tokuchi says if he did that, the Mariners wouldn’t be left with any ‘damage’. He tells them in a pennant race, you must always be thinking about what you can do now in order to win tomorrow. Tokuchi presents them with a question: if they were a gladiator in Ancient Rome who got in a lucky hit on a stronger opponent and won the fight, what should they do next? You may have to fight in a revenge match tomorrow and so you should deliver enough damage while you can so they can’t recover. You must ‘break his arms’ and ‘smash his knees’. Because of the media, the entire team has split in two. Allowing Amami to hit while Brooklyn gets double plays will destroy his pride. He describes Brooklyn as a ‘dog that fell into a ditch’ who they must sink all the way.

At Brooklyn’s third bat, the same as before happens again. With the count at 1-3 he hits into a double play, his third consecutive one this game.

Characters

 * Tokuchi Toua
 * Brooklyn
 * Amami
 * Ideguchi
 * Fujita
 * Imai
 * Takami
 * Thomas