His fastball now touched 101. His slider broke so late that home plate umpires started flinching. He struck out the side in the 8th inning of a tied Wild Card game, then did it again in the 9th. The crowd chanted "Jax, Jax, Jax," but he couldn't hear them. He was too busy listening to the silent, perfect hum behind his ear.
The final game of the World Series. Bottom of the 9th, two outs, bases loaded, full count on the best hitter in baseball. The score was 3-2. Jax had already thrown 34 pitches—a number his natural arm would have exploded at, but The Plug-In simply rerouted the pain signals. pitcher plugin
For the first time all season, the silence behind his ear wasn't empty. It was his own. His fastball now touched 101