Daichi had already noticed Ken's flaw. The guy didn't like to waste pitches. While this might be fine against college players, such a thing was just asking to be hit in the Majors.
If a batter knew that you were going to throw a strike every pitch, they would be able to swing every time without fear. Unless Ken had a pitch that was unhittable, this would always be the case.
While Ken's fastball was deadly, it wasn't at such a level yet. Ken knew this, and so did Dacihi. Which was why his leads had begun to change starting this inning.
With a full count, Daichi called for a changeup at the bottom of the strike zone. He had only thrown 2 of these tonight, so Ken had high hopes.
He nodded and got into position and gripped the ball tightly within his glove. After briefly looking at 3rd base, he lifted his leg and kicked off the mound, striding forward.