As long as they can score from Lin Guanglai, who hasn't lost even a single point throughout the playoffs, and knock him out early to prevent him from contributing both on the mound and with the bat, the Dodgers line-up might just be able to completely collapse the Yankees and turn around the whole series. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

However, just as Roberts was having this fantasy, Lin Guanglai on the pitcher's mound shattered it:

"Lin—!!! Ahaha! What a fantastic pitch! The Dodgers batters had absolutely no chance to retaliate against him! It's still that forkball worthy of being showcased in a New York museum, taking the Dodgers down three up three down in the first inning! If the Yankees actually win the World Series championship, then based on this performance, Lin will undoubtedly be selected as the World Series FMVP!"

At the same time as the North American commentators were saying this, the Yankees, transitioning from defense to offense in the center of the field, were also starting to organize their attack:

In the bottom of the first inning, the veteran trailblazer Brett Gardner first drew a walk from Kershaw, then advanced to second base under Aaron Judge's cover.

Facing the aggressive Clayton Kershaw, Judge, who had been troubled by breaking balls throughout the playoffs, finally seized the opportunity, hitting the ball into open space in front of left field, creating a situation with runners on first and third with no outs.

Afterward, Lin Guanglai, in charge of clearing the bases, did not let down the expectations of the fans who had stood up from their seats, sweeping the fastball Kershaw sent toward the outside corner to right field, advancing himself to second base and sending Gardner back from third base, adding a run for the team—had it not been for Judge's tall stature and average speed, this hit might have brought the Yankees one more run.

Nonetheless, gaining the lead in the bottom of the first inning was enough to satisfy the Yankees fans in the stands.

"For 22-year-old Lin Guanglai, this season has been nothing short of a bumper harvest—this 'Sixth Day Demon King' from Nippon Professional Baseball has nearly pocketed the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, with the AL MVP as the frontrunner... Now, he looks set for the AL Championship Series MVP and World Series FMVP as well... Dear fans, can you imagine such performance from a young player in his early twenties during his first full Major League Baseball season?!"

Watching the broadcast where this young man was cheering vigorously, the Japanese commentators in the live studio were also yelling hoarsely—they couldn't be sure if their voices were being properly picked up by the microphone, even though they were using headphones that blocked a lot of noise and the highest-spec recording equipment...

As Lin Guanglai swung and the baseball hit the ground for a base hit, a storm was also forming over Yankee Stadium: this storm swept across every area of the stadium, engulfing not only the more than 50,000 attendees but also more fans gathered around the stadium, sparing no one.

You should know that before this, Yankee Stadium seemed somewhat quieter than usual—although the fans had ample confidence in their team and players, they were also worried that such a team mainly composed of young players might drop the ball at a crucial time just one step away, causing an uproar on the entire stand.

Fortunately, this tumult did not last long, as Lin Guanglai helped the home-playing Yankees extend the lead—now, the fans in attendance could finally relax.

Next to the field, Girardi, who was grasping the player area railing tightly with his hand, finally breathed a long sigh of relief, then turned around to celebrate passionately with the members of the coaching team.

At the same time, swearing and discussions came from the Dodgers player area:

"Damn it, it's always like this... How many times have the Yankees scored in the first half of the inning already? Is their offensive capability really that strong?! Strong enough that even a top pitcher like Clayton can't withstand?"

"It's Lin again, this Asian guy... If we had just been able to offer a better condition to take him back then, maybe we'd be leading 3 to 1 right now, sigh..."

Dave Roberts stood on the open ground outside the player area, hands folded across his chest, gazing at the somewhat bewildered faces of the Dodgers players on the field.

Beside him, Dodgers' bench coach Bob Geren turned his head and spoke to Roberts: "Dave, the situation looks grim for us now, it seems..."

Roberts interrupted Geren, not letting him finish his sentence, "It doesn't matter now, we've got nowhere to retreat, right? I've already said and done everything necessary... The game has just begun, it's only a one-point difference, we just need to do what we're supposed to do, Bob."

When the bottom of the first inning finished, and Lin Guanglai walked back to the player area, he was welcomed by teammates and coaching staff with a string of hugs.

Girardi vigorously patted his head and praised his performance with a warm smile: "Good boy, good boy, you've been flawless in the playoffs this season!"