Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 566 - 132: A Desperate Struggle

"Shetsu Shou, a swing and a miss for a strikeout!" Sakurai Koji's iconic shout echoed through the TV screen of a family of four in Fukuoka, "The top of the seventh inning comes to an end, and this is already his 7th strikeout of the game—today, the former Eiji Sawamura Award winner is in exceptional form!"

In the center of the screen, Shetsu Shou, having just executed a brilliant strikeout, was raising his arms in triumph, the sweat on his forehead glistening under the stadium lights; in front of the screen, a middle-aged father was high-fiving his son in celebration.

At this very moment, similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in thousands of homes across Fukuoka and the entire Kyushu Region, as everyone's hearts were captivated by the game unfolding at the Yahoo Dome.

With Shetsu Shou's swing-and-a-miss strikeout as the mark, the final phase of Game Four of the 2014 Japan Series arrived.

Unexpectedly, the Hanshin Tigers, who were in dire straits, did not break down; on the contrary, they exploded with an immensely strong fighting spirit and resilient will while on the edge of the cliff. Although their offense was completely suppressed by Shetsu Shou, their defense remained unfazed.

The white, yellow, and black waves continued to surge across the stands of the Yahoo Dome, and the cheers and shouts of the home fans never ceased, not even for a second. Although there was a hint of anxiety and worry in their voices, their support remained unwavering.

Fans wearing SoftBank jerseys vigorously waved towels, their throats already hoarse, yet they persisted in singing supportive chants, pouring all their faith into each wave of the arm and shout.

Some went even further, taking off their shirts and standing at the front of the fan section, waving flags to boost morale and create an atmosphere.

The game had reached the seventh inning, yet the score remained at 0:0—a score considered abnormal based on the characteristics of both teams in the past three games.

This game, which could potentially decide the entire 2014 season's outcome, was evidently veering towards a pitcher's duel.

When Shetsu Shou returned from the field to the player area, as the adrenaline subsided, an overwhelming fatigue swept through every corner of his body like a tide.

"Manager, I'm almost at my limit..." He informed Akiyama Koji, the manager, and the surrounding pitching coaches about his condition. After receiving their nods of approval, Shetsu Shou smiled and said to his teammates around him, "I'll be counting on you all for the rest of the game!"

Then, under the gaze of everyone on the bench, he returned to his seat and sat down.

No matter how well he pitched this game, it couldn't change the fact that he was already 32 years old; both his physical and mental energy were not the same as when he could pitch an entire game and still be lively the next day as an ace.

He knew that his aging body was protesting: he could no longer contribute to the team's victory, and it was time... it was time to pass the torch to his bullpen teammates.

In baseball, such a rotation is quite common; however, for some reason, when it truly came to this point, Shetsu Shou felt a sense of reluctance in his heart, as if leaving this stage today meant he might never return again.

Seated, he looked up, his gaze shifting towards the Eagle's Vision screen above the outfield stands: both teams' names were currently occupied by a long string of "0"—this was his biggest achievement in the game.

His gaze then moved downward, sweeping across the fanatical home fans in the Yahoo Dome stands, the serious expressions of his teammates beside him, and finally landed on Lin Guanglai, who was preparing in the on-deck circle.

"Guanglai..." Shetsu Shou murmured in a voice only he could hear, "You did promise to secure a win for me, I hope you can keep that promise!"

Just as he said this, Lin Guanglai, who was warming up in the on-deck circle, seemed to sense something and glanced back. Their eyes met in mid-air, and Guanglai first paused, then smiled and tapped his helmet with his right hand in acknowledgment to Shetsu Shou.

His demeanor seemed to say, "Senior, please watch closely from here—it's my time to perform now!"

Indeed, that was Lin Guanglai's intention, despite the fact that due to Hanshin Tigers' deliberate targeting, his performance in this game so far was not satisfactory.

Evidently, his outstanding performance in the previous three games made Lin Guanglai a prime target.

In this game, whenever there was a scoring opportunity and walking him wouldn't cost them a run, the Hanshin Tigers' coaching staff would unhesitatingly direct their pitchers to walk him to first base, denying him a chance to swing; the only chance he did get, he swung a fly ball high but not far to right field, where Right Fielder Furumoto Takakazu effortlessly caught him out.

Although there was an element of deliberate targeting by the opposition, Lin Guanglai was clearly not satisfied with such a performance; especially since he had confidently assured Senior Shetsu Shou before the game that he would secure a win for him.

Seeing as the eighth inning was about to begin and Shetsu Shou would be replaced by Igarashi Ryouta warming up in the bullpen, Lin Guanglai knew that his only scoring opportunity remained in this bottom half of the seventh inning.