Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 617 - 156: Creating a Legend (Part 2)

Just when the fans of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters were hoping for a bit of surprise from their immovable cleanup hitter, the outcome of this at-bat was just as devoid of suspense as before:

Even after battling Lin Guanglai for a full six pitches, Nakata Shou ultimately succumbed to the opponent's strange forkball-slider—no matter that throughout the past season, professional teams had extensively studied this pitch, and the data had been shared among players, when it came to the actual game, the pitch simply remained un-hittable.

This kind of disparity can already be described as transcending levels in certain aspects; at least currently in Japan, there is no batter who can thwart him. The question now is, next season, when he crosses the Pacific Ocean, how much time will Major League hitters need to adapt to this revolutionary pitch?

Outside the player zone of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Kuriyama Hideki's expression grew increasingly grim—a moment ago, it was a golden opportunity with no outs and a runner on second base. In the blink of an eye, it turned into two outs with a runner on third. Though scoring opportunities remained, could they really convert their advantage on base into actual points against Lin Guanglai?

The answer was, of course, no.

Facing Tanaka Kenta, the fifth batter of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Lin Guanglai executed three consecutive strikes; an inside high-pressure fastball, a precisely controlled breaking ball to the far corner, and finally, the forkball with a subtle technique and unpredictable trajectory—even Tanaka Kenta couldn't manage a swing, finding himself struck out.

Confronted with the danger of a potential score tie, Lin Guanglai once again showcased his heroics, relying on his exceptional pitching skills, eliminating the strongest center batting line members of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters consecutively, maintaining a 1-point lead.

As the victory and the third consecutive championship grew nearer, not only the home team fans but even the SoftBank players in the player zone couldn't contain their excitement:

Almost immediately upon returning to the player zone, Lin Guanglai was surrounded by his first-string teammates, with countless hands cheerfully greeting him—as the victory and championship drew closer, everyone sincerely expressed their overflowing emotions.

The burden in their hearts became lighter, the performance of SoftBank's lineup on the field improved accordingly—especially in the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters substituted Ohtani Shohei, who pitched 7 innings with over 100 pitches, the pressure instantly diminished and the SoftBank hitters quickly launched a wave of offensive climax.

The mid-season transition from a middle reliever to a closer, Chris Martin made 52 appearances, only giving up 6 runs, with an era of just 1.07, yet made an irreparable mistake in this most crucial match:

Against the aggressive SoftBank lineup, Chris Martin started by walking Imamiya Kenta, the first batter, then consecutively hit base hits by Yuichi Honda and Yanagida Yuuki, turning the excellent situation of two outs and no runners into a dire situation of two outs and bases loaded; more importantly, the next batter was someone the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters least wanted to face at this time.

"Cleanup hitter, pitcher, number 21, Lin Guanglai."

"Cleanup hitter, pitcher, number 21..." The announcement from Yahoo Dome hadn't finished before being completely drowned out by the overwhelming sound waves that threatened to overturn the dome; everyone on site, including fans, players, journalists, and even Major League scouts, stood up simultaneously.

The subsequent at-bat could very well determine the championship of this season; if true, it would be another legendary scene created by Lin Guanglai to be inscribed in Nippon Professional Baseball history.

Under the spotlight, Lin Guanglai walked into the hitting zone with a smile, looking remarkably relaxed.

This is the confidence lent by absolute strength because he knows that he has the capability to hit the ball out; more importantly, as a unique Dual Swordsmanship, Lin Guanglai also has the assurance of "even if this at-bat returns nothing, he can still shut out the opponent," something only he can achieve.

Chris Martin's pitches are mostly of the fastball type, including a fastest speed of 159 km/h, an average speed of 152 km/h, a four-seam making up more than half of his pitch ratio, an average 146 km/h cutter, an average 151 km/h slider, and the 133 km/h curveball often used as his secret weapon and decisive pitch.

On the pitcher's mound, faced with the full base situation beside him and the 39 home-run Lin Guanglai before him, Chris Martin only felt immense pressure; he took a deep breath and threw the ball towards the hitting zone.

Facing the pitch, Lin Guanglai's gaze was fixated on the ball, choosing to swing his bat fiercely on the first pitch—

"Thump—!!!"

A crisp sound, the second explosion of the night!!!

Watching the baseball soaring high, the SoftBank home fans were initially stunned, then they completely transformed into a sea of festivity, plunging into endless celebration;

In the home dugout by the first-base side, many players were shocked by that sound, standing from their seats, hands clutching their heads, gazing at the ball that flew higher and farther with expressions of incredulity;

Meanwhile, in the visiting team player zone by the third-base side, the crisp sound was like a death knell for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players, instantly filling the space with emotions like dejection, pain, and self-doubt—even Ohtani Shohei, who played excellently this game, displayed a look of anguish;

At the position of the Major League scouts, a commotion had long erupted.

"Although I knew Lin was talented early on, to hit 40 home runs plus rack up 20 win games and 300 strikeouts in a single season—is such data really humanly attainable?—Don't tell me Japan's data is inflated, even a player able to achieve such data in Triple-A should immediately join a Major League team!"

"Japan's baseball environment can no longer stem his growth, such a player should go to the United States, and only to the United States—I really am increasingly looking forward to next season when he faces young players like Harper and Trout..."

While chatting, the expressions on the scouts' faces became slightly complicated, realizing that with the nearing end of the Nippon Professional Baseball season, an unpreventable battle for Lin Guanglai was about to unfold, viewing those present could very possibly be future competitors.

On the field, the players who were previously on base along with Lin Guanglai behind them ran wildly, liberally expressing their joy; when Lin Guanglai stepped over home plate, his teammates had long swarmed out of the dugout, frantically patting his helmet and shoulders.

Under the Fukuoka night sky, all lights of Yahoo Dome converged onto Lin Guanglai—this strike that pierced the dome not only completely altered the score but declared the final disposition of the 2016 Pacific League championship.

Even if the game is not yet over, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters still have a chance to turn the tide, Lin Guanglai still wants to say—

They're going to win!!!

The championship belongs to him and the SoftBank Team!!!

Gazing at the excessively young face in the center of the camera, the commentator responsible for the live broadcast only felt at a loss for words, so he kept repeating Lin Guanglai's stats:

"Single game double blast, completing the season's 40 home run milestone; to this point, eight scoreless innings pitched, ERA has entered the zero point... How do we describe a player able to excel in both pitching and batting? We can't describe it!"

"Perhaps truly only the United States is the place he should go…"