Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 624 - 160: Triple Crown Achieved

"Ahhhhh—!!! We are still alive, we are still alive!!! Suzuki Seiya, with the team trailing by one run at the top of the ninth inning, hit a crucial, game-tying single! We haven't lost yet!"

The TV emitted the deafening screams of Hiroshima commentators, and the Hiroshima fans in front of the TV and those who traveled to Fukuoka hugged their companions excitedly, celebrating their team's escape from the jaws of defeat;

Conversely, numerous Softbank Team fans in the stands held their heads in regret and disappointment.

Even though the series score is already 3:0, and losing this game doesn't seem to have a significant impact, who wouldn't want to witness their home team lifting the trophy tonight instead of waiting another day?

Faced with the powerful Softbank Team claiming the match point and being one game away from losing the entire series, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp players, standing on the edge of a cliff, decided to take a gamble. They rely on their youthful and strong batting lineup to launch a desperate counterattack, engaging in offense at the away game against the Softbank Team.

Before the ninth inning began, the Softbank Team, playing at home, temporarily led the visiting Hiroshima Toyo Carp by two runs. To ensure their team's steady victory, supervisor Kodama Komei sent in their guardian spirit Sarfate, who has accumulated 43 saves this year and succeeded in closing out all critical battles, to pitch in the top of the ninth inning.

Unexpectedly, having already secured two outs and being just one out away from completing a three-peat, their guardian spirit, Dennis Sarfate, who has been steady all year, failed to close the game—he was struck by a two-run shot to the left field by the Hiroshima Toyo's young batter Suzuki Seiya, forcefully tying the score.

Failing to close the game at the one-step distance from victory was like a cold bucket of water poured over the Softbank players and fans, directly chilling the atmosphere in Yahoo Dome; even Sarfate himself appeared quite annoyed, his body language revealing his extreme displeasure at this moment.

"Everyone, don't get discouraged!" Just as the Softbank players were about to sink into depression, Lin Guanglai walked to the front of the players' area, clapping his hands towards his teammates in front of him, "The game isn't over yet, isn't there still the bottom of the ninth inning? We still have the chance to end the game!"

To boost morale, Lin Guanglai didn't forget to lighten the mood with some playful words at this moment: "I had already thought about how to celebrate after winning the championship, even found a place, so don't let me have to cancel my reservation..."

His words brought smiles to many faces, slightly easing the silent atmosphere.

Seeing many of his teammates temporarily breaking free from their gloom, Lin Guanglai suddenly changed his tone, his voice instantly turning serious, "Our opponents may think they have a high probability of winning the game now, even bring the series back to their home field; but I don't want to extend the battle line that long, I just want to lift the cup tonight—let's show those newcomers to this stage what it means to have the essence of a champion!"

After speaking, he stretched out his hand to his teammates in front of him, adding, "And don't forget, there's still me."

Unlike the period when he first joined as an unknown, over the past three years, Lin Guanglai has showcased his absolute skills and gentle nature, making him now an important figure in the Softbank Team's locker room, his every word having a profound impact on his teammates around him.

Just like now, even though allowing Hiroshima Toyo to catch up in score is indeed annoying, when Lin Guanglai said "There's still me," as his teammates, they could feel an incomparable sense of relief—that's the sense of security a double-threat ace provides to his teammates.

Hands overlapped and intertwined, the morale that was about to drop was re-condensed; the Softbank players sharpened their focus, redirecting their attention back to the ongoing game.

Judging from the batting order rotation, it seems that Lady Luck is siding with Hiroshima Toyo: at the bottom of the ninth inning, Softbank's batting order will start rotating from the eighth position—for most teams in Nippon Professional Baseball, the eighth and ninth positions are usually held by the pitcher and catcher duo, with their hitting abilities nearly indistinguishable from "waste bats."

But not for the Softbank Team.

One reason is their batting lineup itself comprises Japan's best players who excel at both offense and defense, while another lies in Kodama Komei's adjustments since taking charge of the team.

While Akiyama Koji's Softbank Team was equally strong offensively, its overall appearance still adhered to traditional views of Japanese teams—combining finesse hitters and power hitters, emphasizing the use of small-ball strategies, having fixed sacrifice positions in the batting order; 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Kodama Komei inherited Akiyama Koji's legacy and based on it, incorporated his inclinations to make certain reforms. The biggest change was the gradual marginalization of the small-ball strategy, with Imamiya Kenta being the best result of this reform system.

During Akiyama's era, Imamiya Kenta was a long-term second batter, and the team didn't expect much connected hits from him; most times, he was the one aiding the team through sacrifice bunts—starting from 2013, he consecutively delivered over 60 sacrifice hits for two years, which reveals Akiyama Koji's method of deploying him.