Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 411 - 58: Momentum Like a Broken Bamboo

"Hello to all the professional baseball audience, welcome to the 2013 Central League and Pacific League Exchange Games special broadcast program!"

"As we reach mid-June, the schedule for the exchange games is gradually coming to an end; the current rankings have also become increasingly clear..."

"The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are currently leading both leagues with a record of 14 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw, a winning percentage of 66.7%, and a game difference of 2.5. With only 3 exchange games remaining, this margin means they are just one victory away from clinching the 2013 exchange games championship!"

"In second place are the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, who have also been performing excellently lately. After establishing a stable starting rotation led by ’Tanaka-Mima-Norimoto’, Manager Hoshino Senichi’s team has overcome their early season slump, and their ranking keeps climbing—especially their ace pitcher Tanaka Masahiro who, in May, won the 8th monthly MVP award of his career. He has already clinched 9 wins this season without suffering a single loss."

"If Tanaka Masahiro is one of the most outstanding players during the exchange games, then the best team would undoubtedly be the SoftBank Team. Since losing to the home team, Yakult Swallows, at Shengong Stadium on May 25th by 3 to 4, the SoftBank Team has achieved an impressive record of 9 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the following 11 games, solidifying their current leading position with their excellent performance."

"As SoftBank’s Manager Akiyama said in an interview, the team’s performance can be attributed to the efforts of every player, though individual outbursts should not be overlooked."

"Among them, none is more remarkable than the team’s newly recruited top draft pick this year, the super rookie Lin Guanglai, who has made outstanding contributions to the team’s victories during the exchange games."

"At the game on May 24th against the Yakult Swallows, Lin Guanglai allowed a go-ahead two-run homer by Yakult’s Balentien in the bottom of the first inning, ending the game with 4 runs allowed over 6 innings. When many thought he had hit the rookie wall and would be silent for a while, Lin Guanglai unexpectedly broke out!"

"Next, let’s watch the video—"

As the show host wrapped up the introduction, the television screen abruptly changed the scene to start playing videos of Lin Guanglai’s performances in recent games for the SoftBank Team, accompanied by background commentary for the viewers.

"On May 28th, at Tokyo Dome, in the first game between the Giants and SoftBank, during the top of the seventh inning, the SoftBank Team had a narrow lead of 2 to 0 over the Giants. When Lin came to bat in this game, the situation was two outs with runners on first and second. Previous batters Yamazaki and Yanagita were both walked after being hit by pitches."

"Facing the fierce Giants fans in the stands, Lin Guanglai remained calm. With a full count of 3 balls and 2 strikes, he sent the ball into the stands of Tokyo Dome with one swing, silencing the entire dome full of Giants fans—this was a three-run homer, marking Lin’s seventh of the season!"

"In the footage, we can see the expression on the face of the Giants’ Manager Hara Tatsunori..."

"On June 1st, at Yahoo Dome, during the fourth game between SoftBank and Hiroshima, Lin pitched again after six days of rest, delivering a strikeout performance for the home fans: in this match against Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Lin Guanglai pitched 7 innings, registering 11 strikeouts, allowing only 2 hits, no walks, and no runs, marking his return with his season’s sixth win. This quick rebound demonstrated his outstanding mental resilience."

"On June 3rd, at Yahoo Dome, during the fourth game between SoftBank and Hanshin, Lin Guanglai, returning as the main designated hitter, went all out once again, proving the worth of his titles ’Hanshin Slayer’ and ’Koshien Nemesis’!"

"At the bottom of the sixth with no outs and bases loaded, Lin Guanglai ended up victorious in his face-off with Hanshin’s starting pitcher Jason Standridge by hitting a grand slam to left field, instantly igniting the entire Yahoo Dome, sending the over forty thousand capacity stadium into a frenzy."

"However, his performance didn’t end there. Just half an inning later, as the lead batter in the bottom of the sixth, Lin Guanglai once again sent Standridge’s pitch into the stands, setting the final score of this game at 12-0. Notably, this was the Hanshin Tigers’ most significant defeat of the season so far, and it was Lin Guanglai’s first time hitting two home runs in a single game."

"In addition, just four days earlier at Nagoya Dome, Lin Guanglai had hit his tenth home run of the season. That was in the top of the seventh when the home team Chunichi Dragons had narrowed the score to 4-5. Lin Guanglai, leading off, sent the ball into the right-field stands, helping the SoftBank Team extend their lead. If not for the closer’s failure to secure the final outs, they might have already clinched the exchange series victory early!"

"Including a home run at Koshien before, since the start of the exchange games, Lin Guanglai has contributed 5 home runs and 19 RBIs as a batter, making him undoubtedly one of the key factors in SoftBank Team’s top standing!"

"Tomorrow, with high morale and continuous victories, the SoftBank Team will host the Yakult Swallows at their home ground, Fukuoka Mizuho PayPay Dome. Lin Guanglai will also start pitching in this game—facing the team that once caused him significant trouble, who knows if our ’Heisei Monster’ will respond this time?"

"Tomorrow night at 6:00, please tune in to our station, where we will bring you a live broadcast of the match. As a media outlet local to Fukuoka, we naturally hope to share the joy of the SoftBank Team’s home victory with all the fans..."

In a brightly lit room, Lin Guanglai remained lying on the bed, eyes glued to the square electronic screen in his hand. It was still showing the footage of the match where he was defeated by Yakult nearly half a month ago.

For the past half month, he had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of tomorrow—he was ready to show the Yakult Swallows a new version of himself!