"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 cos to an end, and this is already his 7th strikeout of the ga—today, the forr 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 mont, similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in thousands of hos across Fukuoka and the entire Kyushu Region, as everyone's hearts were captivated by the ga unfolding at the Yahoo Do.
With Shetsu Shou's swing-and-a-miss strikeout as the mark, the final phase of Ga 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 imnsely 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 Do, and the cheers and shouts of the ho 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.
So 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 ga 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 gas.
This ga, which could potentially decide the entire 2014 season's outco, 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 inford 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 ga!"
Then, under the gaze of everyone on the bench, he returned to his seat and sat down.
No matter how well he pitched this ga, it couldn't change the fact that he was already 32 years old; both his physical and ntal energy were not the sa as when he could pitch an entire ga 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 ti... it was ti to pass the torch to his bullpen teammates.
In baseball, such a rotation is quite common; however, for so reason, when it truly ca to this point, Shetsu Shou felt a sense of reluctance in his heart, as if leaving this stage today ant he might never return again.
Seated, he looked up, his gaze shifting towards the Eagle's Vision screen above the outfield stands: both teams' nas were currently occupied by a long string of "0"—this was his biggest achievent in the ga.
His gaze then moved downward, sweeping across the fanatical ho fans in the Yahoo Do 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 , I hope you can keep that promise!"
Just as he said this, Lin Guanglai, who was warming up in the on-deck circle, seed to sense sothing and glanced back. Their eyes t in mid-air, and Guanglai first paused, then smiled and tapped his helt with his right hand in acknowledgnt to Shetsu Shou.
His deanor seed to say, "Senior, please watch closely from here—it's my ti to perform now!"
Indeed, that was Lin Guanglai's intention, despite the fact that due to Hanshin Tigers' deliberate targeting, his performance in this ga so far was not satisfactory.
Evidently, his outstanding performance in the previous three gas made Lin Guanglai a pri target.
In this ga, 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 elent 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 ga 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.
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