Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 501 - 101: Shocking the Past and Present

As mentioned earlier, achieving the "perfect home run" accomplishment requires the perfect combination of timing, location, and harmony among the players.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the SoftBank team’s batting order will rotate to start with the sixth batter, Matsuda Naohiro:

This arrangement means that if Lin Guanglai wants a chance at the perfect home run, his four teammates ahead of him must fill the bases first, without scoring too many runs in the process—a double hit at this point could ruin the opportunity.

The best scenario is for each player to hit a single, filling the bases, and then patiently wait for Lin Guanglai to come up.

The same logic applies to the Orix team: if they don’t want to be the backdrop for Lin Guanglai’s superhuman achievement, a simple double play could completely snuff out any fantasy from the root.

At the same time, time is not on Lin Guanglai’s side: the SoftBank team currently maintains a significant lead, and the game has already entered the bottom of the eighth inning—

Barring any surprises, the next at-bat is likely to be Lin Guanglai’s last and only opportunity in this game.

Before this half inning began, the towering Yahoo Dome fell into complete silence, with a tense atmosphere similar to the bottom of the ninth inning in a Game 7 of the Japan Series. All the spectators had risen from their seats, their eyes fixed intently on the SoftBank players about to take the field.

"Please... let the batters ahead successfully reach base... if there’s really going to be a miracle, let’s witness it!"

Prayers like these echoed from the stands endlessly; clearly, faced with the temptation of making history, no one could remain calm.

Similarly, the atmosphere in the SoftBank players’ area was also quite somber, with all the players wearing an expression of resolve as if facing death—every hit from here on could make them part of a new history, etched forever in the annals of Japanese and even global baseball, to be recounted endlessly in the years to come.

If not for the massive point lead displayed on the Eagle’s Vision screen above the outfield, outsiders might have assumed that this team was the one trailing in the score.

"Guanglai, think carefully about how to hit that home run from the bench—when it comes to the groundwork needed, we veterans will do whatever it takes to make it happen for you!" said Matsuda Naohiro, SoftBank’s current captain and the first batter of this half inning, promising Lin Guanglai.

"Yeah, Guanglai, don’t feel any pressure, just trust us, I’m sure by the time you step up to bat, the bases will be loaded!" echoed Yanagida Yuuki, who had put aside his usually carefree demeanor, patting his chest to reassure Lin Guanglai.

In response, Lin Guanglai didn’t put on airs—saying he didn’t care about such an achievement would seem disingenuous. He sincerely expressed his gratitude to his seniors, "Then I leave it to everyone—this honor belongs to every member of our team!"

Inside the broadcast studio, the announcer covering the game also rose from his seat, leaning forward as if he wanted to press his face against the screen.

"Ah—the unprecedented perfect home run achievement is now just one grand slam away!" A moment later, he calmed his racing heart slightly and spoke with excitement, "In this upcoming half inning, if the SoftBank team and Lin Guanglai wish to cement their place in world baseball history, every batter must perform, which is no easy feat, but that’s what makes this achievement so incredible!"

"Since rising to fame across Japan, Lin Guanglai has been dubbed the ’walking record crusher.’ Up to this point in his career, he’s broken countless records—can he do it once more this time?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Orix’s side had completed personnel changes, and the pitcher now on the mound was worth noting—Kei Igawa, once a dominating force in Japan and signed by the Major League powerhouse Yankees, but who had a disastrous tenure in the U.S., earning the nickname "con artist" from Yankees fans; now back in Japan, he only gets appearances during garbage time.

If it were the peak version of Kei Igawa, it would be uncertain whether the SoftBank batters could even hit against him; but since his return from across the Pacific, Kei Igawa’s skills have plummeted:

His average speed was once 144 km/h with a max of 151 km/h, now it has dropped to 137 km/h; and his already mediocre control has further deteriorated.

As Matsuda Naohiro slowly entered the batter’s box holding his bat, a series of numbers lit up on the Eagle’s Vision screen:

[Perfect Home Run Progress: Solo HR (Achieved); Two-Run HR (Achieved); Three-Run HR (Achieved); Grand Slam (?)]

The tension and anticipation filled the air of the dome, as the main character of this challenge, Lin Guanglai, sat on the bench with a towel over his head, his eyes fixed on the unfolding scene on the field; alongside him, coaches and teammates did the same.

As the most crucial pioneer, Matsuda Naohiro adopted a very conservative batting strategy for this at-bat, with all decisions aimed at ultimately getting on base;