Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 533 - 116: Crowned as Kings

Inside Kyocera Dome, the most tense, exciting, and heart-racing bottom of the ninth inning in baseball has finally arrived.

The ongoing game on the field is nothing more than an ordinary official match; however, the significance and value it carries are heavier than the seventh game of the Japan Series in certain aspects.

On the electronic scoreboard above the outfield, the score of 3 to 2 is displayed there. For baseball, this one-point gap is fragile like a flickering candle in the wind, easily overturned by the opponent if not careful; not to mention, in this bottom of the ninth, Orix’s lineup will rotate to their most powerful central batting order.

The upcoming inning might last a long time or end in the blink of an eye—will Orix turn the tables from the brink and retain their last hope of victory, or will the SoftBank Team be crowned as kings, winning the championship again after three years? The answer will soon be revealed.

The air in the stadium is almost solidified, and the tense atmosphere has swept over everyone, including both teams’ managers, coaches, players, and even the fans in the stands; under such circumstances, even breathing is sweet and salty.

But similarly, everyone knows that this is merely the calm before the true storm.

At this moment, the door to the visitors’ bullpen slowly opens, and a tall figure leisurely steps out, walking towards the pitcher’s mound. He is wearing the SoftBank Team’s iconic black away jersey, with his number and surname printed on the back—

"#58 SARFATE."

"From the camera angle, we can see Dennis Sarfate stepping onto the pitching mound—" Seeing the person making an appearance, SoftBank’s commentator at Fukuoka TV Station breathed a sigh of relief, with a bit of reassurance in his voice, "Throughout this season, Sarfate is undoubtedly the most stable and reassuring presence in the team’s bullpen." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Until today’s game began, he has secured 37 save victories, with a 1.05 ERA, 96 strikeouts, and only 8 earned runs, representing that he is currently the strongest guardian in the entire Pacific League!"

As Sarfate walked out from the bullpen onto Kyocera Dome’s turf, the SoftBank fans, who had traveled from afar occupying a corner of the stadium, began their powerful cheer:

Without the inspiring entrance music usually heard at home games, they used their own voices and hands to create a rhythm, shouting the deepest requests from their hearts:

"Strikeout—clap clap—strikeout—clap clap—!!!"

This shout was like war drums being beaten before the two armies, gradually converging and forming a tide of noise throughout the stands of Kyocera Dome.

The terrifying sound from the tens of thousands of supporters even made Orix’s players lift their heads: they couldn’t quite tell whose home stadium it was anymore!

Once Sarfate officially stepped onto the pitcher’s mound, the entire stadium suddenly fell silent—all knew that the most critical moment of the game was now!

In the bottom of the ninth, Orix’s first batter is someone immensely familiar to the SoftBank players: after being released by SoftBank due to last year’s poor performance, Pena was picked up by Orix, rejuvenating his form. This season, he currently stands third on the Pacific League’s home run list, he’s definitely not the same weak figure seen in last year’s eyes of the SoftBank players.

However, Sarfate wasn’t intimidated by Pena. He simply focused coldly on the opponent beneath the brim of his hat, while exchanging signals with the catcher.

The first pitch, Sarfate gave the opponent a shocking welcome, with the 159km/h fastball launching toward the batter’s inside corner, forcing Pena back a step, watching the ball enter the strike zone.

"Strike!" In the ears of SoftBank players and fans, the declaration sounded like heavenly music.

The second pitch, a low outside cutter, the ball moved horizontally at the moment of entering the strike zone, making Pena, who was fixated on hitting the ball, unable to react in time, and his swinging bat ultimately failed to adjust to the hitting position, missing the swing.

No balls, 2 strikes.

Almost without any adjustment, Sarfate quickly delivered the third pitch: the speed even faster than the first, the angle entering the strike zone was lower, practically attacking the batter’s knees.

The disadvantage of 2 strikes made Pena cautious, forcing him to choose to hit the ball. His intention was to foul the ball, but under the hurried start, he accidentally used the lower edge of the bat to hit the ball, instead forming a weak infield pop-up.

This kind of catch posed almost no difficulty for the SoftBank Team’s fielders, with Imamiya Kenta at the shortstop position signaling teammates to clear space, adjusting his steps and posture, effortlessly completing the catch.

One out!

The entire process was neat and swift, taking even less than five minutes, raising the cheers from SoftBank fans to even greater heights; conversely, Orix’s fans seemed to have a cold bucket of water poured over them, their voices dampening considerably.

The second batter up, T-Okada, Orix’s veteran slugger, having won the 2010 home run king and the Best Nine title. His outstanding long-hitting ability is his most prominent feature, but his poor plate discipline has been a major hindrance to further development.