Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 661 - 16: Perfect Debut (Part 2)

Don't be fooled by those reporters who seem to elevate him to the skies before the games start. If there's any problem with performance on the field, they'll be the first to throw you down to the ground. Just thinking about how to deal with the media is enough to give Machado a headache.

So to give himself some room to breathe, he must get a hit in this at-bat—being 1-for-4 may not sound much better than 0-for-4, but at least it leaves some room for maneuver; as a young star in the Orioles and the entire Major League, being struck out four times in a single game by the newly-debuted Lin Guanglai would be quite embarrassing.

Moreover, as a top-tier MLB hitter, Machado has somewhat figured out Lin Guanglai's tricks in the first three at-bats. Lin Guanglai's repertoire appears difficult to deal with, but it isn't entirely flawless.

Lin Guanglai is unaware of Machado's thoughts. Standing on the mound, he simply exchanged signs with Gary Sanchez and quickly decided on his pitch strategy: needing just one more out to end the game, they chose the already effective strategy used earlier.

The first pitch was still a powerful high-pressure fastball. The baseball flew from Lin Guanglai's fingertips straight towards Machado's inside corner with vigorous momentum, even though Lin Guanglai had pitched almost the entire game. The ball still maintained strong tail and spin, despite a slight decrease in speed.

Mental battles occurred intensely in a short time. Although he wanted to swing fiercely, Machado ultimately suppressed that desire and chose to step back temporarily, letting the ball pass—its placement was very annoying, and forcing a swing would only result in a groundout.

Based on today's habits, after successfully attacking the batter's inside corner, Lin Guanglai would usually choose a high fastball to entice the batter to swing and miss or make the opponent select, keeping pressure while paving the way for frequently used forkball—a strategy with multiple benefits. This upcoming second pitch was precisely what Machado targeted!

On the mound, Lin Guanglai briefly adjusted before quickly delivering the ball. Watching the baseball fly as expected over the high strike zone, Machado was delighted and decisively swung the bat towards the ball, thinking to launch it deep into the field or even above the stands.

However, the bat hit nothing but the gust of wind. Although the baseball approached the high strike zone, its speed wasn't as rapid as Machado anticipated—in the game's final at-bat, Lin Guanglai unexpectedly used a change-up to sneak a strike count, catching Machado off guard.

Holding a 0-2 count, at least in today's game, this situation was almost equivalent to a strikeout.

The final result was predictable:

With the count disadvantageous and unsure of what pitch Lin Guanglai would use as the finisher, Machado gambled on a forkball;

Yet, as the baseball flew into Gary Sanchez's mitt for the third time this at-bat, there was no change in its trajectory—the game's final pitch, Lin Guanglai unusually chose a low strike zone fastball for the decision-maker, securing the last out of the ninth inning.

"Strike! Strikeout!!! The game is over!!!" Until the umpire's announcement of the game's end, Machado at the batter's box finally realized; simultaneously, an unnamed fire surged from his heart to his brain.

In front of the TV cameras and the remaining spectators, this Baltimore star player smashed his bat against his thigh, breaking it in two before tossing it aside, venting his anger and dissatisfaction with his performance.

Yet, except for Orioles supporters, no one paid attention to what he was doing right now; everyone's focus was on the mound towards the taller, younger figure.

"Major League fans, remember this boy's name—Lin Guanglai. He introduced himself in the most perfect way to all MLB fans: in his first Major League debut, he pitched 9 innings with 15 strikeouts, a complete game shutout victory, and hit a go-ahead solo homer to lead his team. I think even the most picky commentators couldn't find any faults with this debut..."

"Yes, I initially thought Lin Guanglai's terrifying dominance in Nippon Professional Baseball was due to the extremely imbalanced pitcher-hitter phenomenon in Japan; now it seems that it's not that Japanese hitters are too weak, but Lin Guanglai's prowess is top-tier even in the Major League. Naturally, such a player presents a dimensional reduction attack in Japan..."

"I think after this game, Yankees fans are unquestionably the happiest people in the world. Having reached postseason only once with no victory in four seasons since 2012, the current Yankees are full of youthful vigor, especially the excellent performances by Lin Guanglai and Aaron Judge today. They offer incredible surprises—could these two be the answer for this century-old club in the new era? I believe we can indeed have higher expectations for the Yankees' upcoming performances!"

After the opening game with the Baltimore Orioles ended, Lin Guanglai, previously unknown in the United States, seemed to become famous overnight, becoming the new darling of the U.S. media—

In the post-match interview area, journalists from around the world gathered around him, questioning him about his impressions of the Major League, differences between Asian and American baseball, relationships with teammates, etc.;

Numerous sponsors sent signing intentions to his agency, hoping to leverage Lin Guanglai's outstanding appearance and top-notch skills to expand brand influence, including international renowned brands;

Even the very famous American magazine "Sports Illustrated" sent him an invitation, wishing him to be the cover character for the new issue...

With skill displayed, everything in the fame-filled city of New York unfolded like a scroll in front of Lin Guanglai. This is the magic of the Yankees—and these things are just the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks to the young players' outstanding performances, in the three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees secured their first series win of the new season with a 2-1 record—after finishing the third game against the Orioles that morning, the Yankees players flew back to New York in the afternoon to prepare for the home opener on the next day.

For the home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, all over 50,000 seats at Yankee Stadium were filled. Apart from regular fans, many stars from the entertainment and sports industry appeared at the venue, making it a star-studded event.

Facing the weaker Tampa Bay Rays in the Eastern Division, the Yankees, with home advantage, swept the opponents in this series, averaging 6.3 runs per game, showcasing the explosive power of the current team—Aaron Judge, who had been performing well since the preseason, continued his outstanding form by delivering three home runs in a single series; Lin Guanglai also earned a 7-inning shutout victory and a home run.

By late April, after winning the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 2-1 record, the Yankees' record improved to 14-4, topping the entire Major League and securely holding the first place in the American League East Division—during this period, Lin Guanglai started five times, achieving a perfect 4-1 record. The only losing game was a quality start, pitching 7 innings and allowing just one run. His home run count already reached seven.

Departing from the "Steel City" Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, the Yankees players headed north to Massachusetts, where Lin Guanglai could clearly sense the less friendly gazes from many local airport staff.

The reason is nothing but because the next opponents for the Yankees are their most familiar rivals—

The Boston Red Sox.