After striking out Ohtani Shohei with an unexpected changeup in the bottom of the third inning, Lin Guanglai was clearly in an unstoppable state. Standing at the threshold of tying Nippon Professional Baseball's consecutive strikeout record, just one strikeout away, how could he let go of this opportunity?
Facing Ham Team's ninth batter, catcher Takeshima Shinya, known for his defense and ability to guide pitchers, the now fully open Lin Guanglai naturally wouldn't falter at this critical moment.
"No problem! Lin Guanglai, the ninth consecutive strikeout!!!"
"July 23, 1957, Hankyu, Kajimoto Ryuo."
"May 31, 1958, Toei, Dobashi Masayuki."
"And now, April 5, 2013, after a 55-year wait, SoftBank's Lin Guanglai has tied this record—he even has the chance to push this record further forward and engrave his name in the history of Japan's professional baseball as a rookie player!"
