Assuming a batting stance, Lin Guanglai stared straight at Yu Darvish, with nothing but confidence in his eyes; no other emotions tainted his expression.
On the pitcher's mound, Darvish also gazed deeply at Lin Guanglai: As the most threatening and dominant hitter in the post-season, with double-digit home runs to his name, Lin Guanglai had become the batter no pitcher wished to face; his mere presence was enough to exert immense pressure.
The Dodgers had spent considerable effort figuring out how to curb Lin Guanglai's momentum: Like the first pitch of this at-bat, Darvish and Austin Barnes attempted to exploit Lin Guanglai's strong desire to swing, trying to make him hit a grounder or pop fly with a Breaking ball.
Against a Breaking ball pitcher with a gentle touch, able to pinpoint any location, Lin Guanglai might have been fooled; but facing Darvish, his strategy from the start was clear — he intended to force the opponent to duel with him in the strike zone!
