Ohtani Shohei's strong performance of consecutive strikeouts since this inning and Lin Guanglai's explosive state as a batter have made the audience both at the venue and in front of their TVs eagerly anticipate the development of this at-bat.
The umpire's right hand pointed towards the pitcher's mound once again, with the pronouncement of "Play Ball" marking the beginning of this showdown between strong pitching and powerful hitting.
The fastball down the middle relying solely on speed might have an effect on others, but when facing Lin Guanglai, Ohtani Shohei clearly does not believe the opponent lacks the ability to hit such a pitch out.
However, having just used only six pitches to consecutively strike out two of the top-order batters, Ohtani Shohei is filled with confidence in his pitching at this moment—neither his current state nor the pride in his heart allows him to avoid a direct confrontation with Lin Guanglai.
