their 1-2-3 inning. But Adam had thrown 17 pitches during the fifth inning. Jake made one final calculation as he dropped onto the Red Sox bench for the final inning. Fifty-six plus 17 equaled 73. Adam had thrown 73 pitches. That meant he had only two pitches left.
Even Adam couldn’t win this game all by himself.
Chapter
15
J ake looked down the Red Sox bench. Coach Sanders and Jake’s dad were checking the game stats and talking.
Ryan sat down between Jake and Adam. “We’ve got it made,” he said, slapping Adam on the shoulder. “You’re pitching great.”
“Shut up!” Jake said, slamming his glove into the dugout dirt.
“What’s with you?” Ryan asked.
“Adam has only two more pitches left,” Jake snapped.
“Are you kidding?” Ryan said. “He can throw a hundred more pitches.”
“Sorry, Ryan,” Adam said softly. “Jake’s right.”
“What?”
“It’s the seventy-five-pitch rule, remember?” Jake explained. “A pitcher can’t throw more than seventy-five pitches in a game. Adam’s already thrown seventy-three.”
Jake stood up and began to pace. “Even Adam can’t get three outs on two pitches.”
“All right, everybody, listen up,” Coach Sanders called. He motioned for the team to gather around him. “Great game, Adam, but I have to take you out. You’re almost at the seventy-five-pitch limit.”
The circle of Red Sox stirred at the news. The coach kept talking. “Isaiah, warm up. You’ll go in for Adam. Throw strikes, no free passes. Adam, you go to shortstop. Jake, you’re at second. Michael, switch to third base.”
No one on the Red Sox bench said a word. They knew what they had to do.
Coach Sanders clapped his hands. “We’re only up by one run,” he said, holding up one finger. “Let’s get some more.”
But the Red Sox could only get one hit in the top of the sixth inning and no runs.They were still 1–0 when the team ran out to their positions.
“Come on, Isaiah,” Jake called from second base. “Nothing but strikes. Let’s have a 1-2-3 inning.”
Isaiah got the first out as the leadoff batter popped up to first base. The second batter pulled a hard line drive down the left-field line and cruised into second base with a double. Runner on second, one out. The Red Sox one-run lead was hanging by a thread.
Isaiah reared back and got a little extra on his fastball to strike out the next Dodgers batter. “Two outs,” Jake called to the outfielders. Then he turned back to the infield, pounded his glove, and pleaded, “Just one more, Isaiah.”
The next batter chopped a hard, high hopper over Isaiah’s head. Jake and Adam ran toward second base, trying desperately to cut off the bouncing ball. But it skipped between the two infielders and into the outfield as the Dodgers runner on second raced home.
Standing helplessly at second base, Jake and Adam looked at each other without saying a word. The score was tied.
The inning ended as Hannah made a running catch of a fly ball in left field. The crowd stood and cheered as the Red Sox came running in and the Dodgers went back out on the field. The championship game was going into extra innings.
Neither team could push across a run in the seventh or eighth innings. Chris made a diving catch in center field and Michael snagged a screaming line drive at third base to keep the Dodgers scoreless.
“Jake, Adam, Isaiah, Evan!” Mr. Daley called out as the Red Sox got ready to bat in the top of the ninth. “Let’s get some hits.”
Jake gave his team hope as he smacked a clean single to center to start the inning.
“Come on, Adam!” Jake cheered, standing on first base and clapping his hands. “Knock it out of the park.”
Adam swung hard and lifted a pitch high into left field.
“All right!” Jake yelled, punching the air as he jogged to second base.
But the Dodgers left fielder drifted back and caught the ball a foot from the fence. Adam kicked the dirt. Jake scrambled back to first base. One
Even Adam couldn’t win this game all by himself.
Chapter
15
J ake looked down the Red Sox bench. Coach Sanders and Jake’s dad were checking the game stats and talking.
Ryan sat down between Jake and Adam. “We’ve got it made,” he said, slapping Adam on the shoulder. “You’re pitching great.”
“Shut up!” Jake said, slamming his glove into the dugout dirt.
“What’s with you?” Ryan asked.
“Adam has only two more pitches left,” Jake snapped.
“Are you kidding?” Ryan said. “He can throw a hundred more pitches.”
“Sorry, Ryan,” Adam said softly. “Jake’s right.”
“What?”
“It’s the seventy-five-pitch rule, remember?” Jake explained. “A pitcher can’t throw more than seventy-five pitches in a game. Adam’s already thrown seventy-three.”
Jake stood up and began to pace. “Even Adam can’t get three outs on two pitches.”
“All right, everybody, listen up,” Coach Sanders called. He motioned for the team to gather around him. “Great game, Adam, but I have to take you out. You’re almost at the seventy-five-pitch limit.”
The circle of Red Sox stirred at the news. The coach kept talking. “Isaiah, warm up. You’ll go in for Adam. Throw strikes, no free passes. Adam, you go to shortstop. Jake, you’re at second. Michael, switch to third base.”
No one on the Red Sox bench said a word. They knew what they had to do.
Coach Sanders clapped his hands. “We’re only up by one run,” he said, holding up one finger. “Let’s get some more.”
But the Red Sox could only get one hit in the top of the sixth inning and no runs.They were still 1–0 when the team ran out to their positions.
“Come on, Isaiah,” Jake called from second base. “Nothing but strikes. Let’s have a 1-2-3 inning.”
Isaiah got the first out as the leadoff batter popped up to first base. The second batter pulled a hard line drive down the left-field line and cruised into second base with a double. Runner on second, one out. The Red Sox one-run lead was hanging by a thread.
Isaiah reared back and got a little extra on his fastball to strike out the next Dodgers batter. “Two outs,” Jake called to the outfielders. Then he turned back to the infield, pounded his glove, and pleaded, “Just one more, Isaiah.”
The next batter chopped a hard, high hopper over Isaiah’s head. Jake and Adam ran toward second base, trying desperately to cut off the bouncing ball. But it skipped between the two infielders and into the outfield as the Dodgers runner on second raced home.
Standing helplessly at second base, Jake and Adam looked at each other without saying a word. The score was tied.
The inning ended as Hannah made a running catch of a fly ball in left field. The crowd stood and cheered as the Red Sox came running in and the Dodgers went back out on the field. The championship game was going into extra innings.
Neither team could push across a run in the seventh or eighth innings. Chris made a diving catch in center field and Michael snagged a screaming line drive at third base to keep the Dodgers scoreless.
“Jake, Adam, Isaiah, Evan!” Mr. Daley called out as the Red Sox got ready to bat in the top of the ninth. “Let’s get some hits.”
Jake gave his team hope as he smacked a clean single to center to start the inning.
“Come on, Adam!” Jake cheered, standing on first base and clapping his hands. “Knock it out of the park.”
Adam swung hard and lifted a pitch high into left field.
“All right!” Jake yelled, punching the air as he jogged to second base.
But the Dodgers left fielder drifted back and caught the ball a foot from the fence. Adam kicked the dirt. Jake scrambled back to first base. One
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