Latest from the Janitors, Asps, and Other Books - Ancient Rookie (Other Books) - Chet gets a save, but starter is lost to team.

Today’s excerpt is from Ancient Rookie, a sports fantasy book.  Chet saves a game, but the Cardinals lose a starting pitcher.  Enjoy and have a wonderful day.

m.j.

 

The following day the Cardinals started a four-game series with the Cubs.  During the series, the wheels started to fall off.  In the first game, they were leading in the top of the sixth inning by a score of five to nothing, when their ace pitcher suddenly gripped his elbow after throwing a pitch.  He was immediately removed from the game, only to find out in a few days his season was over.  The game was nearly lost as the Cubs scored in the sixth, seventh, and eight innings.  In the eight, rookie reliever Hugo Alvarez came in with one out and two on base.  He got one out on a force play at second base, leaving runners at the corners (first and third).  The next hitter doubled into the right field corner. 

Only an excellent play by Coy Leech kept the tying run from scoring.  With the tying run on third base and the leading run on second base, Tommy looked at Buck, then shrugged as he went to the mound.  Chet had been warming up.  He was summoned to get the last out of the eighth.  His first pitch was a called strike on the inside corner above the waist at ninety-seven miles an hour.  The next pitch was a ninety-four-mile-an-hour sinker on the outside corner at the knees.  It was barely tipped foul by the batter. 

Sergio Mendez said to the hitter, “Boy, are you in trouble now,” just before the 113-an-hour fastball zipped past the batter for a called strike three at the letters, with the fans chanting, “One-thirteen, one-thirteen.”  In the ninth, Chet set the side down in order with a ground out and two strikeouts.

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