The Countdown on the Bench

The Thunder's season now belonged to their ninth hitter, but Liang Chuan had twisted his ankle making a catch and could barely stand. Manager Luo Jin surveyed the bench. Every left-handed reserve had been used. Only Lin remained—a player batting .188, without a major-league hit in three months. “Lin Ye,” Luo said. The two syllables hit like a bullet. Lin stood so quickly that his knee struck the bench. The announcer called his name. Confusion mingled with the boos. His ugly statistics filled the giant screen, and even home fans seemed to ask, Who is that? “Wait.” Zhou Yan stopped him. The ace emerged from the tunnel and pressed an old pair of batting gloves into Lin's palm. “You faced that pitcher in the minors. Remember his slider?”