Hit the Bad Luck Away

The game became a war of attrition. Zhou Yan allowed only one run through seven innings. Whenever his shoulder pain rose, he looked toward second. Lin did not take it from him, and Zhou did not pretend to be immortal. Before the eighth, he handed Luo Jin the ball himself. “That's enough today.” Saying it was harder than pitching a complete game. Lin stood straighter when he heard it. The score remained tied after nine. Gu had left his seat, but his cold attention seemed to linger. Extra innings did not count as a new game; Lin's trade did not reset. In the top of the eleventh, the Bears put a runner on third with one out. A fly ball reached center. Tang blocked the plate as the runner crashed into him like a truck. Dust rose. Tang kept the ball.