Dividing Pain

Two-run single. Thunder, five to three. In the bottom half, the backup catcher followed Tang's plan and called three straight changeups. The final runner tried to steal second. The pitcher wheeled off early, and Lin joined the rundown. His spikes slipped again. Pain lanced through his right knee, but he lowered his center, blocked the runner's lane with his shoulder, and placed the glove against his hip. “Out!” The Thunder had Game One. Back in the visitors' clubhouse, Tang pointed at Lin's knee. “Show me.” The black mark had not extended. Instead, a pale gray dot had appeared beside the knee. “Partitioning reduced the peak load, but created another connection point,” Su said after recording it.