Free Two Strikes on Johnny by Matt Christopher Page A

stepped into it, swung. Crack!
    The ball sailed almost straight up intothe air, curved, and came down near second base. The second baseman for the Mudhens stood waiting under it. He caught it easily.
    Johnny ran all the way to first base. He saw the Mudhens drop their gloves and run in, and realized that he had made the third
     out.
    He bit down hard on his teeth and ran out to center field. He picked up his glove, turned, and looked across the long way
     to the stand. Michael had a big grin on his face and he was clapping his hands like crazy.
    He must have thought Johnny had gotten a hit.

2
    T HE first batter for the Mudhens hit a ground ball to short. Shortstop Stevie Little caught the ball on a bounce, whipped it
     to first. The ball was high and wide. First baseman Freddie Turner stepped off the bag, nabbed the ball, then touched the
     runner before he reached first.
    “Out!” yelled the base umpire.
    The second batter bunted a ball down to third. Davie Randall ran hard after it. He tried to field it, but he slipped on the
     grass and just sat there. He pounded the ball disgustedly against the ground, thenrose to his feet. The batter was standing on first base, grinning.
    “Let's get a double, Davie!” Stevie Little yelled, pounding his fist into his glove.
    Davie motioned Butchie to play in closer at third. Then he stepped into the box, made his stretch, and threw. The batter stuck
     out his bat for a bunt. He missed.
    “Strike one!” said the umpire.
    The runner on first had started for second.
    “Marty! Throw it down!”
    The whole infield was yelling for Marty French to throw the ball to second. Marty was short and fat. He could hardly move
     with his mask, belly guard, and knee guards strapped on him. But Marty had a good arm. He heaved the ball down tosecond. Stevie Little covered the bag. He caught the ball. The runner slid, kicking up a cloud of dust. But Stevie tagged
     his ankle with the ball before his foot touched the bag.
    “Out!” shouted the umpire.
    There were two outs now. The next batter walked. The fourth batter took a called strike, then hit a long fly out to center
     field.
    Johnny saw that the ball was going over his head. He ran back, keeping his eye on it. The ball was dropping fast. It might
     go for a home run.
    Johnny ran harder. He raised his gloved hand as high as he could. Plop! The ball landed right inside the pocket of the glove
     and stuck there!
    Johnny stopped running. He could hear his teammates shouting his name.
    “Thataboy, Johnny! Nice catch!”
    “Thataway to go, Johnny, boy!”
    Johnny pegged the ball in to the pitcher's box. The inning was over.
    “Nice catch, Johnny!” Mr. Greenfield yelled from the stands. Johnny's eyes twinkled as he ran across the diamond toward the
     Cardinals' bench. “Thanks,” he said.
    He looked at Michael. Michael was smiling happily and Sand was thumping her tail.
    “Thataboy, Johnny,” Michael said.
    Johnny blinked his eyes. “Thanks, Michael,” he answered. He went and sat on the bench.
    “What inning is this?” he asked Manager Davis, who was keeping score. Manager Davis was tall, wore orange-rimmed glasses and
     a sweat shirt.

    “Last of the third, Johnny,” he said.
    “What's the score?”
    “The Mudhens have three, we have one. You guys had better get some hits. Can't win without hits, you know.”
    Mickey Bonzell, the right fielder for the Cardinals, was first batter. He swung at two wild pitches, then waited until the
     count was two and two. Then he swung at one that was so low it almost hit the plate.
    “You're out!” said the umpire.
    Mickey turned and walked sadly back to the bench.
    Peter Jergens, the second baseman, was up next. He was the lead-off man in the line-up because he was the shortest man on
     the team. He was walked most of the time.
    The Mudhens' pitcher tried his best toput over a strike. The first three pitches were either too high or too wide. Then, “Strike one!” said the umpire.
    Everybody