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line and up to the Hulls. The three adults spoke and Adam’s parents moved farther away from the field. Mr. Daley walked back to the batting practice area.
    Jake stood at the on-deck circle. Adam was watching his parents as they headed toward the parking lot, still arguing and pointing at each other.
    Jake caught Adam’s eye. His friend managed a small smile and shrugged. The two boys didn’t say a word.
    “Come on, Adam, you’re up. Let’s go,” Coach Sanders called from the pitcher’s mound. Adam put on a batter’s helmet and stepped into the batter’s box.
    Mr. Daley stood next to Jake in the on-deck circle. “What’s going on, Dad?” Jake asked.
    “Oh, I don’t know. They’re just discussing a few things,” Mr. Daley said. “Let’s focus on practice.”
    Jake turned and watched Adam at the plate. The Red Sox star player was swinging too hard, as if he wanted to crush every pitch. He popped up the first four pitches.
    “Just meet it,” Coach Sanders said between pitches. “You’ve got plenty of power. Don’t try to kill it.”
    Adam stepped out of the box, moved his hands around the bat handle, and took a deep breath. Jake glanced out at the parking lot. The Hulls were still arguing, even more heatedly than before. On the next pitch, Adam swung slower and smoother, more like the old Adam. The ball flew off the bat, far over the left fielder’s head. The ball took a high, hard bounce and skimmed across the parking lot, just a few feet away from Adam’s parents.
    But the Hulls didn’t notice the ball. They didn’t even turn when the outfielder scrambled by. They just kept arguing.

Chapter
7
    C hris, Jake, Adam, Isaiah …” Coach Sanders called out the familiar lineup as the Red Sox listened on the bench. “Kyle’s sick today, so Ryan will start in right field and bat ninth.”
    “All right!” Jake smiled at his friend. “You’re in the starting lineup.”
    “Yeah,” the Red Sox benchwarmer said. “But I’m way out in right field.”
    “So what?” Jake said. “Babe Ruth played right field.”
    “So that means I’m Babe Ruth?” Ryan joked.
    “Maybe,” Jake replied. Then he jumped up from the bench, clapping his hands.“Come on, we gotta really hustle today,” he said. “The Royals are good.”
    “What’s their record?” Adam asked.
    “Five wins and three losses,” Hannah answered from the end of the bench. “They just lost to the Dodgers by one run last week.”
    “Yeah,” Jake said. “And the Dodgers are tied with us for first place.”
    “Who cares?” Ryan said. “We’ve got Adam on our side, remember?”
    “
Everybody’s
got to play well,” Jake insisted.
    “Even Ryan?” Adam gave Ryan a quick shoulder punch.
    “Especially Ryan,” Jake said. “He’s starting today.”
    The Royals were just as good as Jake thought. They set down the Red Sox in the top of the first inning with three smart fielding plays. In the bottom of the inning, Adam struck out the first two batters. Then the Royals rallied, rapping out two hard hits. They now had runners on second and third, with two outs.
    “Come on, Red Sox!” Jake yelled as he pounded his glove out at shortstop. “Let’s get the last out.”
    The Royals runners were off as the batter lifted a high fly ball to right field. Jake watched helplessly as Ryan circled, wobbly legged, under the ball. At the last instant, he stuck out his glove. The ball plopped into the webbing.
    “All right!” Jake shouted, throwing his fist into the air.
    He turned and caught Adam’s eye on the mound. The Red Sox pitcher grinned and let out a big sigh of relief. The score was still 0–0.
    The Red Sox tumbled back onto the bench. “Great catch, Ryan,” Adam said. “You had me worried for a second.”
    Ryan dismissed Adam with a wave of his glove. “No problem,” he said. “Just call me Babe Ruth.”
    Jake smiled and rolled his eyes.
    The Red Sox and the Royals stayed locked in a tight, tough game. The Red Sox grabbed the