A bellowing voice came from the stand:
“Hey, McRae, what time does the balloon go up?”
A roar of laughter arose from the spectators and Robbie straightened up indignantly and glared in the direction from which the voice had come. But he was equal to the occasion.
“It’s already gone!” he shouted back. “Don’t you see that Axander’s up in the air?”
The laugh was with him now, and the crowds yelled gleefully.
With two on bases and none out, the Giants’ chances looked bright. But here again the uncertainty that lends fascination to the game took a hand. Mylert hit sharply to Henderson at third, who made a wonderful stop, stepped on the bag, putting out Jackwell and relaying the ball to second in time to nip Bowen on a snappy double play.
Then Axander put on steam and set down Curry on strikes and the inning that had promised so much went glimmering.
The eighth also passed without scoring. The Chicagos, desperate now at their inability to line the ball out, resorted to bunting, but with no better success than before. Joe had called in his infield when he saw the change in tactics and they were on the bunts like a flash.
Still not a hit, not a base on balls, and that wonderful arm of Joe’s tirelessly mowing down his opponents as the sickle cuts through the wheat.
As the ninth inning began the strain upon the spectators became almost unbearable. Could Baseball Joe keep up the pace?