章 45: Playoffs (4)

The top of the 5th inning began with Salem's new pitcher, Simon, taking the mound. A tall, lanky right-hander, Simon relied on his breaking balls to keep Malmö's hitters off-balance. However, he struggled to find his rhythm right away, starting with a low curveball that missed the zone, followed by a fastball that sailed high and outside. Malmö's first batter took advantage of his shaky control, working a walk to put a runner on base.

The second batter came up with a determined look, and after taking a low fastball for ball one, he connected with a slider, sending a sharp grounder toward shortstop. Anton moved quickly, fielding it cleanly and flipping it to Elias at second base for the first out. However, the throw to first was a split-second too late to complete the double play, leaving the runner safely at first.