Heat

The Clippers put on their rally caps in the sixth inning, hoping to avoid extra innings. Maria walks; two boys move her to third, yet they both rack up outs doing so. Their “weakest hitter” (158), Bobby, takes the plate. At third base, Michael encourages Maria. He can see the worry on Bobby’s face, so he calls for a time-out and begins to walk toward home plate.

Although Michael tells Bobby that “Corey’s getting tired,” Bobby has no hope, thinking that “he’d have to be asleep for [Bobby] to get a hit off him” (160). Michael comes up with a plan, tells both Bobby and Maria about it, and then returns to coach third base. As Bobby goes to bunt, he “[misses] it by about two feet” (161). Mr. Minaya mouths his confusion, and both Maria and Bobby seem to doubt him, but Michael insists: “Trust me” (161).

After two outs, Bobby sets up for the bunt, but after Corey pitches, he returns to his regular stance. He hits a good hit toward third base. Maria crosses home plate before the third baseman while “the Robins’ shortstop, racing for the ball, [picks] it up barehanded and [throws] so wildly” (162) that he cannot get Bobby out. The Clippers win.

Michael notices the Robins’ coach, who yells at his players, “[pouts] like a kid who just lost his video game privileges” (164). As the team celebrates, Mr. Minaya tells Michael that the Robins' coach is one of the men who signed the letter requesting Michael’s birth certificate. They agree that “he belongs in the loser’s bracket” (165).

Despite the win and putting his adult adversary in his place, Michael doesn’t feel better. Still, he congratulates his team before he sets off for Yankee Stadium. It is “one of those nights when he [wants] to be inside even more than he usually [does]” (166), and he continues to walk home. On the way, he spots the NYPD pulling “Ramon the purse stealer” (166) into a police car. He notices that Carlos is with him.

Michael has many questions about what to do for Carlos and why he is in this predicament. He watches the police escort him to the van. “Carlos who had never done anything wrong in his life,” who works constantly for Michael, “[doesn’t] seem to be saying anything” (167). He wants “to do something to help” (168), but he realizes that he does not know what to do without Manny or Mrs. Cora.

Michael remembers his and Carlos’ promise to each other to “stay one step ahead of the law” (169). That plan, he realizes, has failed, when he reads the words on the NYPD van: “Prisoner Transport Trailer” (169).

Just as he considers knocking on the door of the trailer, Carlos comes out with the policeman and spots him. Carlos shakes his head, then nods as the policemen speaks gravely at him. When he notices the policeman releasing Carlos, he decides to continue walking home, wanting to cheer as he hears the fans inside the stadium cheer.

The boys meet up in Mrs. Cora’s apartment, where Carlos does “all the talking” (170). He explains that he “felt like one of those juggles with the painted faces” (172) trying to balance all the bills piling up. Because he saw himself as “the man of the house” (172), Carlos didn’t say anything. Michael comforts him, and Carlos admires “the old soul Papi always said [he] had” (172).

Carlos explains that two undercover policemen tricked Carlos into scalping them tickets. Because Ramon had “been caught once before, and given a warning” (173), he has to go to court. When the officers separated the boys, though, Carlos told the truth about his situation. The policeman, Officer McRae, decided to release him.

Crying, Carlos apologizes to Michael: “Michael had never seen his big brother cry,” but thought “he might now” (174). Mrs. Cora recognizes the love in Carlos’ dangerous actions. She comforts him yet maintains: “Scalping is against the law. Loving your brother is not” (174).