Mike was right. For the rest of the game, Flaps pitched perfectly! He took out one batter after another, with strikeouts, pop-ups, and short hits to infielders. It looked like Seattle had lost its way. Or that Flaps had found his spot.

In between innings, Kate and Mike ran over to the barbecue stand. Mike bought a big pulled-pork sandwich, while Kate had a barbecue beef sandwich. As they munched on their food back at their seats, Mike pointed to the smoke from the barbecue stand.

“I don’t know whether that’s going east or west,” he said. “But I think it’s pointing to an Orioles win!”

In the top of the eighth inning, the Orioles knocked in one more run to tie the game. Seattle was hoping for a go-ahead run in the ninth, but Flaps shut them down by striking out the first three batters!

Now it was the Orioles’ turn. The crowd roared to life as the Orioles batter stepped up to the plate. He watched two balls go by for strikes, but unloaded on the third. The ball flew high over the first baseman’s head. It climbed higher and higher. The batter dropped the bat and started to run for first.

Then the stadium exploded in cheers as the ball sailed over the wall. It was a walk-off home run! Flaps and the Orioles had won the game in the ninth inning! They had made it into the playoffs!

Mike and Kate cheered with the rest of the fans as the Orioles celebrated on the field. When Flaps came out and waved his hat at the crowd, the team quickly surrounded him and lifted him up for photos.

After the field cleared and fans started leaving, Mike and Kate met Kate’s mom near the Kids’ Corner, and they walked to the exit together as they told her what happened with the glove.

“There’s the statue where we’re supposed to meet Flaps!” Mike said. He pointed to a life-size statue of Babe Ruth just outside the main entrance to the Orioles’ ballpark.

Kate studied the metal statue. It showed a young Babe Ruth staring straight ahead, with a glove hanging from his right hand and a bat steadied against the ground in the other.

“It really looks like him,” Kate said. She read the statue’s title on the granite base. “Babe’s Dream. I guess he’s dreaming of winning a World Series.”

“Or maybe he’s dreaming of getting a left-handed fielder’s glove!” Mike said. “Look at the glove he’s holding. It’s a right-handed fielder’s glove. That means it’s worn on the left hand. But Babe Ruth was a lefty! He would have had a left-handed fielder’s glove, which is worn on his right hand! I can’t believe they made such a huge mistake with this statue!”

“Good point, Mike,” said a man’s voice from behind them. “But he was a great pitcher, in any case!” Mike, Kate, and Mrs. Hopkins whirled around.

It was Flaps! He was still dressed in his uniform. Behind him was one of the Orioles clubhouse assistants carrying a cloth bag.

“You helped us make the playoffs!” he said. “I was so worried about the glove that I didn’t pitch well until you found it!”

Flaps reached over and gave Mike and Kate dual fist bumps.

“The Old Cove Crab Soup man confessed after the police arrested him,” Flaps said. “He told them he snuck into the stockroom just before lunch and stole the glove. He planned to sell it for lots of money. He left one of my gold coins in the hopes that the police would suspect me!”

Mike pointed to the glove on the statue. “At least we found the right glove,” he said. “Or, should I say, the left glove!”

Flaps laughed. “Well, Mike,” he said, “you’re right. They did make a mistake with this statue. Apparently, they gave the artist the wrong glove to use as a model, and when they found out it was wrong, it was too late to change it!”

Flaps turned to the clubhouse assistant.

“But it’s not too late to share something with you,” he said to Mike and Kate.

The assistant handed Flaps three pairs of white cotton gloves. Flaps gave Mike and Kate each a pair.

Mike pulled his gloves on. “Cool!” he said. “I can direct traffic now!” He made waving motions with his hands as though he were a policeman telling cars where to go.

“Mike, you might want to slow things down to get a look at this,” Flaps said. He reached into the assistant’s bag and pulled out something brown.

“How would you like to try on Babe Ruth’s baseball glove?” Flaps asked. He held up the glove that Mike and Kate had rescued from the pizza stand.

“Wow-wee!” Kate said. “I’d love to!”

“Oh, cool!” Mike said.

“Since you and Mike found it, I thought you should both have a chance to try it on before it’s put on display,” Flaps said. “The white cotton gloves protect it from the oil on your hands. Go ahead, put it on!”

Kate gingerly slipped her hand into the glove. She tried to wiggle the fingers of the glove, but her hand wasn’t quite big enough. She held up the glove and pretended to catch a ball. “This is great!” she said. “I feel like Babe Ruth! Thanks, Flaps.”

She kept the glove on for a second, and then handed it over to Mike. He slipped it on carefully and felt the inside of the stiff, hundred-year-old glove.

“Hey, that reminds me,” Mike said. “What did Babe Ruth’s glove say to the baseball?”

Flaps shrugged. “I don’t know,” Kate said. “What?”

Mike held Babe Ruth’s glove up like he was making a play. “Catch you later!”