Wednesday, July 30, 2008

daily fog: even in the east

Even when their five-game winning streak ended July 22, the Harwich Mariners were in a comfortable spot, eight points ahead of Chatham and Brewster for second place in the East. The way they'd been playing, it looked for sure like the Mariners would bounce right back and continue pulling away.

Instead, that loss July 22 was the start of a five-game losing streak.

With Chatham not playing for two days before the All-Star game and with Brewster losing its first game after the break, Harwich's lead still stood at six points going into last night. But Brewster beat Harwich and Chatham beat Orleans.

The lead is four now, and four looks a lot different than six.

Harwich scored five runs last night, getting three off All-Star Buddy Baumann (Missouri State). But Brewster, trailing by a run, scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead. A two-run triple by Yasmani Grandal (Miami) was the key hit. Mike Freeman (Clemson) knocked Grandal in to make it 7-5.

Harwich threatened in the ninth when Iden Nazario (Miami) walked the bases loaded, but Nazario settled in and got a strikeout to end the game. Brent Milleville (Stanford) had two home runs for Brewster.

Over in Chatham, the A's kept pace with the Whitecaps thanks to a 9-8 win over Orleans, their second straight victory. It was also the second straight game in which the A's scored nine runs and won with some heroics. Chatham trailed by one in the bottom of the ninth before Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest) delivered a single with the bases loaded to knock in the tying and winning runs.

Chatham and Brewster won't get a chance to tighten things up tonight because everyone is off while the All-Stars get recognized at Fenway Park. But on Thursday, Chatham will visit Harwich. The Mariners have had Chatham's number this year, but if things change Thursday, look out.

Four may turn into two pretty quickly, and two looks a lot different than four.

Elsewhere
  • A pair of aces got roughed up pretty good last night. Wareham's Brandon Workman (Texas) allowed seven runs in an 8-4 loss to Y-D. Bourne's Bryce Stowell (UC Irvine) surrendered six runs in a game with Cotuit that ended in an 8-8 tie.
  • Y-D did all its damage against Workman in a seven-run second inning, which chased Workman from the game. A two-run home run by DeAngelo Mack (South Carolina) and a two-run double by Ryan Ortiz (Oregon State) keyed the rally.
  • Stowell was solid through four innings for Bourne, but Cotuit tacked on three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Matt Holliman (Ole Miss), Kevin Patterson (Auburn) and Joey Lewis (Georgia) all hit home runs for the Kettleers.
  • Falmouth beat Hyannis 3-1 for its fourth consecutive win. The Commodores now sit in first place by three points. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) turned in a solid start for Falmouth, and the bullpen was lights-out, with Ben Tootle (Jacksonville State) picking up the save. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) hit his second home run in as many nights and his eighth this season.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

daily fog: big guns, big win

On a night when three contending teams had to start shuffling their lineups in the absence of All-Stars, the Hyannis Mets kept their All-Stars in the fold.

And they delivered.

As mentioned below, Bourne played without Dusty Coleman, Falmouth played without Jimmy Cesario and Orleans without Rich Poythress. Meanwhile, Hyannis got a two-home run game from Chris Dominguez (Louisville) and a dominant pitching performance from Andrew Carraway (Virginia) to beat Wareham 6-1. The victory moved the Mets to 19-16, one point back of Falmouth for first place in the West.

The fact that Hyannis got those big performances isn't necessarily a sign of things to come. After all, Falmouth, without Cesario, still posted a victory last night. But in a tight race like the one in the West, having a few more big guns in the lineup and having them produce could be the difference.

Dominguez' performance is the big one. Hyannis' hot streaks this year have coincided with his hot streaks. When he had a stretch of five home runs in five days, the Mets were in the midst of a five-game winning streak.

Last night's game marked the second time this season that Dominguez has had a multi-home run game (the first time came when he tied a Cape League record with three in one game). Dominguez now has 10 home runs, which leads the league.

Carraway's performance was equally impressive. The righthander from Virginia struck out eight and didn't walk anybody in eight dominant innings. He allowed one run on five hits. Carraway now leads the league in ERA, and he's second in strikeouts.

Elsewhere
  • Falmouth got its 6-2 victory over Y-D thanks to a grand slam by Ryan Jones (Wichita State) in the eighth inning. It was the seventh home run of the year for Jones on only 28 hits. The victory kept Falmouth in first place by a point.
  • Orleans got three hits from Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State) and a strong performance by the bullpen to hold off Brewster 6-5. After starter Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) allowed four runs in five innings, Justin Earls (Georgia) and Adam Wilk (Long Beach State) combined for three shutout innings. Alex Hassan (Duke) allowed a run in the ninth but held on to pick up his fifth save,
  • Kyle Bellows (San Jose State) went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBI and Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest) hit a two-run home run to lead Chatham past Bourne 9-4 in 13 innings. Chatham scored four runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game and force extra innings. After the teams traded three scoreless frames, Chatham scratched an unearned across in the 13th before Bellows broke things open with the grand slam.
  • Harwich lost is fourth straight, a 6-1 decision at the hands of Cotuit. The Kettleers got four in the fourth and two in the seventh, which was more than enough for Nick Hernandez (Tennessee) who allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Daniel Wolford (Cal) allowed one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • Four All-Star pitchers are scheduled to take the hill. Brandon Workman (Texas) goes for Wareham at Y-D. Bryce Stowell (UC-Irvine) gets the ball for Bourne at Cotuit. Buddy Baumann (Missouri State) takes the mound for Brewster at Harwich. Matt Thomson (San Diego) goes for Orleans at Chatham, though that could change. The Cape Cod Times reported last night that Thomson got hit in the arm by a line drive into the dugout during last night's game.

Monday, July 28, 2008

big departures

It looks like the All-Star game may have been the last Cape League experience for three of its participants. The Cape Cod Times reported today that Bourne's Dusty Coleman will sign a pro contract and that Orleans' Rich Poythress is heading home. It was also reported this weekend that Falmouth's Jimmy Cesario will sign a pro contract.

Congrats to Coleman and Cesario. They clearly got what they needed out of the summer. Both were late-round picks -- Coleman by the A's in the 28th round, Cesario by the Rockies in the 46th round -- but the fact that they're signing means their successful summers upped the ante a bit.

The loss of Coleman and Cesario will have a big impact on the Western Division race. Both were among the best hitters in the league, so Bourne and Falmouth will be left with big holes in the lineup.

Coleman had started 26 games for the Braves at shortstop, and two other shortstops who were on the roster are no longer with the team. That leaves Pierre LePage, who has played two games at shorstop and only six games overall. He has hit .158.

It's a similar situation for Falmouth. Cesario had been splitting time between second base and the outfield. It shouldn't be a problem to replace him in the outfield, but Brandon Macias, who's played only six games, will have to step up at second.

As for Orleans, losing Poythress will be a big blow, but I don't expect it to be a crushing blow. He was hitting .311 and he provided a big spark when he arrived from the College World Series. I just get the feeling that with the fire lit, it's not going to go out just because the spark is gone.

Regardless, three big losses. Hopefully we won't see too many more over the next few weeks, or the stretch run will turn into a war of attrition.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

all-star game: streaking to a win

For a moment, I really thought the crowd's reaction to the streakers would be the biggest roar of the night. The crowd may have been the biggest in All-Star game history (8,629), but the game's ebb and flow seemed to have a lot of people sitting on their hands. It was, but when the dominant pitching lost its grip and the West opened things up, the next few innings seemed anti-climactic.

The trio of streakers, who hopped the fence in right and jaunted across the outfield in the bottom of the eighth, got the crowd going again.

Grant Green really got the crowd going.

On the first pitch after the interruption, Green launched a two-run game-tying home run -- and launched pandemonium. I'm not sure I've ever heard a Cape League crowd get so into a moment.

And with good reason. The East trailed 6-1 when the inning started. Even when three runs came across, the momentum shift wasn't gigantic. They still had a long way to go. But when Green stepped to the plate with a runner on, you kind of got that feeling, the one you get when the stars align to create the possibility for something special. Maybe the best player in the league, at the plate on his home field, with a chance to tie the game.

Green delivered.

It was incredible, and once Green touched the plate, it seemed inevitable that the East would break the tie. They did it quickly, with Mark Fleury crushing another two-run home run to put the East on top 8-6.

On Fluery's blast, I really thought Hyannis right-fielder Trent Ashcraft had made the catch. He was back at the wall, reaching up, leaning back. But he couldn't reach it, and the East had its lead.

In that inning, on this night, that was probably the way it had to end.

All in all, it was quite a game. I'll post some more on the game once I watch the tape of the NESN broadcast. For now, a few quick thoughts.
  • I went to the game with a couple of friends and we ended up standing beyond the fence in left field to watch the game. It wasn't a bad spot. We had a good view of the streakers, unfortunately, but had a pretty good view of Green's home run, too.
  • The offense kind of stole the show in the end, but aside from the bad innings by the East's Martin Viramontes and the West's Seth Blair, the pitching was completely dominant. Ten of the 18 pitchers recorded perfect outings, and of the game's 51 recorded outs, 21 came via the strikeout. Things were moving so fast, that if you blinked, you probably missed a good pitcher.
  • In the pitching department, I was most impressed with Harwich's Chris Manno. The Duke lefty came into the toughest spot of the night, entering with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. He proceeded to strike out the next two batters before working a perfect seventh, with two more strikeouts.
  • In the top of the ninth, it was announced that the teams would play the bottom of the ninth regardless of score. Thankfully, they didn't do that. It would have been ridiculous.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

daily fog: hitting the break

The three games last night were the last set before the All-Star break, and the league's two first-place teams finished on a high note. Orleans beat Wareham 7-4 while Falmouth topped Harwich 4-2. The Cardinals sit in first place by eight points. Falmouth has a one-point lead.

For Orleans, Kyle Spraker (Loyola Marymount), the starter at shortstop now that Cole Figueroa is gone, went 2-for-4 and knocked in the game-tying run in the top of the eighth. He scored the go-ahead run himself on a wild pitch. Orleans then blew it open in the ninth thanks to run-scoring hits by Nate Freiman (Duke), Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) and Spraker.

The Cardinals used six different pitchers, with reliever Justin Earls (Georgia) getting the win.


As for Falmouth, two All-Stars led the way. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) and Trevor Coleman (Missouri) both went 3-for-4 with an RBI and the Commodores scored two runs in the sixth to take a lead they never relinquished.

Elsewhere
  • Brewster blew past Y-D 11-1 on the strength of a 4-for-5 night from Ty Kelly (UC Davis), one of the East's All-Star reserves. Caleb Cotham (Vanderbilt) took the big cushion and ran with it, tossing six strong innings. He allowed a run and struck out four.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • All-Star game in Chatham, 7 p.m.
  • I was going to post a part two of the All-Star game guide, but a change of plans means I actually get to go to the game, which wasn't happening originally. Since I'm going to get an early start, I'm not going to have time to do part two. But I'm going to the game, which is pretty awesome. Everybody else who's going, enjoy.
  • Prediction: West wins 2-0 on a Chris Dominguez two-run home run.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

daily fog: a big difference

The Falmouth Commodores answered Harwich's ninth-inning rally with one of their own then put together another one in the 10th to grab a crucial 5-4 victory last night. It was the only game on the schedule, so it was a chance for Falmouth to gain ground or lose ground in the West with everybody else standing still.

Had they lost, the Commodores would be sitting in fourth place with 33 points. As it is, they're sitting in first place with 35 points. That's a big swing, and that's one a good night can do for you in the ridiculously tight Western Division race.

Trevor Coleman (Missouri), who scored the winning run, reached on an error to start the 10th. After two walks loaded the bases, Darin Ruf (Creighton) drew another walk to force in the run.

Harwich looked well on its way to victory after rallying from a 3-2 deficit with back-to-back home runs from Brandon Belt (Texas) and Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt). But A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) hit a two-out home run to keep the Commodores alive and force extras.

With the exception of Wareham, Falmouth is playing better than anyone else in the West race. The Commodores are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They'll host Harwich again tonight before getting three days off for the All-Star break.

What to Watch For Tonight
  • The forecasted rain might have its say, but if it doesn't there's a good match-up in Wareham. Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas), who's been dominant in his last two starts, will try to keep the Gatemen rolling against first-place Orleans.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

all-star game viewer's guide, part one

(Consider this the All-Star Game overview. Part two will offer a detailed look at all the players.)

Chatham will be hopping on Saturday.

Fans, scouts and the best college baseball players in the country will converge on Veterans Field for the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. It's a game that's always the greatest spectacle of a Cape League summer, and, really, it goes beyond that. Essentially, it's the only time in the year that this much amateur baseball talent will play on one field.

So you don't want to miss it.

How much talent is there? It varies from year to year. I get the feeling that the league isn't quite as top heavy this year as it was last year, when five Cape League all-stars went on to become top 10 picks in the June draft.

But players still have time to emerge, and the All-Star game may be their best opportunity yet to turn some heads. Remember last year? Aaron Crow was absolutely dominant when he struck out the side in the first inning, so dominant that he earned MVP honors despite pitching just that one inning. Crow had a great summer all around, but that one performance made believers out of dozens of scouts and baseball higher-ups. Crow was the ninth pick in this year's draft.

Plenty of players are candidates to leave that kind of impression this year, and they'll all be trying to do it. But they'll be having fun, too. The Cape League sometimes seems like just a stop on the journey, but it's a journey in and of itself, too.

For the players in the All-Star game, this is one part of the journey they're sure to remember.

The Nitty-Gritty

Get there early . . .
2 p.m. - Gates open to public
2:45 - East Batting Practice / West Autograph / Media
3:30 - West Batting Practice / East Autographs / Media
4:30 - East Infield
4:45 - West Infield
5:00 - Baseball Factory Home Run Hitting Contest
6:15 - All Star Player Introductions / Lineup
6:30 - Presentation of colors and National Anthem
6:50 - First Pitch Ceremony
7:00 - 46th CCBL All-Star Game

Ten to Watch

Here's a quick rundown of the top players you'll see in Chatham on Saturday.
1. Grant Green, Chatham - The East's starting shortstop is one of the favorites to win the league's MVP award at the end of the season. He's also a likely first-round pick next June.
2. Bryce Stowell, Bourne - A 22nd-round pick this year, the UC-Irvine righthander has been completely dominant this summer. He'll start for the West.
3. Brandon Workman, Wareham - Probably the top freshman on the Cape, the Texas flamethrower leads the league in strikeouts.
4. Marc Krauss, Bourne - Right on Green's heels in the MVP race, Krauss has burst onto the scene with huge numbers.
5. Chris Dominguez, Hyannis - Home run king is a threat to launch one 400 feet every time he's in the batter's box.
6. Ben Tootle, Falmouth - Small school, big arm. Tootle, from Jacksonville State in Alabama, throws harder than anyone on the Cape. He's liable to hit 96 or 97 on radar guns.
7. A.J. Pollock, Falmouth - Maybe the best pure hitter in the league, Pollock stands a good chance of winning the batting title.
8. Andrew Carraway, Hyannis - A junior who went undrafted, Carraway is making teams look foolish for not picking him. He's second in the league in strikeouts.
9. Nick McCully, Bourne - Righty from Coastal Carolina has been one of the league's most consistent starting pitchers.
10. Nick Liles, Y-D - One of the most exciting players to watch on the Cape. Liles leads the league with 14 stolen bases.

Starter Kit

If the West coaching staff decides to use starting pitchers one inning after another, I wouldn't be shocked to see them get to the sixth with a shutout intact. Bryce Stowell, Brandon Workman, Andrew Carraway, Nick McCully, Dallas Keuchel and Seth Blair are probably the top six starting pitchers in the league. Only Matt Thomson and Sammy Solis from the East could come close to cracking that list.

And the Bullpen . . .

So maybe we could go ahead and make it nine shutout innings. Reliever Ben Tootle will blow people away while closers Eric Pettis and Russell Brewer are two of the three best in the league.

Look, Real Second Basemen!

Because of a lack of second-base talent last year, the All-Star starters at second were a shortstop and a third baseman. But Nick Liles and Jimmy Cesario get the call this year. Both have actually seen significant time at second.

Youth is Served

Eight freshmen will be on the field, and some of them may be serious prospects come 2010. After all, if you're a Cape League All-Star after your freshmen year, you're doing something right. The list: LHP Brian Dupra, SS D.J. LeMahieu, LHP Sammy Solis and RHP Martin Viramontes in the East; RHP Seth Blair, RHP Russell Brewer, DH Kevin Patterson and RHP Brandon Workman in the West.

Back for More . . . Sort Of

Chatham closer Brad Boxberger is the only player who earned a trip to the All-Star game for the second year in a row. But last year, Boxberger was injured and didn't even play.

The Lone Tar Heel

North Carolina annually sends more players to the Cape than any other school. It's a shoo-in that a few will make the All-Star game, but this year, only one got the nod -- and it's not the one you'd think. Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Matt Harvey may have the hype, but it's catcher Mark Fleury who will be on the field Saturday. Fleury didn't have an everyday job this spring, but he's hitting .302 this summer.

Southpaw Central

The West has one lefthanded pitcher, Dallas Keuchel. The East? How about five? Sammy Solis and Chris Manno are the best of the bunch.

Derby Wagering?

If I were a betting man, I would pick Chris Dominguez to win the home run derby. I know, I'm really going out on a limb. He only has eight home runs this year.

Eastern Division, Western Flavor

Eleven of the Eastern Division's 21 All-Stars play at California colleges.

Infield Pop

The West's starting infield of Ben Paulsen, Jimmy Cesario, Chris Dominguez and Dusty Coleman has combined for 15 home runs and 87 RBI. The East? Nine home runs and 52 RBI.

The Bright Lights

NESN will broadcast the game live for the first time ever. In years past, it's been broadcast on tape delay.

daily fog: lots of zeroes

Did someone forget to bring the bats?

Four games ended in shutouts last night. Cotuit shut out Bourne 1-0, Hyannis did the same to Harwich, Y-D beat Chatham 3-0 and, in the most zero-ey game of all, Orleans and Brewster shut each other out in a 0-0 game that was called after 10 innings due to darkness.

A strange night, indeed. Before last night's game, there hadn't been more than two shutouts in one night all season. But the pitching was tremendous last night, particularly the starting pitching. Of the eight starting pitchers involved in the shutouts, six of them didn't allow a run.

Cotuit's Seth Blair (Arizona State) turned in the best performance. He was one out away from a complete game, but with a runner on second with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Kettleers went to Daniel Wolford (Cal), who got a strikeout to end the inning. Cotuit then won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Joey Lewis (Georgia) broke from third on a ground ball and slid in safely at home. For Bourne, Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina) allowed two hits in his seven shutout innings.

The Hyannis-Harwich game was another 1-0 affair, with a Matt Nuzzo (Brown) RBI double in the fifth standing as the only tally. Colin Bates (North Carolina), Andrew Carraway (Virginia) and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) combined on the shutout. Bates allowed three hits in six innings, Carraway -- making his first relief appearance -- went two scoreless innings and Brewer worked out of a jam in the ninth to get his 12th save and his first since July 12.

Chatham got shut out for the second straight night, this time at the hands of Y-D. Tyler Waldron (Pacific) allowed three hits and struck out seven in seven shutout innings. Shawn Tolleson (Baylor) and Dean Weaver (Georgia) each pitched a scoreless inning. The Red Sox got all three of their runs off Chatham's Kyle Blair (San Diego), who was making his first start. He struck out seven in four innings.

Finally, in Brewster, the Whitecaps and Cardinals couldn't get much of anything going. They combined for 11 hits, but nary a run crossed the plate. Brad Stillings (Kent State) tossed five shutout innings for Orleans while Brewster starter Rob Gilliam (UNC Greensboro) went six shutout innings. Orleans left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th. Brewster left a runner on in both the ninth and 10th innings.

Elsewhere
  • Apparently, you had to go to Martha's Vineyard to see two teams score in the same game. Wareham and Falmouth played the first-ever Cape League game on the Vineyard yesterday afternoon and the Gatemen came away with a 6-1 victory. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) had three hits and Cole Leonida (Georgia Tech) had a home run and three RBI to lead the Gatemen, who got seven shutout innings from Robby Broach (Tulane). The win is the fifth in a row for Wareham in the ever-tightening Western Division race. The Gatemen are still in last at 14-19-1, but they're only seven points back of first place Hyannis.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • Only one game on the schedule. Harwich will travel to Falmouth, with J.J. Hoover (Calhoun CC) squaring off against Falmouth's Chris Gloor (Quinnipiac).

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

extra stats

Since not every useful stat is available on the team stats page, I'm compiling the leaders in some extra stat categories. I did this a few times last year, and will do it a couple of times this year too. I've got two categories done right now, with more to follow.

To look at them, just click on the links below (they'll take you to a geocities page).

OPS
WHIP

orleans takes a hit

The Orleans Cardinals are riding high, but they'll have to ride the rest of the way without two key contributors. The Cardinals announced that shorstop Cole Figueroa has signed a professional contract and that pitcher Eric Erickson has left with an injury.

Both are pretty big losses this late in the season. Figueroa, a draft-eligible sophomore from Florida who was a sixth-round pick of the Padres, was hitting .232 but catching fire. In July, he was hitting .333.

It was thought that Figueroa would be a tough sign, since he's only played two years at Florida. But the Padres' offer must have been good enough to lure him away. Keep an eye on the blog It Might Be Dangerous, which is written by Paul DePodesta, a central figure in "Moneyball" who's now in the Padres front office. I imagine he will put something up soon about Figueroa.

As for Erickson, the sophomore lefty from Miami was having a decent summer, with a 3.27 ERA and a 21:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The good news for the Cardinals is that at various points this year, seven pitchers have made starts. Without Erickson, there are still six who can probably make it in the rotation.

At the shortstop position, I imagine Kyle Spraker would step in. He's been used in a utility role and has hit .200.

daily fog: familiar foes

The Harwich Mariners have suddenly opened up a pretty big cushion between themselves and the third-place team in the East. Thanks to their fifth straight win, a 7-0 victory over Chatham, the Mariners sit in second place at 19-13, with an eight-point lead on the A's.

But the five-game winning streak hasn't been the only driving forced behind Harwich's run.

It also helps that the Mariners are 5-0 against the team that's chasing them.

That's a pretty huge swing. More than one-fourth of Harwich's wins have come against Chatham, and if their record against the A's was 3-2 instead of 5-0, the teams would have the same number of wins.

Instead, the Mariners have had Chatham's number. They won 4-1 in the season's first week and 10-4 in their second meeting. Then they put up a pair of 4-3 wins, both on late rallies. The first ended on a walk-off wild pitch and the second featured a rally to force extra innings, where the Mariners won it. Both times, Harwich got Chatham closer Brad Boxberger to blow saves.

The latest chapter in the story was last night's 7-0 win, the most lopsided of the bunch. Shaver Hansen (Baylor), who is 8-for-17 against Chatham this year, went 2-for-4 in this one with a home run and two RBI. Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt) and Joe Sanders (Auburn) also drove in two, and that was more than enough for Harwich starter Michael Morrison (Cal State Fullerton). Despite throwing four wild pitches and walking five, Morrison was lights-out. He allowed three hits and struck out eight in six shutout innings. Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) and Matt Zielinski (Richmond) combined for three scoreless innings of relief.

The good news for Chatham?

They only have to play the Mariners one more time.

Elsewhere
  • Two streaks came to an end last night. Y-D beat Orleans 5-4 to stop the Cardinals' seven-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Hyannis snapped a six-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over Brewster.
  • Orleans almost got the magic going again, rallying from a 5-2 deficit with two in the bottom of the ninth. But Y-D closer Joe Kelly (UC Riverside), who allowed both runs, got Rich Poythress (Georgia) to strike out with the tying run on second base. That made a winner out of Jerry Sullivan (Oral Roberts), who allowed one earned run in six innings. Mike Belfiore (Boston College) drove in what turned out to be a crucial run in the seventh for Y-D. He knocked in Nick Liles (Western Carolina), who had gotten on base and stolen second and third. Liles now has 14 steals.
  • Hyannis got a strong performance from Graham Stoneburner (Clemson) to hold off Brewster. Stoneburner allowed one earned run in six innings, striking out seven and walking only two. Matt Ridings (Western Kentucky) struck out five and didn't walk anybody in three shutout innings of relief. Dale Cornstubble (Central Michigan) hit his first home run of the year.
  • Wareham picked up its fourth straight win with a 4-1 victory over Cotuit. Brandon Workman (Texas) turned in another solid start, striking out eight and walking none in seven innings. He allowed five hits and one run. Workman now has 58 strikeouts, which ties the league-leading total from last year by D.J. Mitchell. With Workman likely to get at least two more starts, he should put up some even bigger numbers.
  • Darin Ruf (Creighton) went 4-for-4 and Ryan Jones (Wichita State) hit his sixth home run of the year to lead Falmouth past Bourne 9-4. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) came out of the bullpen in the third and tossed six scoreless innings of relief.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • There are two Blairs you should keep an eye on. I don't think they're related, but still. Fresh off a dominant performance in his last start, Cotuit's Seth Blair (Arizona State) will take the hill against Bourne and Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina). Chatham's Kyle Blair (San Diego) will make his Cape League debut as the A's visit Y-D.

Monday, July 21, 2008

consistently green, etc.

It was strange today to see Grant Green's name somewhere other than the top of the batting average leaderboard. That's because, as other players have shot up the charts and shot right back down, Green has been remarkably consistent.

Actually, I wrote that before I went through and looked at the numbers. After doing that, I would like to amend my statement. We'll go with "absolutely, astoundingly consistent."

The USC sophomore has started at shortstop in all but one of Chatham's games (he got his first night off on Sunday). He has gone hitless in a game exactly three times. Three times in 31 games. And guess what? In the three games he went hitless, he still got on base via the walk. So, Grant Green has been on base in every game he's played this summer.

That's pretty incredible, and, I'll be honest, I didn't realize it was that incredible. I knew he was consistent, but sometimes when a top player is consistent (and when they've been on the Cape since day one) they get lost in the shuffle, at least for me. It's ho-hum when Grant Green gets a hit.

When all is said and done this year, though, there won't be anything ho-hum about Green's summer. Right now, he's on pace for strikingly similar numbers to those put up by last year's MVP, Conor Gillaspie, who turned in one of the great offensive summers of the last decade.
Here's the comparison:
Green - .397 AVG, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, .620 SLG, .490 OBP
Gillaspie - .345 AVG, 12 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 22 RBI, .673 SLG, .448 OBP

With Green now batting in the middle of Chatham's order, the RBI numbers should go up. I'd expect a few more home runs too, and if the average were to somehow stay that high . . . well, that's a very, very special year.

Breaking Down the Cardinals

It's still jarring to see that the best team in the league has the second-worst team batting average in the league. That's where the Orleans Cardinals are, hovering at .225 despite their torrid July. They may have the most wins in the league, but eight teams have better averages. Seven have scored more runs.

But it's all a little deceptive. As anyone who has kept tabs on the Cape League season knows, Orleans started unbelievably slow at the plate, with a team batting average stuck below .200 well into July.

Since then, the team average has jumped to .225, and that jump is evident up and down the lineup. A quick glance at the team stats page shows that only one Cardinal -- Rich Poythress -- is over .300 for the season. But the numbers look considerably better for everyone else when you take away the first two weeks.

Cole Figueroa is hitting .232 for the season but .333 this month. Nate Freiman is at .273 on the year, but .289 this month. It's a similar story for Alex Hassan (.231/.271) and Tim Wheeler (.283/.293). In all, just about everybody on the roster has been hotter in July than they were in June.

When you combine that with impressive pitching -- the Cardinals now lead in ERA -- you get success. Of course, Orleans has given success a whole new meaning lately, what with the 16 wins this month. Sometimes things just start rolling and nothing can get in the way.

But while timely hits and clutch performances have been hallmarks of Orleans' run, the driving force behind everything is that the team started to hit. So it might be fair to call Orleans one of the worst hitting teams in the league. It's just not all that true anymore.

Notes
  • If you look closely at the Cotuit boxscore from last night, you'll notice something interesting. Mike Bianucci came into the game in the eighth inning as a pinch runner. This seems strange, since, you know, he signed a pro contract and isn't on the team anymore. I'm inclined to think that this is a mistake in the boxscore, but I suppose it's possible that Bianucci didn't actually sign and is still on the Cape. He actually is still listed as unsigned in the Baseball America Draft Database. If anybody knows what the deal is, please share. Update: Cotuit broadcaster Josh Weinstock just let me know that it was a typo in the boxscore.
  • One of the unfortunate consequences of Hyannis' recent losing streak is that Russell Brewer's chase for the saves record has come to a grinding halt. Brewer has been stuck on 11 for quite awhile, and he hasn't had a chance to get any more. Brewer needs five saves to tie the record. Hyannis has only 12 games left.
  • I thought it was an anomlay last year when only three pitchers finished the year with more than five wins. But it looks like we're headed down a similar path this year. Two pitchers have four wins, but one (Tim Clubb) isn't even on the Cape anymore. Considering the balance in the league this year, wins will probably be just as hard to come by down the stretch.
  • Marc Krauss is hitting .415 and A.J. Pollock is hitting .400. This is very late in the season for two guys to have their averages that high. Last year around this time, batting champ Conor Gillaspie was hitting .356. As far as I can tell, no one has hit .400 this decade. The highest mark came in 2003, when J.C. Holt hit .388.
  • Orleans catchers Travis Tartamella and Hampton Tignor are two of the best defensive catchers in the league, and they've also got quite the platoon going. Tartamella has played 17 games, while Tignor has played 18. They each have 49 at-bats, with Tignor posting one more hit.

daily fog: catching on

And to think, Marc Krauss might have slipped through the cracks.

Good thing he didn't.

Krauss, a slugging sophomore from Ohio University, played four games early in the summer for Harwich. When the Mariners released him, he managed to hook on with Bourne. That kind of switch is common in the league, though Krauss is the only player this summer who has done it.

It's working out for everybody involved. Krauss is in the thick of the MVP race and with his 3-for-4 performance last night, he led Bourne past Hyannis 9-2 and into first place.

Krauss is now hitting .415 with three home runs and 26 RBI. In 21 games since joining the Braves -- he's played in 25 total -- he's hitting at a .443 clip.

Those numbers are impressive, but not all that different from what Krauss has done throughout his career. The 6'3, 220-pound outfielder was a Freshman All-American in 2007, then a first-team all-league pick in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. He was also tabbed as the league's Top Position Prospect. He followed that up with a strong sophomore season that saw him hit .332 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI.

I guess the surprising thing is that a player with Krauss' ability ever switched teams. But sometimes it's a numbers game, and I know Harwich was waiting on a lot of late arrivals.

The move couldn't have worked out better for the Braves, who desperately needed a big bat in their lineup. They've got a slim lead in the West now, and as long as Krauss keeps doing what he's doing, they'll have a shot to stay there.

Elsewhere
  • This Orleans business is getting ridiculous. The Cardinals beat Chatham 5-4 last night for their seventh straight win. They're now 16-2-1 this month. Last night, Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) hit his fourth home run to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh before the teams traded runs in the eighth. Alex Hassan (Duke) picked up his fourth save in as many chances with a perfect ninth. The victory was also the 100th Cape League win for Orleans manager Kelly Nicholson.
  • Harwich won't quite go away in the East, which is the only reason why Orleans leads the division by seven points and not more than that. The Mariners won their fourth straight game last night, beating Cotuit 4-3 thanks to two runs in the top of the ninth. Both runs came on a two-run home run by Brandon Belt (Texas).
  • Wareham rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Falmouth 9-7 for its third consecutive win. The Gatemen put up five runs in the seventh with Shea Vucinich (Washington State) and Raynor Campbell (Baylor) leading the way.
  • Like Wareham, last-place Y-D made some headway with a 10-6 victory over Brewster. Eddie Burns (Georgia Tech) turned in a solid start for the Red Sox, and Whit Merrifield (South Carolina) had two hits and scored two runs.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • Wareham will visit Cotuit, with each team sending standouts to the hill. Brandon Workman (Texas) is scheduled to go for the Gatemen against Nick Hernandez (Tennessee).

Sunday, July 20, 2008

blair in chatham?

I just saw in the pitching probables that Kyle Blair is scheduled to start for Chatham on Tuesday at Y-D. Blair, a highly-touted freshman from San Diego, was on the Chatham roster in the spring but was removed just before the season began. He still isn't listed on the roster, but he's in the probables section.

If he's here to stay, he could make a big impact on Chatham's stretch run. It should also be a treat for those who get to see him. Blair was a fifth-round pick out of high school.

Update: The A's web site has confirmed the roster move. Blair replaces Jeff Lorick, who needs minor surgery, a procedure that's been planned for awhile. Here's the note about Blair: "Blair was part of the original 2008 roster assembled by John Schiffner in the fall. However, San Diego coach Rich Hill decided Blair needed arm rest after throwing almost 75 innings as a freshman for the Torreros. Significantly rested, Hill and Schiffner agreed Blair was ready to come to Cape Cod and will make his first A's start on Tuesday at Y-D. "

daily fog:

On Monday, the last time I focused on the Hyannis Mets, Chris Dominguez was setting records, Russell Brewer was chasing a record and the Mets were sitting in first place with the best mark in the league.

What a difference a week makes.

Dominguez hasn't hit a home run since last Sunday, Brewer hasn't had a chance to get a save and the Mets have lost six straight games. Before that, they had won five straight.

That's quite the dramatic turnaround. I tend to pay more attention when a team heads in the other direction, like Orleans has done. But as the Mets have shown, things can slip away just like they come together. Hyannis has had some good showings and could legitimately be 3-3 or even 4-2 in this six-game stretch. Four of the six losses have been by two runs or less, so it's not like the Mets have fallen completely.

But things just haven't worked. When the Mets scored eight runs on Wednesday, Orleans scored nine. When they got a dominant pitching performance, they went up against a better one, losing 1-0 to Wareham on Friday. Their losing streak continued with the worst loss of the bunch last night, a 13-2 deafeat at the hands of Wareham.

And yet, for all the struggles, the Mets are still in a tie for first place in the Western Division race, which is right there for the taking. With ace Andrew Carraway going tonight against Bourne, the Mets will have their best chance to jump to the head of the pack.

Elsewhere
  • Wareham's Matt Bashore (Indiana) had a strong outing in the 13-2 win over Hyannis, striking out 10 in six strong innings. Ryan Pineda (Cal State Northridge) went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI to lead the Gatemen. Connor Rowe (Texas) also had a home run. Shea Vucinich (Washington State) had three hits.
  • Falmouth topped Bourne 8-4 for its third straight win. Chad Bettis (Texas Tech) pitched five shutout innings for the win, and A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) had two hits and three RBI. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) had three hits, raising his average to .228. He was below .200 not too long ago.
  • Harwich blasted Y-D 17-4 behind four hits each from the D.J.'s, Belfonte and LeMehieu. All-Star Mark Fleury (North Carolina) had four hits and four RBI while Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt), back in the lineup after a lengthy injury absence, drove in two.
  • Chatham beat Brewster for the second consecutive night, riding a strong outing from Kevin Couture (USC) and a big offensive burst to a 10-3 victory. Couture allowed three runs over seven innings in his second start of the year. Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest) had three hits and three runs scored.
  • A night after Matt Thomson dominated for Orleans, Kyle Smith (Kent State) did the same, tossing eight shutout innings to lead the Cardinals past Cotuit 6-0. Smith struck out four and allowed only three hits. At the plate, Rich Poythress (Georgia) had two RBI.

What to Watch For Tonight

  • Chatham will host Orleans in the first of four meetings between the teams in the final 14 games. Matt Zoltak (Clemson) will start for Chatham against all-star Martin Viramontes (Loyola Marymount).

Saturday, July 19, 2008

all-star rosters

The rosters for next weekend's all-star game were released today. You can see the West roster here and the East roster here.

Overall, I'd say solid job all around. I didn't see any big snubs or too many surprises. I'll have some detailed thoughts later this week, but for now, some first impressions:
  • A lot of late arrivals got picked, which was maybe the biggest surprise. Rich Poythress, for instance, has only played in 14 games. It's a similar story for D.J. LeMahieu and Brent Milleville. But going down the stats page, I can't really see anybody more deserving so it's fair that they'll get their shot.
  • Two late arrivals who aren't included: North Carolina's Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley. I thought for sure Ackley would be there.
  • Bryce Stowell starts for the West, and that spot could have gone to any number of players, including Brandon Workman, Andrew Carraway and Nick McCully.
  • On the East side, Orleans' Matt Thomson gets the call. He's probably on par with a lare group of players like Sammy Solis and Chris Manno. Maybe his eight-inning gem on Friday set him apart.
  • In general, I think the West has stronger starting pitching than the East.
  • There is only one freshman in the starting lineup -- Cotuit's Kevin Patterson in the West -- but a fair amount on the bench.
  • In general, the rosters don't have the typical collection of big-school talent. There are more players from Loyola Marymount (2) than from Missouri, Texas, Vanderbilt or North Carolina.

daily fog: all the pieces of the puzzle

There's no doubt that the Orleans pitching staff has been good this season. Their 3.01 team ERA is second in the league.

The starting pitching for the Cardinals, though, hasn't been dominant. They have a solid rotation, but it's their bullpen that really seems to shine. In a lot of Orleans box scores, four or five pitchers are listed, and for this team, that's actually a good thing.

But at least one dominant starter is emerging.

Matt Thomson allowed three hits and struck out five in eight shutout innings as Orleans beat Y-D 5-0 last night. It's probably the best individual performance by an Orleans starter this season. The Cardinals have won two other shutouts this season, but both were more of the combined variety. Thomson did most of last night's work himself, with Isaac Morales (Cal State LA) only coming on for the ninth.

Thomson, a sophomore righthander from San Diego, has now become the Cardinals' best starter. He has a 3-0 record and a 1.56 ERA, best in the rotation. He has struck out 24 and walked eight in 34.1 innings.

Thomson's emergence is good news for a team that doesn't need any more good news. Last night's win was the fifth in a row for the Cardinals. I think now is a good team to officially say that they're running away with it. At 19-9-1, they're seven points ahead of second-place Harwich with 15 games to play.

Elsewhere
  • When I went to the Chatham-Harwich game on Thursday, my dad asked me why Grant Green, with a near-.400 average and a few home runs, was hitting leadoff. I think the Chatham coaching staff may have been asking itself that, too. Green was in the third spot last night and he went 2-for-3 with a home run to lead the A's past Brewster 7-5.
  • One start after twirling a complete game, Wareham's Dallas Keuchel went eight shutout innings to set the stage for a Gatemen walkoff win over Hyannis. With the score 0-0 in the ninth, Cole Leonida (Georgia Tech) knocked in Connor Rowe (Texas) with the winning run. Keuchel now has a 1.60 ERA.
  • The loss was the fifth in a row for Hyannis, a team that's just about the streakiest in the league. Before the current streak, the Mets had won five games in a row.
  • Harwich won its second straight one-run game, beating Bourne 7-6. Shaver Hansen (Baylor) went 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Mariners. Dustin Ackley (North Carolina) was out of the lineup for the fifth straight game. I'm not sure what's going on there.
  • Falmouth jumped over .500 with a 10-6 victory over Cotuit. The teams combined for 11 runs in the eighth inning, but Falmouth came out of the frame with an 8-6 lead. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) keyed the rally with a two-run single.

What to Watch For Tonight

  • At some point, all-star game rosters will be revealed.
  • Hyannis will try to stop its skid with Alex McRee (Georgia) on the mound against Matt Bashore (Indiana) and Wareham.

Friday, July 18, 2008

hello? internet, is that you?

So I went to a Cape League game last night and got back to the beach house my parents are renting, all ready to write something up . . . and we couldn't find the internet. I guess we're "borrowing" from some house down the street and it decided not to work. So that's why there was no daily fog this morning. If this is an important part of anyone's day, I apologize. I was having withdrawal myself.

The connection is working now, and with any luck, will be again tomorrow (come through for me, random people I don't know). Since it's too late to do the daily fog for today, here are some thoughts from the game last night.

Grant Green was all ready to be the hero. Bases loaded with two outs. Game tied, bottom of the ninth. When Corey Overholtzer drew a walk to load the bases, there was a little murmur in the crowd. They knew. There's not a hitter on the Cape you want more in that spot than Grant Green. He would be the hero.

Steve Kalush had something to say about that.

Kalush, a righthander from Santa Clara, came in throwing gas and struck Green out on three pitches. All were fastballs, and it seemed each one was faster than the last. It was a thoroughly impressive performance and it set Kalush up to earn the victory. Harwich rallied in the top of the tenth and won the game 4-3.

The match-up between Kalush and Green looked more like a mismatch on paper. Green was leading the league in hitting. Kalush had an ERA over seven. But clearly, the moment was right. Kalush is a hard-thrower. Harwich needed a strikeout and he was the guy to do it. When he pumped his fisty after striking out Green, it was a cool moment.

Kalush will remember it.

That's about all I've got for now. The internet may disappear again soon so I must be careful. Anyway, all-star game rosters are out tomorrow. Enjoy.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

daily fog: looking for a gem

I live in Rhode Island and, this year in particular, I haven't been able to get over to the Cape very much. But my parents are on vacation in Chatham this week, so I headed over last night. On the way, I figured I'd stop in at Bourne and catch a few innings.

Two of the top pitchers in the league -- Wareham's Brandon Workman and Bourne's Nick McCully -- were on the hill. I watched for an inning and came away impressed, but I guess the game eventually turned into a late-inning slugfest with Bourne winning 5-4.

So I didn't see the start of anything special, just a good inning from two good pitchers.

If I had really wanted to see the start of something special, I should have stopped in Harwich.

That's where Cotuit's Seth Blair turned in one of the best pitching performances of the summer. The freshman right-hander from Arizona State tossed a complete-game, one hitter as Cotuit blanked Harwich 4-0. Blair struck out 10, didn't walk anybody and allowed only two baserunners, with the second coming on a hit-by-pitch.

Blair's performance rivals that of Workman, and actually beats it in terms of hits allowed. Workman's seemed a little more special because he took a no-hitter into the ninth, before surrendering two hits. Blair allowed his one hit in the second.

Either way, those are the top two pitching performances of the summer, and the interesting thing is that both came from freshmen. Blair didn't come out high school with quite the hype of Workman -- he was a 47th round pick, while Workman was tabbed in the third round -- but he still saw a lot of action for the highly-ranked Sun Devils. He made 19 appearances, with 10 starts. Much like Workman, though, he had his struggles, finishing with a 6.96 ERA.

But since arriving on the Cape, Blair has been solid in each of his four starts. In his first two, he went seven innings, allowing three runs the first time and one the second. He went 4.2 innings in his third start, allowing four runs, but last night's performance was a quick and impressive way to bounce back.

Blair now has a 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA. He has struck out 18 and walked five. He has also only allowed 17 hits in 27.2 innings, which, combined with the low walks total, gives him a WHIP of .81.

Elsewhere
  • A match-up of first-place teams in Hyannis last night went like that kind of match-up should go, with Orleans beating the Mets 9-8 in 12 innings. Hampton Tignor (Florida), who has struggled with the bat all summer, delivered the heroics with an RBI single in the top of the 12th to score Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount). Alex Hassan (Duke) picked up his third save to seal the victory, the fourth straight for the Cardinals. Thanks to their win and losses by Harwich, Brewster, and Chatham, they now sit in first place by nine points. For Hyannis, Ben Paulsen (Clemson) had a tremendous game, going 4-for-6 with a double, a home run and five RBI. He's now second in the league with 24 RBI.
  • Just when it looked like Y-D was out of the equation in the East, the Red Sox found their rhythm. They picked up their third win in a row last night, topping Chatham 6-4. Jerry Sullivan (Oral Roberts) turned in a quality start, allowing three runs in 6.2 innings and the offense put up two in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie. A two-run single by Tyler Marmion (Cypress) was the difference.
  • Jimmy Cesario (Houston) continued his hot streak and Falmouth edged Brewster 7-6. Cesario, the Cape League's Player of the Week last week, went 3-for-3, raising his average to .370. He also drove in three runs. Jonathan Kountis (Ohio Dominican) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win.
  • As I mentioned above, the Bourne-Wareham game turned into a bit of a slugfest, with the teams combining for eight runs in the last four innings. Marc Krauss (Ohio), who has quietly become one of the league's best hitters, hit a walkoff single to give Bourne the 5-4 win. In the pitching department, Workman didn't allow a hit until the sixth, before allowing four hits and three runs in 6.2 innings. He struck out nine. McCully allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out eight.
  • For the first time this season, the batting average leaderboard is without a .400 hitter. The top hitter is Grant Green, who's at .396.

What to Watch For Tonight

  • Bourne's Bryce Stowell (UC Irvine) will try to continue his remarkable start as he takes the hill at home against Hyannis. Stowell has a .36 ERA and has allowed only 10 hits in 25.1 innings. For Hyannis, Colin Bates (North Carolina) is scheduled to start. Bates has a 3.18 ERA in three starts.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

daily fog: same old story, part two

A few weeks ago, when Cotuit was putting up huge run totals and starting fast, I said I was tired of talking about them. I haven't talked about them in a while now because they're sitting at .500 and are no longer the best hitting team in the league.

These days, Orleans is in the same boat as the pre-slump Kettleers. While gets old talking about the Cardinals every day, they could just as quickly fall off the radar screen.

But it just doesn't look like they will, does it?

The Cardinals used a dramatic ninth inning to beat Brewster 4-3 last night for their third straight win and their 10th in 12 games. At 17-9-1, they have the best record in the league and they are ahead of second-place Harwich by seven points. That's the largest standings lead any team has had this season.

From what Russ Charpentier wrote in the Cape League Insider blog, it sounds like last night had that special feel that's reserved for streaking teams, the feel that a win is always right there. Cole Figueroa (Florida) went out and grabbed it with a walkoff two-run single that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory.

Figueroa has had his share of struggles this season. A Cape League all-star last year, the Florida shortstop was a sixth-round pick in this year's draft. To this point, he has hit only .194.

But when a team gets on a roll, everyone seems to get scooped up along the way. Remember, this was a team that was hitting .178 with three home runs at the end of June. They're hitting .219 now with 15 home runs. You don't get that kind of dramatic shift without contributions from everybody.

Elsewhere
  • The pitching was solid again for Orleans last night. Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) allowed three runs in 4.2 innings, but Brad Gemberling (Princeton) and Brad Stillings (Kent State) combined for 4.1 shutout innings. For Brewster, Evan Bronson (Trinity) made his second start and allowed two runs in eight strong innings.
  • Harwich jumped over Brewster into second place with a 5-4 victory over Falmouth. It didn't come easy as the Mariners blew a lead in the top of the ninth and let the Commodores tie it on an RBI double by Michael Thomas (Southern). But D.J. LeMahieu (LSU), who's been hot this week, continued that trend with a bases-loaded walkoff single. He's now hitting .327.
  • Chatham got the best combination of offense and pitching they've had all year in an 8-0 win over Bourne. Victor Sanchez (San Diego) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense while Jake Thompson (Long Beach State) turned in his best start of the summer, tossing six shutout innings. Jeff Lorick (Virginia) and David Hale (Princeton) kept the shutout intact.
  • Eddie Burns (Georgia Tech) got the start last night for Y-D and pitched more like he did last year, when he was an all-star. Burns, who struggled out of the gate, allowed one run in six innings as the Red Sox beat Cotuit 7-0. Tyler Marmion (Cypress) went 3-for-3 for the Red Sox.
  • Max Perlman (Harvard) and Josh Slaats (Hawaii) combined on a shutout to lead Wareham past Hyannis 2-0. Perlman struck out seven and allowed three hits in seven innings. Slaats struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the win.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • Thanks to his near no-hitter, it's news every time Brandon Workman (Texas) makes a start. Bigger news tonight as he will match up with Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina) when Wareham visits Bourne. McCully has a 1.57 ERA and a five-inning perfect game to his credit.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

daily fog: whatever works

The Orleans Cardinals really just haven't been stopped the last two weeks. They've won close games and blowouts, pitchers' duels and slugfests. It doesn't matter which. In their last 11 games, they're 9-1-1, with the only loss coming by a 1-0 score.

The last two nights, they've won a pair of one-run games, beating Bourne 3-2 on Sunday and Chatham 2-1 last night. They've done that despite being without their closer, Kyle Kamppi. According to the team's website, Kamppi (Georgia Southern) was released for violating team rules.

But even though Kamppi had eight saves and a .64 ERA, the Cardinals haven't missed a beat. Duke outfielder and part-time pitcher Alex Hassan has stepped into the closer's role and converted both of his save opportunities without allowing a run.

That's pretty remarkable. Obviously, it's a luxury to have an extra pitcher like Hassan, who had five saves for Duke this year, but the fact that he has stepped in seamlessly is also a sign of how well things are going. The Cardinals are in first place by six points now and nobody wants to let that slip. That means different players have to step up at different times, and that's exactly what's happeneing.

Elsewhere
  • Nate Freiman (Duke) had two hits and an RBI to lead the way for the Cardinals last night. He's now hitting .253. For Chatham, highly-touted freshman Matt Harvey (North Carolina) made his first start. He struck out eight and allowed two runs on six hits in six innings of work.
  • In the only other game on the schedule, Harwich stopped Hyannis' five-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory. Michael Morrison (Cal State Fullerton) allowed two runs on two hits in six innings for the Mariners, and D.J. LeMahieu (LSU) went 4-for-5. Mark Fleury (North Carolina) hit a two-run home run in a four-run eighth inning.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • Andrew Carraway (Virginia) will try to get Hyannis back to its winning ways when he leads the Mets into Wareham, who sends Max Perlman (Harvard) to the hill.

Monday, July 14, 2008

daily fog: powering a run

Chris Dominguez may have gone 0-for-4 the day after he hit three home runs in one game, but he has caught fire again.

So have the Mets.

With Dominguez hitting a home run for the second consecutive day -- his fifth in the last five days -- Hyannis powered past Cotuit 6-1 last night. It was the Mets' fifth consecutive win and at 16-9, they now have the best record in the league. They lead the Western Division by four points over second-place Bourne.

It's no surprise that the Mets' surge has coincided with Dominguez's surge. He has six hits in the winning streak, so you can do the math -- all but one of his hits was a home run. That kind of production is rare on the Cape, and it can certainly carry a team.

But the Mets' streak hasn't been all Dominguez. At the plate, leadoff man Trent Ashcraft (East Carolina) had nine hits during the streak, while Ben Paulsen (Clemson) and Marcus Jones (NC State) combined for eight RBI. On the mound, Andrew Carraway (Virginia), Graham Stoneburner (Clemson), Colin Bates (North Carolina) and Austin Hudson (Central Florida) all turned in quality starts, while the bullpen also shined.

That was enough for the Mets to get in gear. The key now will be to keep it going. So far, a lot of teams have gone on winning streaks but not one of them has sustained anything. As a result, the standings have stayed close.

The way things are going for the Mets, they've got a golden opportunity to pull away.

Elsewhere
  • Orleans picked up its eighth win in 10 games with a 3-2 victory over Bourne. Nate Freiman (Duke) hit a home run to power the offense, and four relievers held off a late rally by the Braves to seal the win.
  • Chris Manno (Duke) tossed six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and Dustin Ackley (North Carolina) hit a three-run home run to lead Harwich past Brewster 5-0. Ackley now has two home runs and he's hitting .415.
  • Chatham got three hits from Grant Green (USC) and Kyle Seager (North Carolina) to beat Falmouth 7-2. The A's now have 12 wins, which matches Harwich and Brewster. Brewster still sits in second place thanks to three ties.
  • Y-D snapped a three-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over Wareham. Nick Liles (Western Carolina) went 4-for-5 to put his batting average back at .400. Jeff Inman (Stanford) gave Y-D a quality start, allowing one earned run in six innings.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

daily fog:

A lot of strange things happened in the Orleans-Cotuit game last night, but what's really notable is the one thing that didn't happen.

Cotuit's Mike Bianucci did not take the field.

Bianucci, who was all over the league leaderboard in home runs and RBI, signed a pro contract with the Texas Rangers, who selected him last month in the eighth round of the draft. A junior at Auburn, Bianucci opted to come to the Cape for the third time in his career, hoping to gain some leverage. And he must have gained enough.

It's a rite of a Cape League summer that a handful of players will sign in the middle of the season, and it's always a little bit disappointing. But, really, it shouldn't be. When a player signs in the middle of the Cape League summer, it's tangible proof of what works in the Cape League. A player can come here, have success and say to the team that drafted him, "This is what I can do." And when you can do it in the Cape, it's unequivocal.

Ultimately, one of the league's chief purposes is to give opportunities in the present and to create opportunities for the future. When the opportunity is right there and a player grabs it, that's always good to see.

So congratulations to Mike and best of luck.

Elsewhere
  • That Orleans-Cotuit game ended in a 4-4 tie after a wild ninth inning. After Orleans took the lead on a strange sequence, Cotuit's Brett Jackson answered with a home run. Darkness meant no extra innings.
  • Hyannis won its fourth consecutive game with a 7-6 victory over Harwich. Chris Dominguez (Louisville) hit a home run and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) picked up his 11th save, which breaks a Hyannis record. Brewer needs only five more to tie the Cape League record of 16.
  • Falmouth scored the most runs of any team this summer in an 18-4 victory over Y-D. Michael Thomas (Southern) went 4-for-5 and Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) went 4-for-6. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI.
  • Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas) tossed a complete game to lead Wareham past Chatham 8-2. Keuchel struck out eight and didn't walk anybody. He also got plenty of support. Kipp Schutz (Indiana), Raynor Campbell (Baylor) and Buddy Munroe (Florida) all hit home runs.
  • Brewster beat Bourne 10-6 behind a home run and four RBI from Brent Milleville (Stanford) and a 4-for-6 night from leadoff hitter Ty Kelly (UC Davis).

What to Watch For Tonight

  • Chris Manno (Duke) will take his 2.08 ERA into Brewster as Harwich faces Nick Christiani (Vanderbilt) and the Whitecaps.
  • Matt Bashore (Indiana) will make his first start of the year for Wareham as the Gatemen host Y-D. Bashore was one of the top starters in the Big 10 this year but has only pitched out of the bullpen so far this summer.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

daily fog: another gem

Bryce Stowell pitched for Hyannis last summer, and man did he have some bad luck. Despite a solid 3.72 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 38.2 innings, Stowell went 1-5.

This summer, he's making his own luck.

Stowell turned in his third consecutive dominant start last night to lead Bourne past Wareham 2-0 in the second New Bedford game of the year. The redshirt sophomore from UC Irvine struck out eight, didn't walk anybody and scattered seven hits in 8.1 shutout innings. His UC Irvine teammate Eric Pettis closed out the game to give Stowell his second win of the season.

Stowell has made now made five appearances, with the last three coming as starts. In those three starts (22.1 IP), he has allowed one run on seven hits. He has struck out 27 and walked only three.

That's about as good a stretch as any starting pitcher has had this summer, and it's not a huge surprise that Stowell is doing it. This spring at UC Irvine, he went 8-3 with a 3.26 ERA. He struck out 101 and walked 36 in 88.1 ininngs. Since he used a redshirt year earlier in his career, he was eligible for the draft this June and was picked in the 22nd round by the Indians.

This is what the scouting report from MLB says:

With a strong, athletic frame, Stowell looks the part of a pro pitcher. Stuff wise, he shows glimpses of pitching the part, too, with an average fastball, a slider that could improve with a better arm slot and a changeup that appears to be improving. A terrific competitor, the one thing Stowell lacks is the mechanics and arm action to repeat his pitches. That, plus the fact he's sophomore-eligible with some leverage make it a little difficult to place where he might go.
So it sounds like Stowell could have gone higher, and that's probably why he wasn't on any Cape League rosters to begin with. But with the summer he's having, he will really help himself.

Since he wasn't on a roster at the start, he was a little under the radar from me, but he's not anymore. Based on the last three starts, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he emerges as the league's top pitcher. He now leads the league with a .36 ERA and he's fourth in strikeouts.
Elsewhere
  • After a one-day detour, the Orleans express kept on rolling. The Cardinals, who lost 1-0 Thursday to end a five-game winning streak, bounced right back Friday with a 10-5 victory over Harwich. Nate Freiman (Duke) went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI to lead the Cardinals. Once upon a time, I predicted Freiman would win the MVP this year. He got off to a slow start but last night's performance is a good sign. He's now hitting .253 and is heating up with the rest of his teammates.
  • It was an all-around good night in Chatham as the A's beat Brewster 7-2. Adam Warren (North Carolina) was dynamite in his second start, allowing one run on two hits in six innings. The A's offense roughed up Brewster star Tim Clubb (Missouri State) for three home runs, one each by Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest), Grant Green (USC) and Victor Sanchez (San Diego). Cory Olson (UC Irvine) had two hits and finally reached the minimum number of plate appearances to qualify for the league lead in batting average, which he now holds. He's hitting .434, and he dropped teammate Green to second place at .407.
  • Hyannis kept pace with Bourne thanks to a 5-1 victory over Y-D. Marcus Jones (NC State) hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Colin Bates (North Carolina) struck out eight and allowed two hits in seven shutout innings for the Mets. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) was nearly as good for Y-D, allowing a run on two hits in seven innings.
  • Falmouth, which uses more pitchers than any team in the league, sent five to the hill last night and they emerged with a 3-2 victory over Cotuit. Nate Striz (North Carolina) picked up the win.
What to Watch For Tonight
  • A lot of guys who have been used mostly out of the bullpen are getting starts tonight. The list includes Matt Thomson for Orleans, Chris Gloor for Falmouth, Kevin Landry for Bourne and Kevin Couture for Chatham.

Friday, July 11, 2008

where nobody knows your name


When I was writing today's daily fog, I noticed an unfamiliar name in the Bourne box score. David Erickson had pitched two shutout innings of relief. I remember most names. Since I didn't remember his, I started to write, "Newcomer David Erickson . . . " but decided that I should check to make sure.

It was David Erickson's 11th appearance.

So . . . not really a newcomer. Second-most appearances in the league, as a matter of fact.

I was surprised, but really, I shouldn't have been. I can remember the starting lineup from my J&J Transportation 10-year-old Little League team (undefeated, whoo!), but damn if I can remember the names of Cape League relievers. Starters, I'm all over. Closers, no worries. But those long-relief men, those middle-relievers, those set-up guys -- they slip through the cracks like you wouldn't believe. It's sad. I look at boxscores, and it's like they're not even there. I am blind to them.

But no more. David Erickson, you will be forgotten no longer. I just got done staring at the team stats page. I paid attention only to you and your bullpen friends. And I found out: some of you guys are pretty good.

So let's take a look. These are the names that you -- and I -- should remember.

Bourne's Kevin Landry is the workhorse of the bunch. The sophomore from William & Mary has worked 26.1 innings over eight appearances, with one start mixed in, and for the most part, he's been lights out. He has a 2.05 ERA, and he has struck out 25 while walking only three. At 6'7 210, Landry is one to watch.

While Landry has logged the most innings, Falmouth's Ben Tootle has put up some of the best numbers. He has a .60 ERA in 15 innings and he has allowed only three hits all summer. The sophomore from Jacksonville State has a WHIP of .80. Falmouth teammate Chris Gloor is right there, too. His last appearance was a start but everything else has been out of the bullpen. Gloor, a junior from Quinnipiac has a 1.35 ERA.

Harwich's Willie Kempf is also in the top group of relievers. The Baylor sophomore has a 1.10 ERA in 11 appearances. He has struck out 21 in 16 innings.

Brewster's Rory McKean (Ole Miss) has made the most appearances, with 12. He has 18 stirkeouts in 18 innings to go with a 2.00 ERA.

Some of the other standouts:

David Erickson, Bourne - 21 K's in 16 IP
Danny Meszaros, Cotuit - 1.59 ERA in 17 IP
Daniel Wolford, Cotuit - K/9 sits at 13.3
Preston Claiborne, Falmouth - 1.80 ERA
Shaeffer Hall, Falmouth - 1.08 ERA
Brian Dupra, Harwich - 1.96 ERA
Ashur Tolliver, Hyannis - 2.93 ERA
Will Weidig, Hyannis - 2.25 ERA
Adam Wilk, Orleans - 2.60 ERA, K:BB sits at 18:2
Mike Belfiore, Y-D - K/9 of 16 is best among relievers

So there you have it. There are more standouts, but honestly, how many names can I be expected to remember?

Seriously, though, these guys are good. From now on, I'll be keeping tabs on them.