Right Field Fog has a new home.
Check it out. Change your bookmarks. Keep going back.
I think you'll like it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Brave New World
On January 30 at 4:17 p.m., I printed out an early version of Bourne's 2009 roster, stapled the two pages together and set out looking for stars, for names I recognized. There were quite a few, and several months later, when I started matching those names with college stats, it became clear pretty quickly: a lot of the talent that would cross the bridges in 2009 would be stopping in Bourne -- and, quite possibly, starting down the road to a championship.
But there was a detour.
Actually, a lot of them.
Blake Forsythe and Tyler Holt, two of the best hitters Bourne would have coming in, were invited to Team USA. So were Drew Pomeranz, Cody Wheeler and Alex Wimmers, perhaps the three best pitchers. Anthony Rendon, maybe the best freshman in the nation, would skip the summer with an injury.
The shuffling continued. Wimmers eventually made it but he was Bourne's only Team USA invitee who did. The rest stayed with the national team, and in addition to those guys, six other players changed their summer plans. Five more made only brief appearances with the Braves.
If you've lost count, that's 15 players on a roster of 30.
And that road to a championship? You had to wonder if the Braves would even find the on-ramp.
Two months later, it's safe to say they found it. The Braves clinched their first-ever Cape League championship yesterday in Cotuit, beating the Kettleers 5-1 to sweep the title series.
In doing so, they've turned all those gaps into a back-story, a footnote. They're a defining characteristic, yes, but only because they're gaps that were filled.
And filled perfectly.
Need an ace? There's an unsigned third-round pick named Bryan Morgado.
Need a slugger? Go get a draft-snubbed veteran. Name's Kyle Roller.
A sweet-swinger? Rob Segedin. Team USA alternate, looking for a home.
An infield mainstay? Try Raynor Campbell, 2008 Cape League All-Star.
We could continue to play this game. The list goes on. It's what the Braves had to do.
The amazing thing is how well they did it.
It's like they pulled rabbits out of hats. Bourne magic. Morgado was one of the league's best strikeout artists and an anchor at the top of the rotation. Roller turned into the league MVP, with numbers the likes of which haven't been seen on the Cape in 10 years. Segedin and Campbell were key pieces to the puzzle.
There were speed bumps along the way. It wasn't always a smooth ride. There were the fog-outs and the rainouts, the summer that had no rhythm. At one point in July, the Braves lost five straight games.
But through it all, the replacements like Roller and the mainstays like Pierre LePage jelled into a cohesive and consistent unit. By the end of the season, they were clicking. They won their last five regular-season games.
When their playoff journey began, the Braves hit an early road block. They trailed Orleans 2-0 in the first game of their semifinal series. Through eight innings, they had two hits. One inning -- and one never-to-be-forgotten rally -- later, the Braves had a 3-2 victory and 1-0 lead in the series.
They never looked back.
The Braves smashed Orleans 8-0 to sweep the semis then buried Cotuit 15-5 in a fog-shortened game one. Yesterday, they capped it off with a little of that Bourne magic, winning 5-1 despite getting out-hit 8-5. Pierre LePage drove in two runs, finishing the playoffs with six. He had 14 in the regular season. Kyle Roller had a hit for the fourth straight game. He finished the playoffs with a .500 average and a well-deserved second MVP award.
There were other stars, too. Ben Klafczynski had an up-and-down summer but hit .286 in four playoff games. Chris Wallace, who wasn't on that initial roster but became the starting catcher, also hit .286. Stefen Romero, whose mid-season slump had a lot to do with Bourne's mid-season slump, hit .400 in the playoffs.
And then there was the pitching. In four playoff games, the Braves allowed five earned runs. Four of them came in one game against Cotuit, the game where they scored 15 and didn't need much pitching help. In the other three games, Bourne pitchers allowed one earned run on 16 hits. They struck out 30. Morgado, Wimmers, Seth Maness and Eric Cantrell delivered outstanding starts. And the bullpen that shined all year continued on the same path. Aside from the three runs allowed by the pen in the blowout, Bourne's relievers -- with Logan Billbrough, Justin Poovey and Kevin Munson leading the way -- didn't allow an earned run in 10 innings of work.
All those pieces created a dominant playoff performance. Their motto was "Believe" and they certainly did. The Braves are the third team in a row to sweep through the playoffs and win the title. Y-D won in 2007 as a powerhouse delivering a finishing touch. Harwich in 2008 as an underdog catching fire.
And now Bourne in 2009. As a talented team getting hot? As a hard-working group living up to the promise? As a team, an organization and a town that really wanted this?
All of that, yes, and maybe this: A team that existed not as a blueprint or an expectation, not as a winter picture coming into focus, but only as it was, a team on a baseball field in a perfect rainy summer.
But there was a detour.
Actually, a lot of them.
Blake Forsythe and Tyler Holt, two of the best hitters Bourne would have coming in, were invited to Team USA. So were Drew Pomeranz, Cody Wheeler and Alex Wimmers, perhaps the three best pitchers. Anthony Rendon, maybe the best freshman in the nation, would skip the summer with an injury.
The shuffling continued. Wimmers eventually made it but he was Bourne's only Team USA invitee who did. The rest stayed with the national team, and in addition to those guys, six other players changed their summer plans. Five more made only brief appearances with the Braves.
If you've lost count, that's 15 players on a roster of 30.
And that road to a championship? You had to wonder if the Braves would even find the on-ramp.
Two months later, it's safe to say they found it. The Braves clinched their first-ever Cape League championship yesterday in Cotuit, beating the Kettleers 5-1 to sweep the title series.
In doing so, they've turned all those gaps into a back-story, a footnote. They're a defining characteristic, yes, but only because they're gaps that were filled.
And filled perfectly.
Need an ace? There's an unsigned third-round pick named Bryan Morgado.
Need a slugger? Go get a draft-snubbed veteran. Name's Kyle Roller.
A sweet-swinger? Rob Segedin. Team USA alternate, looking for a home.
An infield mainstay? Try Raynor Campbell, 2008 Cape League All-Star.
We could continue to play this game. The list goes on. It's what the Braves had to do.
The amazing thing is how well they did it.
It's like they pulled rabbits out of hats. Bourne magic. Morgado was one of the league's best strikeout artists and an anchor at the top of the rotation. Roller turned into the league MVP, with numbers the likes of which haven't been seen on the Cape in 10 years. Segedin and Campbell were key pieces to the puzzle.
There were speed bumps along the way. It wasn't always a smooth ride. There were the fog-outs and the rainouts, the summer that had no rhythm. At one point in July, the Braves lost five straight games.
But through it all, the replacements like Roller and the mainstays like Pierre LePage jelled into a cohesive and consistent unit. By the end of the season, they were clicking. They won their last five regular-season games.
When their playoff journey began, the Braves hit an early road block. They trailed Orleans 2-0 in the first game of their semifinal series. Through eight innings, they had two hits. One inning -- and one never-to-be-forgotten rally -- later, the Braves had a 3-2 victory and 1-0 lead in the series.
They never looked back.
The Braves smashed Orleans 8-0 to sweep the semis then buried Cotuit 15-5 in a fog-shortened game one. Yesterday, they capped it off with a little of that Bourne magic, winning 5-1 despite getting out-hit 8-5. Pierre LePage drove in two runs, finishing the playoffs with six. He had 14 in the regular season. Kyle Roller had a hit for the fourth straight game. He finished the playoffs with a .500 average and a well-deserved second MVP award.
There were other stars, too. Ben Klafczynski had an up-and-down summer but hit .286 in four playoff games. Chris Wallace, who wasn't on that initial roster but became the starting catcher, also hit .286. Stefen Romero, whose mid-season slump had a lot to do with Bourne's mid-season slump, hit .400 in the playoffs.
And then there was the pitching. In four playoff games, the Braves allowed five earned runs. Four of them came in one game against Cotuit, the game where they scored 15 and didn't need much pitching help. In the other three games, Bourne pitchers allowed one earned run on 16 hits. They struck out 30. Morgado, Wimmers, Seth Maness and Eric Cantrell delivered outstanding starts. And the bullpen that shined all year continued on the same path. Aside from the three runs allowed by the pen in the blowout, Bourne's relievers -- with Logan Billbrough, Justin Poovey and Kevin Munson leading the way -- didn't allow an earned run in 10 innings of work.
All those pieces created a dominant playoff performance. Their motto was "Believe" and they certainly did. The Braves are the third team in a row to sweep through the playoffs and win the title. Y-D won in 2007 as a powerhouse delivering a finishing touch. Harwich in 2008 as an underdog catching fire.
And now Bourne in 2009. As a talented team getting hot? As a hard-working group living up to the promise? As a team, an organization and a town that really wanted this?
All of that, yes, and maybe this: A team that existed not as a blueprint or an expectation, not as a winter picture coming into focus, but only as it was, a team on a baseball field in a perfect rainy summer.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Bourne Explodes in Game One
When Cotuit grabbed its finals berth by scoring 18 runs against the best team in the league, you had to think the Kettleers would have some momentum for the championship.
But momentum doesn't always mean much in playoff baseball.
And even if it did Tuesday night, the Bourne Braves had plenty of it, too.
Bourne gave Cotuit a taste of its own medicine, winning game one of the championship series 15-5 for its eighth consecutive victory. The Braves won five in a row to end the regular season then swept their first-round series.
Last night, they took advantage of a depleted Cotuit pitching staff. The Kettleers didn't have the most stable rotation during the season -- only two players started every game they appeared in, and 14 different players made starts. With some early departures further clouding things and with the Kettleers playing two more playoff games than Bourne, there wasn't much left.
Cotuit turned to Andres Caceres (Connors State), whose six appearances didn't include a start. Bourne didn't let Caceres feel at home, sending 13 men to the plate in the first inning and putting up seven runs. Kyle Roller and Pierre LePage each had two-run singles to power the early surge.
It was more of the same in the second inning, as Stefen Romero led off with a double. The Braves went on to score six more runs, with Roller driving in two more.
Starting pitcher Alex Wimmers took the lead and ran with it, allowing one run and striking out nine in four innings of work. Cotuit put a rally together after Wimmers left the game, but fog started wreaking havoc. The game was called in the sixth.
I doubt the fog put too much of a damper on the good feelings in the Bourne dugout. They're rolling, and if they can stretch their win streak to nine in today's game two, they'll capture the franchise's first-ever Cape League championship.
But momentum doesn't always mean much in playoff baseball.
And even if it did Tuesday night, the Bourne Braves had plenty of it, too.
Bourne gave Cotuit a taste of its own medicine, winning game one of the championship series 15-5 for its eighth consecutive victory. The Braves won five in a row to end the regular season then swept their first-round series.
Last night, they took advantage of a depleted Cotuit pitching staff. The Kettleers didn't have the most stable rotation during the season -- only two players started every game they appeared in, and 14 different players made starts. With some early departures further clouding things and with the Kettleers playing two more playoff games than Bourne, there wasn't much left.
Cotuit turned to Andres Caceres (Connors State), whose six appearances didn't include a start. Bourne didn't let Caceres feel at home, sending 13 men to the plate in the first inning and putting up seven runs. Kyle Roller and Pierre LePage each had two-run singles to power the early surge.
It was more of the same in the second inning, as Stefen Romero led off with a double. The Braves went on to score six more runs, with Roller driving in two more.
Starting pitcher Alex Wimmers took the lead and ran with it, allowing one run and striking out nine in four innings of work. Cotuit put a rally together after Wimmers left the game, but fog started wreaking havoc. The game was called in the sixth.
I doubt the fog put too much of a damper on the good feelings in the Bourne dugout. They're rolling, and if they can stretch their win streak to nine in today's game two, they'll capture the franchise's first-ever Cape League championship.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Whoa, Cotuit
On June 19, Cotuit beat Brewster 10-9. Amazingly, that was the only time all summer that the Kettleers reached double digits in runs.
The second time sure was worth the wait.
Playing in a decisive game three on Monday at Y-D, the Kettleers blasted the Red Sox 18-4 to win the series and grab themselves a spot in the Cape League championship. They'll visit the Braves tonight at 7 p.m. for game one of the all-West finals.
The fact that the Kettleers are there isn't an enormous shock. Y-D was the league's best team in the regular season, but they weren't so dominant that an upset seemed out of the question.
Monday's result -- that is a shock. The league high in runs this season was 15. From a historical perspective, before Monday, the largest margin of victory in a Cape League playoff game this decade was 12. Orleans beat Bourne 13-1 in the 2005 championship. The highest run total was 15 in 2000, when Brewster beat Chatham 15-4 in the semis.
That Cotuit set new high-water marks against this Y-D team is crazy. The Red Sox never allowed double-digit runs in the regular season. Their high was eight. And though they weren't quite as overpowering as their teams from a few years back, they were very, very good.
But on Monday, they had a very bad day, and Cotuit had a very good one. The Red Sox made five errors, walked nine batters and allowed 14 hits. The Kettleers marched to a 3-0 lead in the first and before long, had a serious cushion. They sent 10 men to the plate in the fourth and scored six runs for a 9-1 lead. Eight batted in the fifth as the Kettleers made it a 14-1 lead.
The individual numbers are gaudy. Cotuit's middle of the order -- Kevin Patterson, Cody Stanley, Cameron Rupp and Kevin Keyes -- combined to go 9-for-19 with 12 runs scored and 10 RBI. Rupp and Keyes both hit home runs, as did Tony Plagman. Amazingly, Cotuit scored its 18 runs while also leaving 11 men on base.
While Cotuit's pitching didn't need to be great yesterday, it was certainly good. After starter Jeff Walters went 2.1 innings, Craig Fritsch, who pitched for Y-D last year, went 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run.
And so Cotuit moves on to the first all-West final since the inception of the East-West format. A day ago, I would have given the edge to the Braves. They're rested and riding high.
Now I'm not so sure. This Cotuit team is a skeleton crew, but by all accounts, they've come together in that special way that only a difficult baseball postseason can create. If they can score 18 runs against the best team in the league -- even if it was just an aberration -- then anything's possible.
The second time sure was worth the wait.
Playing in a decisive game three on Monday at Y-D, the Kettleers blasted the Red Sox 18-4 to win the series and grab themselves a spot in the Cape League championship. They'll visit the Braves tonight at 7 p.m. for game one of the all-West finals.
The fact that the Kettleers are there isn't an enormous shock. Y-D was the league's best team in the regular season, but they weren't so dominant that an upset seemed out of the question.
Monday's result -- that is a shock. The league high in runs this season was 15. From a historical perspective, before Monday, the largest margin of victory in a Cape League playoff game this decade was 12. Orleans beat Bourne 13-1 in the 2005 championship. The highest run total was 15 in 2000, when Brewster beat Chatham 15-4 in the semis.
That Cotuit set new high-water marks against this Y-D team is crazy. The Red Sox never allowed double-digit runs in the regular season. Their high was eight. And though they weren't quite as overpowering as their teams from a few years back, they were very, very good.
But on Monday, they had a very bad day, and Cotuit had a very good one. The Red Sox made five errors, walked nine batters and allowed 14 hits. The Kettleers marched to a 3-0 lead in the first and before long, had a serious cushion. They sent 10 men to the plate in the fourth and scored six runs for a 9-1 lead. Eight batted in the fifth as the Kettleers made it a 14-1 lead.
The individual numbers are gaudy. Cotuit's middle of the order -- Kevin Patterson, Cody Stanley, Cameron Rupp and Kevin Keyes -- combined to go 9-for-19 with 12 runs scored and 10 RBI. Rupp and Keyes both hit home runs, as did Tony Plagman. Amazingly, Cotuit scored its 18 runs while also leaving 11 men on base.
While Cotuit's pitching didn't need to be great yesterday, it was certainly good. After starter Jeff Walters went 2.1 innings, Craig Fritsch, who pitched for Y-D last year, went 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run.
And so Cotuit moves on to the first all-West final since the inception of the East-West format. A day ago, I would have given the edge to the Braves. They're rested and riding high.
Now I'm not so sure. This Cotuit team is a skeleton crew, but by all accounts, they've come together in that special way that only a difficult baseball postseason can create. If they can score 18 runs against the best team in the league -- even if it was just an aberration -- then anything's possible.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Down to Three
The Bourne Braves had four hits on Saturday in their playoff opener and trailed for eight innings.
On Sunday, they didn't trail at all. And they had a lot more than four hits.
Behind a 10-hit attack, the Braves grabbed a spot in the Cape League championship with a sweep-clinching 8-0 victory in Orleans yesterday afternoon. The Braves broke through early and piled on late, as three players delivered multi-hit games -- Stefen Romero (Oregon State), Kyle Roller (East Carolina) and Ben Klafczynski (Kent State). Roller hit a home run and drove in three while Pierre LePage (Connecticut) hit his first home run of the summer and scored three runs.
The offense backed a dominant performance by Seth Maness (East Carolina). Coming off a near-perfect game and then a bad start, Maness was a lot closer to the former yesterday. He allowed just two hits and didn't walk anybody in six shutout innings. He struck out five.
The Braves' bullpen, which has been dominant at times this season, polished off Maness' gem with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, two from Justin Poovey (Florida) and one from Kevin Munson (James Madison).
Orleans had beaten the Braves four times during the regular season and hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of those games. But the Braves came through when it counted. Roller went 4-for-7 in the series to lead the Braves.
Bourne, with Alex Wimmers still waiting in the wings, will have a day off before the championship series begins. Like Harwich last year -- who swept Orleans in the semis -- the Braves will await the winner of a rubber game involving Cotuit.
The Kettleers, who made it to the championship last year after winning game three on the heels of a game-two loss, will have to do the same thing this year. Y-D, which lost two games in a row just twice after the first week of the season, certainly wasn't going to let it happen here. The Red Sox went to Lowell Park yesterday and beat Cotuit 10-5.
If pitching was the story in game one of the series, game two was all about offense, and the Red Sox had a lot of it. After falling behind 1-0, they scored a run in the third and dented the scoreboard at least once in each of the next four innings. They finished with 11 hits and helped the cause by drawing seven walks.
Blake Kelso (Houston), who went 3-for-3 on Saturday, went 3-for-5 yesterday with two runs scored and two RBI. Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State) also had three hits and two RBI, while Caleb Ramsey (Houston) had one hit and drove in two.
Austin Ross (LSU) turned in a solid start for the Red Sox, allowing four hits in six innings.
Game Today
Cotuit at Y-D, 3 p.m.
It'll be Jeff Walters (Georgia) for Cotuit against Y-D's Greg Peavey (Oregon State). Walters has started just one game for the Kettleers and it came last week against Y-D. He went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits. That game was kind of a staff day for Cotuit, and they may do the same kind of thing today.
For Y-D, Peavey finished the regular season with a 2.75 ERA. In his last start, he allowed one run in 5.1 innings and struck out seven.
On Sunday, they didn't trail at all. And they had a lot more than four hits.
Behind a 10-hit attack, the Braves grabbed a spot in the Cape League championship with a sweep-clinching 8-0 victory in Orleans yesterday afternoon. The Braves broke through early and piled on late, as three players delivered multi-hit games -- Stefen Romero (Oregon State), Kyle Roller (East Carolina) and Ben Klafczynski (Kent State). Roller hit a home run and drove in three while Pierre LePage (Connecticut) hit his first home run of the summer and scored three runs.
The offense backed a dominant performance by Seth Maness (East Carolina). Coming off a near-perfect game and then a bad start, Maness was a lot closer to the former yesterday. He allowed just two hits and didn't walk anybody in six shutout innings. He struck out five.
The Braves' bullpen, which has been dominant at times this season, polished off Maness' gem with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, two from Justin Poovey (Florida) and one from Kevin Munson (James Madison).
Orleans had beaten the Braves four times during the regular season and hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of those games. But the Braves came through when it counted. Roller went 4-for-7 in the series to lead the Braves.
Bourne, with Alex Wimmers still waiting in the wings, will have a day off before the championship series begins. Like Harwich last year -- who swept Orleans in the semis -- the Braves will await the winner of a rubber game involving Cotuit.
The Kettleers, who made it to the championship last year after winning game three on the heels of a game-two loss, will have to do the same thing this year. Y-D, which lost two games in a row just twice after the first week of the season, certainly wasn't going to let it happen here. The Red Sox went to Lowell Park yesterday and beat Cotuit 10-5.
If pitching was the story in game one of the series, game two was all about offense, and the Red Sox had a lot of it. After falling behind 1-0, they scored a run in the third and dented the scoreboard at least once in each of the next four innings. They finished with 11 hits and helped the cause by drawing seven walks.
Blake Kelso (Houston), who went 3-for-3 on Saturday, went 3-for-5 yesterday with two runs scored and two RBI. Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State) also had three hits and two RBI, while Caleb Ramsey (Houston) had one hit and drove in two.
Austin Ross (LSU) turned in a solid start for the Red Sox, allowing four hits in six innings.
Game Today
Cotuit at Y-D, 3 p.m.
It'll be Jeff Walters (Georgia) for Cotuit against Y-D's Greg Peavey (Oregon State). Walters has started just one game for the Kettleers and it came last week against Y-D. He went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits. That game was kind of a staff day for Cotuit, and they may do the same kind of thing today.
For Y-D, Peavey finished the regular season with a 2.75 ERA. In his last start, he allowed one run in 5.1 innings and struck out seven.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
How the West is Winning
The first day of second-round playoff action was dominated by pitching.
At least for 16 innings.
The other two were reserved for offense. Very dramatic -- and series-changing -- offense.
Cotuit scored three in the ninth to break a scoreless tie and grab a 1-0 lead in its series with Y-D. Bourne's finish was even more wild, as the Braves scored three in the ninth to erase a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 over Orleans.
Just like that, with three in the ninth, it's two in the books.
The Cotuit vs. Y-D game offered the best on-paper playoff pitching match-up we've seen in a while. Last year's successful playoff runs weren't built on power pitching. I'd go back to 2007, with a match-up like Aaron Crow vs. D.J. Mitchell, to make a comparison with yesterday's starters, Chris Sale and Chad Bell. Sale was honored as the league's top pitcher before the game. Bell had a no hitter to his name, the league's first since 2007.
I wish I had been able to get to this game, because Bell and Sale certainly didn't disappoint. Bell went eight shutout innings, scattered six hits and struck out five. His defense turned five double-plays, helping those hits stay scattered. Sale was perhaps better, striking out 10 and walking only one in his eight innings.
But Sale came out for the ninth, and that's when Cotuit finally got to him. Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) led off with a single, Chris Bisson (Kentucky) bunted and reached on an error and Zach Cone (Georgia) delivered a clutch hit to drive in Noel. Another error and a sac fly from Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) plated two insurance runs.
Y-D still had a shot, but on a day when Y-D closer Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) received the league's reliever of the year award, the likely runner-up for that honor, Cotuit's Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), slammed the door. Tillman hasn't allowed a run all year and he worked a perfect ninth to preserve the victory.
Over in Bourne, the pitching was just as strong, particularly from Orleans starter Jorge Reyes (Oregon State). A 17th-round pick this year, Reyes has had an up-and-down career in Corvallis, but early on, he was as clutch a pitcher as any in the country when he led the Beavers to a College World Series title. He's been very good for the Firebirds this summer, and when it was time for another big game yesterday, he delivered. Reyes took a shutout into the ninth.
But like Sale, Reyes ran into a lineup that wasn't done swinging. Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit a one-out single and Pierre LePage (Connecticut) walked. Things still weren't that promising, but the hit and walk did chase Reyes and the league MVP was coming up. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) greeted reliever Brett Weibley (Kent State) with an RBI single to left. LePage took third on the hit and Roller moved to second on the throw. LePage then scored on a wild pitch and Roller took third, representing the winning run. After Orleans intentionally walked Rob Segedin (Tulane), they pitched to Stefen Romero (Oregon State). Once an MVP candidate like his teammate Roller, Romero dropped off sharply in the second half of the season. For Bourne to have success in these playoffs, they were going to need Romero to get going.
He delivered this time. Romero hit a fly ball to right and it was deep enough to let Roller tag up and score the winning run.
The victory was Bourne's first playoff win since 2005, when they made it to the finals before losing to Orleans. It was also Bourne's first victory over Orleans this year. The Braves were 0-4 against the Firebirds in the regular season.
Games Today
Y-D at Cotuit, 3 p.m.
The probables: Austin Ross for Y-D against Seth Blair for Cotuit. Both pitchers have been good this summer. Ross has a 1.93 ERA; Blair is at 2.75 but has two complete games to his credit. Blair is in his second summer on the Cape. He pitched in the playoffs for Cotuit last year and gave up 10 runs on 13 hits in a championship-series loss to Harwich. You think he remembers that? I bet he does.
It's going to be interesting to see if Cotuit can scratch and claw its way through this series. Early departures have left the Kettleers with nine position players, and three of them are catchers. One of the three, Cody Stanley, played center field yesterday.
Bourne at Orleans, 4 p.m.
Orleans is going with Jimmy Reyes, who has a 3.40 ERA but good strikeout numbers. The Braves have actually faced him twice this season, with Reyes picking up wins both times. The first line: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 K. The second: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 K. One piece of good news for the Firebirds: Bourne's Kyle Roller was hitless against Reyes in those games.
Bourne did not list a probable starter, but I'm thinking either Alex Wimmers or Seth Maness. In his last three starts, Wimmers has allowed one run over 14 innings and has struck out 26. Maness struggled in his last start, but the start before, he narrowly missed a perfect game.
Enjoy the action today.
At least for 16 innings.
The other two were reserved for offense. Very dramatic -- and series-changing -- offense.
Cotuit scored three in the ninth to break a scoreless tie and grab a 1-0 lead in its series with Y-D. Bourne's finish was even more wild, as the Braves scored three in the ninth to erase a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 over Orleans.
Just like that, with three in the ninth, it's two in the books.
The Cotuit vs. Y-D game offered the best on-paper playoff pitching match-up we've seen in a while. Last year's successful playoff runs weren't built on power pitching. I'd go back to 2007, with a match-up like Aaron Crow vs. D.J. Mitchell, to make a comparison with yesterday's starters, Chris Sale and Chad Bell. Sale was honored as the league's top pitcher before the game. Bell had a no hitter to his name, the league's first since 2007.
I wish I had been able to get to this game, because Bell and Sale certainly didn't disappoint. Bell went eight shutout innings, scattered six hits and struck out five. His defense turned five double-plays, helping those hits stay scattered. Sale was perhaps better, striking out 10 and walking only one in his eight innings.
But Sale came out for the ninth, and that's when Cotuit finally got to him. Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) led off with a single, Chris Bisson (Kentucky) bunted and reached on an error and Zach Cone (Georgia) delivered a clutch hit to drive in Noel. Another error and a sac fly from Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) plated two insurance runs.
Y-D still had a shot, but on a day when Y-D closer Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) received the league's reliever of the year award, the likely runner-up for that honor, Cotuit's Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), slammed the door. Tillman hasn't allowed a run all year and he worked a perfect ninth to preserve the victory.
Over in Bourne, the pitching was just as strong, particularly from Orleans starter Jorge Reyes (Oregon State). A 17th-round pick this year, Reyes has had an up-and-down career in Corvallis, but early on, he was as clutch a pitcher as any in the country when he led the Beavers to a College World Series title. He's been very good for the Firebirds this summer, and when it was time for another big game yesterday, he delivered. Reyes took a shutout into the ninth.
But like Sale, Reyes ran into a lineup that wasn't done swinging. Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit a one-out single and Pierre LePage (Connecticut) walked. Things still weren't that promising, but the hit and walk did chase Reyes and the league MVP was coming up. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) greeted reliever Brett Weibley (Kent State) with an RBI single to left. LePage took third on the hit and Roller moved to second on the throw. LePage then scored on a wild pitch and Roller took third, representing the winning run. After Orleans intentionally walked Rob Segedin (Tulane), they pitched to Stefen Romero (Oregon State). Once an MVP candidate like his teammate Roller, Romero dropped off sharply in the second half of the season. For Bourne to have success in these playoffs, they were going to need Romero to get going.
He delivered this time. Romero hit a fly ball to right and it was deep enough to let Roller tag up and score the winning run.
The victory was Bourne's first playoff win since 2005, when they made it to the finals before losing to Orleans. It was also Bourne's first victory over Orleans this year. The Braves were 0-4 against the Firebirds in the regular season.
Games Today
Y-D at Cotuit, 3 p.m.
The probables: Austin Ross for Y-D against Seth Blair for Cotuit. Both pitchers have been good this summer. Ross has a 1.93 ERA; Blair is at 2.75 but has two complete games to his credit. Blair is in his second summer on the Cape. He pitched in the playoffs for Cotuit last year and gave up 10 runs on 13 hits in a championship-series loss to Harwich. You think he remembers that? I bet he does.
It's going to be interesting to see if Cotuit can scratch and claw its way through this series. Early departures have left the Kettleers with nine position players, and three of them are catchers. One of the three, Cody Stanley, played center field yesterday.
Bourne at Orleans, 4 p.m.
Orleans is going with Jimmy Reyes, who has a 3.40 ERA but good strikeout numbers. The Braves have actually faced him twice this season, with Reyes picking up wins both times. The first line: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 K. The second: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 K. One piece of good news for the Firebirds: Bourne's Kyle Roller was hitless against Reyes in those games.
Bourne did not list a probable starter, but I'm thinking either Alex Wimmers or Seth Maness. In his last three starts, Wimmers has allowed one run over 14 innings and has struck out 26. Maness struggled in his last start, but the start before, he narrowly missed a perfect game.
Enjoy the action today.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Given Day
More than any other sport, baseball is a game of the given day. In the Bigs this year, the Nationals have the league's worst record. The Dodgers have the best. But if the Nationals beat the Dodgers one day, no one will be surprised. Anything can happen on one day. That's why they play 162 games. That's why a playoff series goes five games or seven games. When you're deciding a champion, you can't go one-and-done.
The Cape League is doing it, though, and it's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out. The next round and the championship will still have a best-of-three format, but today, it's win or you're gone.
I'm still not completely sure how I feel about the new system. It seems slightly unfair, but at least this year, it worked out reasonably well. There wasn't a huge gap. I think Cotuit and Wareham both deserve to be in. To a slightly lesser extent, Chatham could make a case, too. The Anglers were only two points off Wareham's pace.
And now they'll get their shot. Today is their given day, and regardless of what we think about it, it's going to be really exciting.
I guess it's just a like a game three, without the first two.
I'd love to break it down more -- that was the plan -- but my internet connection is freaking out. So I will leave you with some predictions.
Wareham beats Cotuit behind a strong start from Cole Green.
Orleans takes care of business against Chatham, getting some big hits from its big guns.
The Cape League is doing it, though, and it's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out. The next round and the championship will still have a best-of-three format, but today, it's win or you're gone.
I'm still not completely sure how I feel about the new system. It seems slightly unfair, but at least this year, it worked out reasonably well. There wasn't a huge gap. I think Cotuit and Wareham both deserve to be in. To a slightly lesser extent, Chatham could make a case, too. The Anglers were only two points off Wareham's pace.
And now they'll get their shot. Today is their given day, and regardless of what we think about it, it's going to be really exciting.
I guess it's just a like a game three, without the first two.
I'd love to break it down more -- that was the plan -- but my internet connection is freaking out. So I will leave you with some predictions.
Wareham beats Cotuit behind a strong start from Cole Green.
Orleans takes care of business against Chatham, getting some big hits from its big guns.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Daily Fog: One More Time
The last night of the regular season went the same way every other night did when Wareham and Bourne got together.
Earlier in the day, Cotuit tied its season finale 1-1 with Brewster. That put the Kettleers ahead of Wareham by two points for second place in the West. If Wareham could beat Bourne, the Gatemen would tie the Kettleers, would win the tiebreaker and would host a first-round game with Cotuit.
But the Gatemen were playing Bourne, and that hasn't been a good thing for them this season. In five prior meetings between the teams this season, Bourne came out victorious. Every time.
Last night, Wareham led 5-2 going into the eighth. A home game on Friday looked like a strong possibility.
Then things returned to form. Bourne scored three in the eighth and two in the ninth to win 7-5. Stefen Romero (Oregon State), who got off to such a strong start before hitting a serious slump, drove in five of the runs last night, a good sign for a Bourne team that's been getting a lot of them lately. The Braves will enter the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.
As for Wareham, the loss of a potential home game isn't a huge deal, but it could certainly have an impact. The Gatemen went 12-8-2 at home this season. On the road, they were 7-11-4, and only one of those wins -- a July 24 victory at Orleans -- came against a playoff team. At Cotuit's Lowell Park, where they'll play Friday, Wareham went 0-1-2.
More on the playoffs over the next two days.
Elsewhere
Falmouth's Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) did not hit .400. He took an 0-for-4 last night, which will put his season-ending average at .377. But as Cunningham said in the Cape Cod Times, "It's not the numbers that you're putting up – it's the way you're approaching the game, playing the game." He was a roaring success on both counts.
Hyannis came away with a 4-3 victory over Falmouth. Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina), who struggled mightily early in the season, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, raising his final average to .275. Kevin Brandt (East Carolina) and Jimmy Messer (North Carolina) turned in solid pitching performances for the Mets.
Orleans and Chatham are going to be sick of each other pretty soon. Orleans beat Chatham 3-2 for the second straight night, and the teams will play again on Friday in the playoffs. Hampton Tignor (Florida) and Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) drove in runs last night to lead the Firebirds to the win.
Brewster and Cotuit played to a 1-1 tie. While the Kettleers used six pitchers in preparation for the playoffs, the Whitecaps turned in some solid farewell performances. Matt Lujan (San Francisco) allowed just an unearned run in seven innings and Stayton Thomas (Texas) worked three shutout innings. Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia), who hit a slump midway through his time on the Cape, finished strong last night, going 4-for-5. His final numbers are really good: .323, 5 HR, 18 RBI.
Y-D added to its league-best win total with an 8-6 victory over Harwich. The Red Sox finish with one fewer victory than their 2006 team, which won the title. Brian Hernandez (UC Irvine) hit two home runs and drove in three runs and Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) knocked in two for Y-D. One thing that could be of concern: ace reliever Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) came on in a non-save situation and gave up three earned runs. He had given up one earned run all season before last night. For Harwich, Leon Landry (LSU) went 3-for-4.
No games tonight. Playoffs start Friday.
Earlier in the day, Cotuit tied its season finale 1-1 with Brewster. That put the Kettleers ahead of Wareham by two points for second place in the West. If Wareham could beat Bourne, the Gatemen would tie the Kettleers, would win the tiebreaker and would host a first-round game with Cotuit.
But the Gatemen were playing Bourne, and that hasn't been a good thing for them this season. In five prior meetings between the teams this season, Bourne came out victorious. Every time.
Last night, Wareham led 5-2 going into the eighth. A home game on Friday looked like a strong possibility.
Then things returned to form. Bourne scored three in the eighth and two in the ninth to win 7-5. Stefen Romero (Oregon State), who got off to such a strong start before hitting a serious slump, drove in five of the runs last night, a good sign for a Bourne team that's been getting a lot of them lately. The Braves will enter the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.
As for Wareham, the loss of a potential home game isn't a huge deal, but it could certainly have an impact. The Gatemen went 12-8-2 at home this season. On the road, they were 7-11-4, and only one of those wins -- a July 24 victory at Orleans -- came against a playoff team. At Cotuit's Lowell Park, where they'll play Friday, Wareham went 0-1-2.
More on the playoffs over the next two days.
Elsewhere
No games tonight. Playoffs start Friday.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Daily Fog: More Clearing
A day after all the playoff berths were secured, we're a little closer to knowing what spot everyone's getting.
Bourne's magic number for clinching the top seed in the West was one. The Cotuit loss would have been enough, but the Braves took care of their own business, too. They beat Hyannis 7-4.
Not too long ago, Bourne was floundering but the Braves have now won four in a row, and they couldn't have picked a better time to get hot. Rob Segedin (Tulane) had two hits and two RBI last night and Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit a homer as the Braves held off the Mets. Alex Wimmers (Ohio State), presumably prepping for the playoffs, went just three innings. The bullpen had some trouble early but Scott Oberg (UConn), a recent addition who was making his third appearance, tossed 2.2 strong innings. Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) then worked a scoreless ninth for the save.
The way it looks to me, the only things still up for grabs now are the second seed in the West and the fifth overall seed. Cotuit sits one point ahead of Wareham in the West. With a win tonight, Cotuit will get to host its first-round game. With a Cotuit loss and a Wareham win, Wareham will host in the first round.
As for that fifth overall seed, the Chatham people seem to think the Anglers are No. 6 regardless, but I don't think so. If they beat Orleans tonight and Wareham loses, both Chatham and Wareham will have 44 points. The Anglers hold a 3-1 edge in the season series so they would win the tiebreaker and would be the fifth seed. That would set them up with No. 4 Cotuit. Wareham would then play No. 3 Orleans.
I think that sums it up. Today is officially the last day of the regular season, since Thursday's make-up between Hyannis and Falmouth was canceled, likely because there are no playoff implications.
Elsewhere
It's that time of year again, when awards get handed out, but you miss them if you blink. To my knowledge, last night marked the first presentation as Falmouth's Todd Cunningham was given the batting title and the top pro prospect award. Cunningham went 0-for-3 in Falmouth's 5-4 win over Wareham, which dropped his average to .388. With one game left, Cunningham would have to go 4-for-4, 4-for-5 or something along those lines to get back to .400. A couple of hits, though, and he'll finish with the highest batting average the league has seen this decade.
Orleans beat Chatham 5-1, and with another win tonight over the Anglers, the Firebirds would set up a first-round playoff match-up with Chatham. Kevin Muno (San Diego) hit a grand slam last night as Orleans scored all its runs in the seventh inning.
Y-D got four RBI from Steve Chatwood (San Diego) and beat Cotuit 9-8. The Red Sox now have three more wins than anyone else in the league. They'll finish up tonight at Harwich.
In a game that lost its playoff implications the night before, Brewster beat Harwich 7-2. Steven Maxwell (TCU) picked up the win with seven strong innings. John Barr (Virginia) had two hits and two RBI for the Whitecaps.
What to Watch For Tonight
Wareham hosts Bourne at 7 p.m. Cotuit hosts Brewster at 4:30. Chatham hosts Orleans at 7. The outcome of those three games will determine the final standings.
Bourne's magic number for clinching the top seed in the West was one. The Cotuit loss would have been enough, but the Braves took care of their own business, too. They beat Hyannis 7-4.
Not too long ago, Bourne was floundering but the Braves have now won four in a row, and they couldn't have picked a better time to get hot. Rob Segedin (Tulane) had two hits and two RBI last night and Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit a homer as the Braves held off the Mets. Alex Wimmers (Ohio State), presumably prepping for the playoffs, went just three innings. The bullpen had some trouble early but Scott Oberg (UConn), a recent addition who was making his third appearance, tossed 2.2 strong innings. Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) then worked a scoreless ninth for the save.
The way it looks to me, the only things still up for grabs now are the second seed in the West and the fifth overall seed. Cotuit sits one point ahead of Wareham in the West. With a win tonight, Cotuit will get to host its first-round game. With a Cotuit loss and a Wareham win, Wareham will host in the first round.
As for that fifth overall seed, the Chatham people seem to think the Anglers are No. 6 regardless, but I don't think so. If they beat Orleans tonight and Wareham loses, both Chatham and Wareham will have 44 points. The Anglers hold a 3-1 edge in the season series so they would win the tiebreaker and would be the fifth seed. That would set them up with No. 4 Cotuit. Wareham would then play No. 3 Orleans.
I think that sums it up. Today is officially the last day of the regular season, since Thursday's make-up between Hyannis and Falmouth was canceled, likely because there are no playoff implications.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Wareham hosts Bourne at 7 p.m. Cotuit hosts Brewster at 4:30. Chatham hosts Orleans at 7. The outcome of those three games will determine the final standings.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Daily Fog: That's That
If you did any playoff math yesterday, you could have figured out some interesting scenarios.
It only took one night for all of them to fly out the window.
Chatham beat Harwich 5-4 and Bourne swept a doubleheader from Brewster 8-1 and 4-2 to bring the playoff picture into focus. Chatham, with 42 points, and Bourne, with 48, have clinched spots. Harwich and Brewster, the only teams that were in position to qualify, have 37 and 36 points with just two games left. They're out.
I think most of us would agree that this was the most likely result. Harwich and Brewster were there, but with a lot of work to do.
Still, it wasn't hard to picture an upset story, especially for Harwich. The Mariners beat Chatham on Sunday, a win that brought them within three points of the Anglers. On Monday, the teams got together on the same Whitehouse Field diamond, where a Harwich win would have left the teams one point apart. With two games left for each, it would have been a very interesting finish.
Chatham didn't let it happen. Jake Thompson (San Diego), who has struggled this summer, delivered exactly the kind of start the Anglers needed. He went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five. It wasn't easy from there as the Chatham bullpen allowed two runs to make it a 5-4 game, but Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) came on in the eighth and recorded a five-out save while allowing just one hit. He struck out Harwich slugger Conner Powers (Mississippi State) to end the game.
The Anglers offense was led by Matt Duffy (Vermont), who had a home run, and Dean Green (Oklahoma State), who drove in two.
Over in Bourne, the Braves were on much more solid footing than the Anglers to start the night -- they would have had to lose out and Brewster would have had to win out for the Whitecaps to take that spot. But a doubleheader sweep by Brewster certainly would have made the Braves sweat.
Instead, they made themselves comfortable. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and six RBI to power the Braves' 11-hit attack in game one. Robert Morey (Virginia) allowed one run in five innings for the win, and Justin Poovey pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Ben Klafczynski (Kent State), who had four hits on the night, capped things off with two hits and two RBI in the second game. Michael Dimock (Wake Forest), who had made eight appearances but no starts, got the start this time and struck out eight in five strong innings. Trevor Knight (James Madison) got the save.
So now all that's left is figuring out the seedings, and that'll be no small task.
But who knows? Maybe that'll happen quickly, too.
Elsewhere
The playoff race wasn't the only one that hit a finish line last night in Bourne. If there was any doubt left that Kyle Roller should win the MVP award, it has to be fading away. Roller finished the crucial doubleheader 4-for-7 with a home run and six RBI. The home run is his tenth, good for the league lead. His 32 RBI are also tops. His .345 average is second. In any other year -- when someone else isn't flirting with .400 -- Roller is on Triple Crown pace. As it is, he has still had one of the most productive seasons this league has seen in a while. Assuming he gets the nod, Roller will be not only a deserving MVP, but he'll go down as one of the more impressive MVPs.
While a lot of shuffling could still happen in the seeding department, one spot was secured last night. With its 3-0 victory over Falmouth, Y-D clinched the top seed in the East and the all-important first-game bye that comes with it. Y-D used four pitchers last night, with Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) getting the start and going three innings. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) went four and Chase Dempsay (Houston) went one. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) worked a scoreless ninth for his league-best 12th save. The Red Sox now have 53.
On the .400 watch, Falmouth's Todd Cunningham went 1-for-2 last night against Y-D, raising his average a point to .396. Falmouth still has three games left. The Cape Cod Times noted yesterday that if Cunningham hits .400, he would be the first since 1990, when Mark Smith of USC batted .408.
Orleans guaranteed itself a second-place finish in the East with a 6-5 extra-innings win over Hyannis. Without that win, Chatham, which plays Orleans in the last two games of the season, could have overtaken the Firebirds with two victories. Now, Orleans is assured of hosting that do-or-die first game. The victory last night came after Orleans fell behind 5-1. Thanks to solid relief work from Matt Hiserman (San Francisco), who kept Hyannis at bay, the stage was set and the Firebird offense scored one in the fourth and three in the eighth to tie the game. Danny Muno (Fresno State) knocked in the winning run in the 11th on a fielder's choice.
What to Watch For Tonight
Bourne sends Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) to the hill at Hyannis with a chance to clinch first place in the West. Cotuit could still catch up if the Braves lose their last two.
It only took one night for all of them to fly out the window.
Chatham beat Harwich 5-4 and Bourne swept a doubleheader from Brewster 8-1 and 4-2 to bring the playoff picture into focus. Chatham, with 42 points, and Bourne, with 48, have clinched spots. Harwich and Brewster, the only teams that were in position to qualify, have 37 and 36 points with just two games left. They're out.
I think most of us would agree that this was the most likely result. Harwich and Brewster were there, but with a lot of work to do.
Still, it wasn't hard to picture an upset story, especially for Harwich. The Mariners beat Chatham on Sunday, a win that brought them within three points of the Anglers. On Monday, the teams got together on the same Whitehouse Field diamond, where a Harwich win would have left the teams one point apart. With two games left for each, it would have been a very interesting finish.
Chatham didn't let it happen. Jake Thompson (San Diego), who has struggled this summer, delivered exactly the kind of start the Anglers needed. He went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five. It wasn't easy from there as the Chatham bullpen allowed two runs to make it a 5-4 game, but Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) came on in the eighth and recorded a five-out save while allowing just one hit. He struck out Harwich slugger Conner Powers (Mississippi State) to end the game.
The Anglers offense was led by Matt Duffy (Vermont), who had a home run, and Dean Green (Oklahoma State), who drove in two.
Over in Bourne, the Braves were on much more solid footing than the Anglers to start the night -- they would have had to lose out and Brewster would have had to win out for the Whitecaps to take that spot. But a doubleheader sweep by Brewster certainly would have made the Braves sweat.
Instead, they made themselves comfortable. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and six RBI to power the Braves' 11-hit attack in game one. Robert Morey (Virginia) allowed one run in five innings for the win, and Justin Poovey pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Ben Klafczynski (Kent State), who had four hits on the night, capped things off with two hits and two RBI in the second game. Michael Dimock (Wake Forest), who had made eight appearances but no starts, got the start this time and struck out eight in five strong innings. Trevor Knight (James Madison) got the save.
So now all that's left is figuring out the seedings, and that'll be no small task.
But who knows? Maybe that'll happen quickly, too.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Bourne sends Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) to the hill at Hyannis with a chance to clinch first place in the West. Cotuit could still catch up if the Braves lose their last two.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Daily Fog: Do or Die
A few days ago, it looked like Brewster and Falmouth stood the best chance of chasing down Chatham for the sixth and final playoff spot. Now, both those teams are getting backed against the wall, with a playoff spot looking further and further away.
But Chatham isn't home free yet.
Harwich has won three and tied one in its last five games, but the big one came last night. In a head-to-head battle, Harwich beat Chatham 1-0. A win by the Anglers there would have given them a seven-point cushion. Harwich, with three games left, wouldn't have been able to catch them. Brewster actually would have been in a better spot.
As it stands now, though, Harwich is right there and with another Harwich-Chatham game scheduled for tonight, the Mariners have a shot to get closer.
Last night, the Mariners won on the strength of their first shutout since July 3, which also came against Chatham. This time, it was Aaron Meade (Missouri State) delivering the gem with five strikeouts and four hits allowed in 7.2 innings. Meade, with his 1.91 ERA, has been Harwich's best starter this summer, and he certainly delivered when it counted. Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) relieved Meade and worked 1.1 scoreless innings.
The win is all the more impressive because it matched an ace against an ace, with Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) -- the reigning league pitcher of the week -- striking out seven in 7.1 innings of work. But Harwich touched him up for a single run in the seventh. Conner Powers (Mississippi State) singled, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a base hit by Stuart Tapley (Florida State). Joe Loftus (Vanderbilt) then delivered a single to plate Powers for the only offense Harwich needed.
Just like that, the Mariners are alive and well.
And making things very interesting.
Elsewhere
I still wouldn't count Brewster out. The Whitecaps are four points back of Chatham, but yesterday's 15-5 loss to Y-D certainly doesn't help the cause. Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) hit two home runs and had six RBI for the Red Sox, who picked up their league-best 25th win of the season. The Red Sox are one victory or one Orleans loss away from clinching the regular-season East title.
Cotuit, Bourne and Wareham all won last night, keeping their nip-and-tuck West race exactly where it was. Cotuit came away with a 7-4 victory over Orleans. Zach Cone (Georgia) had three RBI, Cameron Rupp (Texas) hit a homer and drove in two and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) went 3-for-3 to lead the Kettleers. Patterson is six for his last eight. On the mound, Ben Rowen (Virginia Tech) picked up the win in relief and Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern) worked one scoreless inning.
Bourne edged Hyannis 7-6 thanks in large part to a five-run sixth inning. Rob Segedin (Tulane), Stefen Romero (Oregon State) and recent addition B.J. LaRosa (Bucknell) all drove in two runs for the Braves. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) hit his league-best ninth home run. The Braves have one more win but are one point back of Cotuit for first place. The Braves have four games left, while Cotuit and Wareham both have three.
Wareham remained tied with Bourne thanks to a 6-5 victory over Falmouth. The Gatemen trailed late but scored two in the seventh on a double by Rob Kral (College of Charleston), a late addition who's playing in just his third game. Alex Dickerson also drove in two for the Gatemen, who got an outstanding relief performance by Matt Barnes (Indiana). Barnes struck out eight and allowed one run on one hit in four innings. Barnes was credited with the win and Dean Kiekhefer (Louisville) got the save. For Falmouth, Todd Cunningham went 2-for-5 and is hitting .395.
What to Watch For Tonight
Chatham at Harwich, 7 p.m. Jake Thompson (San Diego), who has struggled this summer, goes for the Anglers against John Gast (Florida State). Gast has a 4.15 ERA.
But Chatham isn't home free yet.
Harwich has won three and tied one in its last five games, but the big one came last night. In a head-to-head battle, Harwich beat Chatham 1-0. A win by the Anglers there would have given them a seven-point cushion. Harwich, with three games left, wouldn't have been able to catch them. Brewster actually would have been in a better spot.
As it stands now, though, Harwich is right there and with another Harwich-Chatham game scheduled for tonight, the Mariners have a shot to get closer.
Last night, the Mariners won on the strength of their first shutout since July 3, which also came against Chatham. This time, it was Aaron Meade (Missouri State) delivering the gem with five strikeouts and four hits allowed in 7.2 innings. Meade, with his 1.91 ERA, has been Harwich's best starter this summer, and he certainly delivered when it counted. Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) relieved Meade and worked 1.1 scoreless innings.
The win is all the more impressive because it matched an ace against an ace, with Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) -- the reigning league pitcher of the week -- striking out seven in 7.1 innings of work. But Harwich touched him up for a single run in the seventh. Conner Powers (Mississippi State) singled, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a base hit by Stuart Tapley (Florida State). Joe Loftus (Vanderbilt) then delivered a single to plate Powers for the only offense Harwich needed.
Just like that, the Mariners are alive and well.
And making things very interesting.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Chatham at Harwich, 7 p.m. Jake Thompson (San Diego), who has struggled this summer, goes for the Anglers against John Gast (Florida State). Gast has a 4.15 ERA.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Daily Fog: The Wildcard
In a league where parity continues to reign, it becomes difficult to get an accurate picture of what a given team can do.
The Cotuit Kettleers make it more difficult than most.
Maybe we should have known right away. The Kettleers started their season with a loss, a win and a tie in their first three games. Since then, they've had stretches where they've been anything but streaky -- in one 13-game string, they went 6-6-1. At other times, they've been as streaky as could be -- they lost six in a row at one point before winning six out of seven.
And now, in the same week where they lost a 13-1 game, they've won their other four, including two straight against their chief rivals in the West race. With last night's 6-2 win over Bourne, the Kettleers moved into first place with 43 points, one point ahead of Bourne and Wareham.
The win over Bourne came on the heels of Friday's 8-2 win over Wareham, and it followed a similar script. After Seth Blair's seven-inning complete game, Justin Grimm (Georgia) tossed a gem Saturday against the Braves. He allowed just one earned run in 7.1 innings and picked up the win.
If any one player exemplifies Cotuit's season, it's Grimm. At times, he's been lights out; other times, he has struggled mightily. Last night was one of the good ones. Grimm scattered six hits, struck out 10 and didn't walk anybody.
To stick with the exemplifying, Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), who relieved Grimm last night, perhaps represents all the good Cotuit is capable of. He struck out all five batters he faced in his 1.2 perfect innings. Tillman still hasn't allowed a run this year.
Grimm and Tillman were backed by a 14-hit attack. It only produced six runs, but that was enough. Cotuit did all its damage against Seth Maness (East Carolina), who narrowly missed a perfect game his last time out. He struck out nine on this night, but amazingly, also allowed 12 hits. Zach Cone (Georgia) and Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) each drove in two, while Kevin Patterson (Auburn) and Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) had three hits apiece. Noel stole two bases.
All in all, an impressive night for the Kettleers. In the end, it may just be another blip -- you never know with this team and Cotuit has played two more games than Bourne -- but it could also be a sign of something big. Whatever words you use to describe Cotuit, one of them should probably be "dangerous."
Elsewhere
Chatham may have given away much of its cushion with that losing streak, but when it counts, they've been able to keep Brewster at arm's length. The Anglers beat the Whitecaps 3-0 last night, their second win over Brewster in four days. This one gives them a four-point cushion over the Whitecaps. Coming into the game, I would have given the edge to Brewster, who had Kyle Blair (San Diego) on the mound. Blair minimized the damage that seven walks could have caused, but Chatham scored three runs on a triple by Whit Merrifield (South Carolina) that apparently got lost in the lights. An ensuing error allowed Merrifield to score, and that one play stood as the difference. Patrick Johnson (North Carolina) tossed a gem for the Anglers, striking out seven and allowing three hits in six shutout innings. Taylor Hill (Vanderbilt) allowed just one hit in two innings and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) worked around some trouble for a scoreless ninth and his ninth save.
Wareham finally had some doubleheader trouble. The Gatemen had been undefeated in doubleheader games but last night, they tied Orleans 2-2 in game one and lost the second game 6-5. In game one, neither team scored after the second inning, with Cole Green (Texas) and Matt Packer (Virginia) each turning in strong starts. In the second game, Orleans scored two in the top of the seventh to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Jeremy Gould (Duke) knocked in both runs with a double, and Brett Weibley (Kent State) kept the Gatemen off the board in the bottom of the seventh. With the win and tie, and Y-D's loss, Orleans moved to within three games of the Red Sox for first place in the East.
That Y-D loss came at the hands of Hyannis, who broke out of a two-run hole on the strength of a Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) grand slam in the seventh inning. Cuneo's blast was his fifth of the year, and he again has grabbed the league lead in RBI. His home run made a winner out of Tyler Wilson (Virginia), who allowed four runs in eight innings. Chris Haney (Dallas Baptist) got the save.
Harwich beat Falmouth 4-2 in game one of a doubleheader and the teams finished the second game in a 2-2 tie. Matthew Price (Virginia Tech) picked up the win and Les Williams (Northeastern) got the save with two strong innings of relief. Levi Michael (North Carolina), Stuart Tapley (Florida State) and Anthony Sosnoskie (Virginia Tech) knocked in one run each. In game two, Harwich got a run in its last at-bat to tie the game. An RBI single by Jeff Vigurs (Bryant) brought home the tying run and sent the game to extras. Rob Gariano (Fairfield) pitched three scoreless innings of relief for Harwich to keep the score where it was. The victory and the tie give Harwich one more point that Falmouth as both teams try to stay alive in the playoff race. For Falmouth, Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 1-for-7 in the two games, dropping his average to .394.
What to Watch For Tonight
Cotuit will try for three in a row with a home game against Orleans. Chad Bell (Walters State) is scheduled to start for the Kettleers against Jimmy Reyes (Elon), who has been one of Orlean's most consistent starters.
The Cotuit Kettleers make it more difficult than most.
Maybe we should have known right away. The Kettleers started their season with a loss, a win and a tie in their first three games. Since then, they've had stretches where they've been anything but streaky -- in one 13-game string, they went 6-6-1. At other times, they've been as streaky as could be -- they lost six in a row at one point before winning six out of seven.
And now, in the same week where they lost a 13-1 game, they've won their other four, including two straight against their chief rivals in the West race. With last night's 6-2 win over Bourne, the Kettleers moved into first place with 43 points, one point ahead of Bourne and Wareham.
The win over Bourne came on the heels of Friday's 8-2 win over Wareham, and it followed a similar script. After Seth Blair's seven-inning complete game, Justin Grimm (Georgia) tossed a gem Saturday against the Braves. He allowed just one earned run in 7.1 innings and picked up the win.
If any one player exemplifies Cotuit's season, it's Grimm. At times, he's been lights out; other times, he has struggled mightily. Last night was one of the good ones. Grimm scattered six hits, struck out 10 and didn't walk anybody.
To stick with the exemplifying, Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), who relieved Grimm last night, perhaps represents all the good Cotuit is capable of. He struck out all five batters he faced in his 1.2 perfect innings. Tillman still hasn't allowed a run this year.
Grimm and Tillman were backed by a 14-hit attack. It only produced six runs, but that was enough. Cotuit did all its damage against Seth Maness (East Carolina), who narrowly missed a perfect game his last time out. He struck out nine on this night, but amazingly, also allowed 12 hits. Zach Cone (Georgia) and Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) each drove in two, while Kevin Patterson (Auburn) and Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) had three hits apiece. Noel stole two bases.
All in all, an impressive night for the Kettleers. In the end, it may just be another blip -- you never know with this team and Cotuit has played two more games than Bourne -- but it could also be a sign of something big. Whatever words you use to describe Cotuit, one of them should probably be "dangerous."
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Cotuit will try for three in a row with a home game against Orleans. Chad Bell (Walters State) is scheduled to start for the Kettleers against Jimmy Reyes (Elon), who has been one of Orlean's most consistent starters.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Daily Fog: Still There
Brewster and Falmouth, the two teams with the best shot at chasing down a playoff spot that they aren't currently in line for, didn't get any closer to that spot last night.
But they didn't get farther away, either.
With Chatham winning, the Anglers held on to a two-point lead over Brewster and a five-point lead over Falmouth for what's shaping up to be the final playoff spot. Cotuit has moved into a second-place Wareham in the West, and with 41 points, both these teams have a bit of a cushion over Chatham and its chase pack. Harwich, at 32 points, isn't out of the mix, yet either, but the Mariners lost a heartbreaker to Orleans last night. As for Brewster and Falmouth, they didn't get closer, but they did what they needed to do to stay on pace.
They also did it in impressive fashion. Both wins came against first-place teams.
Four pitchers combined for a shutout as Brewster beat Y-D 1-0. Caleb Cotham (Vanderbilt) started and allowed four hits in four innings. Stayton Thomas (Texas) went two, Kendal Volz (Baylor) went one, and Tyler Thornburg (Charleston Southern) went two for the save. Brewster made a winner out of Thomas with a single run in the sixth inning. Jarrett Parker (Virginia) singled and came all the way around to score on a single and an error in center field.
In Falmouth, the Commodores blew past Bourne 9-2 in a game that was called in the seventh due to rain. Taylor Wall (Rice) struck out five in five shutout innings and picked up the win. Falmouth touched up Bourne star Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) for six runs in 4.2 innings. Hunter Morris (Auburn) and Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) both hit home runs. Morris' blast was a grand slam that powered a five-run fifth inning. Cunningham went 2-for-4 and, remarkably, raised his average again, up to .407.
Elsewhere
Cotuit rode a seven-inning complete game by Seth Blair (Arizona State) and hit four home runs to notch a crucial 8-2 victory over Wareham. The win move the Kettleers and Gatemen into a second-place tie in the West. Zach Cone (Georgia), Kevin Keyes (Texas), Cameron Rupp (Texas) and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) accounted for the home runs. They backed a strong effort by Blair, who allowed one earned run on four hits in seven innings.
Chatham stayed one step ahead of Brewster with a dramatic 8-7 victory over Hyannis. Chatham trailed 7-4 going into the eighth before scoring two that inning and two more in the ninth to grab the lead. Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech) pitched 2.2 scoreless innings for the win and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) nailed down the save. Tyler Rahmatulla (UCLA) and Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State) each drove in two runs to pace the Anglers.
Orleans scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to erase a deficit and beat Harwich 3-2. Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount), who drove in the tying run on Wednesday, came up in the ninth with two in scoring position and two outs. He hit a single to left field that brought both runners home and gave Orleans the victory. Matt Hiserman (San Francisco) got the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
What to Watch For Tonight
Brewster and Falmouth both have an important day ahead of them. The Whitecaps will visit Chatham at 7 p.m. with a chance to move back into a tie with the Anglers. They'll have the right guy on the mound, as ace Kyle Blair (San Diego) is set to go against Chatham's Patrick Johnson (North Carolina). Falmouth won't have as direct a chance to make up ground, but the Commodores will play a doubleheader in Harwich. Nick Tepesch (Missouri) and Kyle Winkler (TCU) are scheduled to go for Falmouth.
But they didn't get farther away, either.
With Chatham winning, the Anglers held on to a two-point lead over Brewster and a five-point lead over Falmouth for what's shaping up to be the final playoff spot. Cotuit has moved into a second-place Wareham in the West, and with 41 points, both these teams have a bit of a cushion over Chatham and its chase pack. Harwich, at 32 points, isn't out of the mix, yet either, but the Mariners lost a heartbreaker to Orleans last night. As for Brewster and Falmouth, they didn't get closer, but they did what they needed to do to stay on pace.
They also did it in impressive fashion. Both wins came against first-place teams.
Four pitchers combined for a shutout as Brewster beat Y-D 1-0. Caleb Cotham (Vanderbilt) started and allowed four hits in four innings. Stayton Thomas (Texas) went two, Kendal Volz (Baylor) went one, and Tyler Thornburg (Charleston Southern) went two for the save. Brewster made a winner out of Thomas with a single run in the sixth inning. Jarrett Parker (Virginia) singled and came all the way around to score on a single and an error in center field.
In Falmouth, the Commodores blew past Bourne 9-2 in a game that was called in the seventh due to rain. Taylor Wall (Rice) struck out five in five shutout innings and picked up the win. Falmouth touched up Bourne star Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) for six runs in 4.2 innings. Hunter Morris (Auburn) and Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) both hit home runs. Morris' blast was a grand slam that powered a five-run fifth inning. Cunningham went 2-for-4 and, remarkably, raised his average again, up to .407.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Brewster and Falmouth both have an important day ahead of them. The Whitecaps will visit Chatham at 7 p.m. with a chance to move back into a tie with the Anglers. They'll have the right guy on the mound, as ace Kyle Blair (San Diego) is set to go against Chatham's Patrick Johnson (North Carolina). Falmouth won't have as direct a chance to make up ground, but the Commodores will play a doubleheader in Harwich. Nick Tepesch (Missouri) and Kyle Winkler (TCU) are scheduled to go for Falmouth.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Daily Fog: Streak Stopping
As the ninth-inning fog thickened, Addison Johnson looked at right-fielder Whit Merrifield and threw up his hands, in a what-can-we-do kind of gesture.
I don't know what he was worried about.
My dad and I got to Chatham late last night after I made the trip over from Rhode Island, so we missed Johnson's spectacular catch. If he had needed to make another one, even in the thick fog, he probably would have been able to.
It was that kind of night for the Anglers, and they needed it.
The Anglers beat Brewster 10-1 to snap a seven-game losing streak. As crucial as it was to stop the skid, it was just as big to beat the Whitecaps, who came into the game tied with Chatham for third in the East -- and for the final playoff spot, as it's shaking out now.
Chatham's defense shined all night, even in the few innings I saw, and the offense did the rest. Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Matt Duffy (Vermont) drove in two. They backed Shawn Tolleson (Baylor), who allowed one run on four hits in six strong innings.
Elsewhere
I don't know what he was worried about.
My dad and I got to Chatham late last night after I made the trip over from Rhode Island, so we missed Johnson's spectacular catch. If he had needed to make another one, even in the thick fog, he probably would have been able to.
It was that kind of night for the Anglers, and they needed it.
The Anglers beat Brewster 10-1 to snap a seven-game losing streak. As crucial as it was to stop the skid, it was just as big to beat the Whitecaps, who came into the game tied with Chatham for third in the East -- and for the final playoff spot, as it's shaking out now.
Chatham's defense shined all night, even in the few innings I saw, and the offense did the rest. Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Matt Duffy (Vermont) drove in two. They backed Shawn Tolleson (Baylor), who allowed one run on four hits in six strong innings.
Elsewhere
- Another streak came to an end last night as Harwich beat Y-D 8-4, snapping the Red Sox' nine-game winning streak. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech), who has been mostly a reliever this summer, got the start for Harwich and allowed two runs in five innings. Harwich scored three earned runs but four unearned against Y-D starter John Leonard (Boston College). Trent Mummey (Auburn) and Connor Powers (Mississippi State) hit home runs for the Mariners. Leon Landry (LSU) had three hits and three RBI.
- Bourne and Wareham both posted blowout victories to keep the top of the West standings looking the same, with Bourne ahead by a point. The Braves beat Cotuit 13-1 thanks to an 11-hit attack, powered in large part by Raynor Campbell (Baylor). Campbell, who had five RBI this summer coming into last night, drove in six runs in last night's game alone. He also went 4-for-5 with a home run. Bourne starter Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) was dominant in five innings of work, striking out 10 and allowing a run on four hits.
- Wareham kept pace with a 10-3 victory over Hyannis. George Springer (Connecticut) broke the game open with a two-run homer in the fifth, and he finished with two hits and three RBI. Alex Dickerson (Indiana) had three hits for the Gatemen, with Shea Vucinich (Washington State) and Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) getting two each. Blake Monar (Indiana) allowed two earned runs in seven innings to pick up the win.
- Orleans beat Falmouth 6-5 in 12 innings. The winning run scored on a controversial play when Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) grounded into a fielder's choice, before an errant throw to get him at first base allowed the game-winning run to score. Danny Muno (Fresno State) had four hits for the Firebirds and Devin Lohman (Long Beach State) had two RBI.
- A special note on Falmouth's Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State). With a 3-for-5 night against Orleans, Cunningham raised his league-leading average to .405. Cunningham is seven for his last 14. With eight games left, he's got a shot to hit .400. No one with enough at-bats to qualify has hit .400 this decade, which is as about as far back as you can look on the league's web site. The highest league-leading average this decade was J.C. Holt's .388 in 2003. Jimmy Cesario hit .387 last year, but that happened without him playing after the all-star game.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Daily Fog, Quickly
A little short on time this morning . . .
Y-D continues to stay hotter than any team's been this summer. The Red Sox beat Wareham 8-3 last night for their ninth consecutive win. They've now opened up a 10-point lead in the East. Ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) got the start and struck out six in five innings. He gave way to Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt), who picked up the win with three strong innings. The game was tied before Wareham scored five runs over the last two innings. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) went 2-for-5 and drove in four runs.
Bourne split a doubleheader with Harwich, but the one win was enough to vault into first place, by a point over Wareham. In the first game, Harwich's Mike Gipson (Florida Atlantic) struck out six in six innings, and the offense delivered a balanced effort, with four players driving in runs as Harwich won 5-1. Bourne won the second game 7-2 behind a solid start from Robert Morey (Virginia), who allowed two runs in five innings. Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) drove in two for the Braves. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) finished the twin bill 3-for-5 with a home run, his league-best seventh of the year. He's now hitting .331.
Cotuit got three strong pitching performances and a big game from Zack Cox (Arkansas) to beat Chatham 2-1. It's the second-straight win for the Kettleers, who are tied with Wareham for second place. Chatham has lost seven in a row. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) got the start for Cotuit and allowed a run in 3.2 innings. Navery Moore (Vanderbilt) and Ben Rowen (Virginia Tech) combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief. Cox went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Brewster scored early then held off Orleans for a 4-2 victory. Combined with the Chatham loss, the win propels Brewster into a tie with Chatham for third place in the East. Steven Maxwell (TCU) picked up the win for the Whitecaps with five strong innings, striking out five and allowing one run. Tyler Thornburg (Charleston Southern) got the save. Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) snapped out of a cold streak with a 3-for-4 day. Harold Martinez (Miami) hit a home run and drove in two. Jarrett Parker (Virginia) also drove in two.
Hyannis was two outs away from making its game with Falmouth official, but fog persisted and forced the game to be called with the Mets leading. Since the game wasn't official, it'll be started from scratch at a later date.
What to Watch For Tonight
Can Y-D make it 10 in a row? The Red Sox will host Harwich tonight at 5 p.m., with John Leonard (Boston College) scheduled to get the start. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) is Harwich's probable starter.
What to Watch For Tonight
Can Y-D make it 10 in a row? The Red Sox will host Harwich tonight at 5 p.m., with John Leonard (Boston College) scheduled to get the start. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) is Harwich's probable starter.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Daily Fog: Moving On Up
You can't see it right now since the standings haven't been updated, but last night's games created a quirky little situation in the West. Bourne has 18 wins, Wareham has 17, Cotuit 16, Falmouth 15 and Hyannis 14. I don't really know what to call that. Symmetry?
Whatever it is, it amounts to the parity everyone wants to see.
Because of ties, the points race isn't so symmetrical, and Falmouth and Hyannis are a more distant fourth and fifth than their win totals would indicate. But with the playoffs the way they are, it's not out of the realm of possibility that one of those teams could make a run to the last playoff spot.
They helped their cause last night.
Falmouth continued its occasional blowout trend with an 11-2 victory over Harwich. Brian Fletcher (Auburn) went 5-for-5, B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit his fifth home run and Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) raised his league-leading average to .397. All in all, the Commodores pounded 18 hits in giving a big cushion to Kyle Winkler (TCU), who went five strong innings.
Over in Bourne, Hyannis staked Tyler Wilson (Virginia) to an early lead and he did the rest. Wilson, who has a scoreless streak of 21 innings and an ERA of 0.86, went seven shutout innings in this game to stop Bourne's four-game winning streak. Ryan Cuneo (Delaware), Ryan Graepel (North Carolina) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) each had two hits to back Wilson.
Elsewhere
In the only other game of the night, Cotuit topped Brewster 5-3. Zach Maggard (Florida Southern) and Zach Cone (Georgia) each hit home runs to pace the Kettleer offense. Jake Buchanan (NC State) won his third game of the summer and kept his ERA under one at 0.84. Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), who still hasn't allowed a run this year , worked two scoreless frames to pick up his fourth save.
What to Watch For Tonight
Y-D will visit Wareham in a battle of two top teams and, potentially, two top pitchers. Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) is scheduled to go for Wareham against either Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) or John Leonard (Boston College).
Whatever it is, it amounts to the parity everyone wants to see.
Because of ties, the points race isn't so symmetrical, and Falmouth and Hyannis are a more distant fourth and fifth than their win totals would indicate. But with the playoffs the way they are, it's not out of the realm of possibility that one of those teams could make a run to the last playoff spot.
They helped their cause last night.
Falmouth continued its occasional blowout trend with an 11-2 victory over Harwich. Brian Fletcher (Auburn) went 5-for-5, B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit his fifth home run and Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) raised his league-leading average to .397. All in all, the Commodores pounded 18 hits in giving a big cushion to Kyle Winkler (TCU), who went five strong innings.
Over in Bourne, Hyannis staked Tyler Wilson (Virginia) to an early lead and he did the rest. Wilson, who has a scoreless streak of 21 innings and an ERA of 0.86, went seven shutout innings in this game to stop Bourne's four-game winning streak. Ryan Cuneo (Delaware), Ryan Graepel (North Carolina) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) each had two hits to back Wilson.
Elsewhere
In the only other game of the night, Cotuit topped Brewster 5-3. Zach Maggard (Florida Southern) and Zach Cone (Georgia) each hit home runs to pace the Kettleer offense. Jake Buchanan (NC State) won his third game of the summer and kept his ERA under one at 0.84. Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), who still hasn't allowed a run this year , worked two scoreless frames to pick up his fourth save.
What to Watch For Tonight
Y-D will visit Wareham in a battle of two top teams and, potentially, two top pitchers. Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) is scheduled to go for Wareham against either Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) or John Leonard (Boston College).
Monday, July 27, 2009
Daily Fog: One-Sided Rivalry
Here's one way to get a leg-up on your division rival: Beat them. Every chance you get.
That's exactly what the Bourne Braves have done, and it's a huge reason why they're where they are in the West standings. Bourne has beaten Wareham five times, out-scoring the Gatemen 34-7 in those games. The five wins account for more than a quarter of all of Bourne's wins, and more than a third of Wareham's losses. To some extent, Bourne and Wareham have defined each other's seasons. Even if just two of the games had a different result, the Gatemen would be in first place by seven points. If three games were different, the Gatemen would officially be running away with the division.
As it is, Wareham has a slim one-point lead over Bourne for first, and the Braves actually have one more win.
They've also got another dominant performance in the books.
Last time the teams met, Bourne's Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) took a no-hitter into the fifth and the bullpen held the lead as Bourne won 4-0. Last night, Seth Maness (East Carolina) was even better. He carried a perfect game into the eighth before a single broke it up. Maness allowed nothing else the rest of the way in finishing off a complete-game one-hit shutout. Bourne won the game 8-0.
Maness has been good this summer, but not dominant. Last night, he was as dominant as anybody has been all summer, short of Chad Bell in his no-hitter. If you take away the fact that Bell finished that no-hitter off and Maness didn't, Maness was probably more dominant. He struck out 11, didn't walk anybody and faced just one batter over the minimum. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.30, and he's now got 31 strikeouts against just four walks in 27.1 innings.
He also had plenty of support. The Bourne defense didn't make an error and the offense delivered eight runs for the second straight night. Rob Segedin (Tulane) continued to sizzle with a 3-for-3 performance. Adam Rice (Coastal Carolina) and Kyle Roller (East Carolina) hit home runs and Pierre LePage (Connecticut) drove in two runs.
The Braves were in a rough patch not too long ago, but they've now won four in a row. They've got ten games left in the regular season, including the season finale against Wareham.
The Gatemen better hope they've got a cushion by then.
Elsewhere
Y-D topped Chatham 6-4 for its eighth consecutive win. It's also Chatham's sixth straight loss. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) drove in two runs to lead the Red Sox, whose six runs were all unearned. Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) got the win with five solid innings, while Chase Dempsay (Houston) and Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) allowed his first earned run of the summer in the ninth but held on for his 11th save.
Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 2-for-5 and delivered a walk-off single in the ninth to give Falmouth a 4-3 victory over Cotuit. Cunningham is now hitting .393 and he drove in Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) with the winning run. Chad Bell (Walters State) started for Cotuit and struck out 10 in 6.2 innings. Nick Tepesch (Missouri) pitched well for Falmouth, striking out eight and allowing one earned run in six innings.
Orleans topped Harwich 3-1 for its second win in a row. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) was lights-out, allowing just one hit and an unearned run in eight innings. He struck out nine and walked just one. Alex Hassan (Duke) relieved Reyes in the ninth and picked up the save. Kevin Muno (San Diego) had three hits and Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) had two to lead the Firebirds.
Hyannis and Brewster split a nip-and-tuck doubleheader, with Brewster winning game one 4-3 and Hyannis taking game two 3-2. Brewster won game one on the strength of a four-run sixth inning. Tant Shepherd (Texas) accounted for two of the runs with a two-run homer. Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) had a home run for Hyannis. In game two, the teams played nine innings before Hyannis' Dustin Harrington (East Carolina) broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the ninth.
What to Watch For Tonight
Just three games on the schedule. League ERA leader Jake Buchanan (NC State) is scheduled to go for Cotuit at Brewster.
That's exactly what the Bourne Braves have done, and it's a huge reason why they're where they are in the West standings. Bourne has beaten Wareham five times, out-scoring the Gatemen 34-7 in those games. The five wins account for more than a quarter of all of Bourne's wins, and more than a third of Wareham's losses. To some extent, Bourne and Wareham have defined each other's seasons. Even if just two of the games had a different result, the Gatemen would be in first place by seven points. If three games were different, the Gatemen would officially be running away with the division.
As it is, Wareham has a slim one-point lead over Bourne for first, and the Braves actually have one more win.
They've also got another dominant performance in the books.
Last time the teams met, Bourne's Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) took a no-hitter into the fifth and the bullpen held the lead as Bourne won 4-0. Last night, Seth Maness (East Carolina) was even better. He carried a perfect game into the eighth before a single broke it up. Maness allowed nothing else the rest of the way in finishing off a complete-game one-hit shutout. Bourne won the game 8-0.
Maness has been good this summer, but not dominant. Last night, he was as dominant as anybody has been all summer, short of Chad Bell in his no-hitter. If you take away the fact that Bell finished that no-hitter off and Maness didn't, Maness was probably more dominant. He struck out 11, didn't walk anybody and faced just one batter over the minimum. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.30, and he's now got 31 strikeouts against just four walks in 27.1 innings.
He also had plenty of support. The Bourne defense didn't make an error and the offense delivered eight runs for the second straight night. Rob Segedin (Tulane) continued to sizzle with a 3-for-3 performance. Adam Rice (Coastal Carolina) and Kyle Roller (East Carolina) hit home runs and Pierre LePage (Connecticut) drove in two runs.
The Braves were in a rough patch not too long ago, but they've now won four in a row. They've got ten games left in the regular season, including the season finale against Wareham.
The Gatemen better hope they've got a cushion by then.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Just three games on the schedule. League ERA leader Jake Buchanan (NC State) is scheduled to go for Cotuit at Brewster.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Daily Fog: Still Going
They had more players on the field at Fenway on Thursday than any other team, but real proof of what the Y-D Red Sox have accomplished comes in what they're doing on the Cape.
And they're still doing it.
After what was for them a two-day all-star break, the Red Sox beat division rival Chatham 6-3 last night for their sixth consecutive victory. Orleans also lost last night, putting the Red Sox in first place by eight points in the East.
Y-D now has the best team average and best team ERA in the league and both those dimensions were on display last night. Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), one player who wasn't an all-star, went 3-for-4 while Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) hit a home run and knocked in two, raising his league-leading RBI total to 21. The game was tied 3-3 until the seventh, when Ben McMahan (Florida) doubled and eventually came around on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Hanover (LSU).
The Red Sox added two insurance runs in the eighth and Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) continued his dominance with a scoreless ninth inning, giving him a league-best 10 saves. Burgoon helped make a winner out of Greg Peavey (Oregon State), who pitched three innings of relief after starter Michael Goodnight (Houston) lasted just four innings.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Chatham, and Orleans is on the same streak. Combined with Y-D's surge, things have really opened up in the East.
Elsewhere
Bourne was supposed to play a doubleheader with Brewster but had it postponed. With a Cotuit loss mixed in, Wareham took the opportunity to jump into sole possession of first place in the West with a dramatic 2-1 win over Orleans. The Gatemen trailed 1-0 from the third inning on, but Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) jump-started a rally with a leadoff single in the top of the ninth. He eventually scored the tying run on a base hit by Chris Hannick (Cal State Northridge). Later in the inning, Shea Vucinich (Washington State) drove home Connor Rowe (Texas) with the go-ahead run. Josh Slaats (Hawaii) picked up the win for Wareham with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Bruce Kern (St. John's) helped get it to that point with four scoreless innings.
Falmouth swept a twin bill the day before the all-star game and kept the good times rolling last night with a 3-2 victory over Hyannis. Like Wareham, the Commodores trailed all game before a two-run rally in the ninth. Theirs came in the bottom half and was a bit more dramatic, as B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit a walkoff two-run homer to turn a 2-1 deficit into the 3-2 win. It was the fourth home run of the year for Vollmuth, who is emerging as one of the top freshmen in the league. The Commodores are still five games under .500, but only seven points out of a playoff spot.
Seven different players had hits and the bullpen shined as Harwich held off Cotuit 3-2. The Mariners broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh on an RBI single by Phil Gosselin (Virginia). Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) pitched 3.1 innings of relief to pick up the win, with Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) getting the save. Those two combined to limit Cotuit to three hits over the final 4.1 innings.
What to Watch For Tonight
Chad Bell (Walters State) will try to continue his recent dominance as Cotuit visits Wareham. He pitched a no-hitter two weeks ago and in his most recent start, allowed one run and struck out seven in seven innings. Wareham will counter with Josh Mueller (Eastern Illinois). The Gatemen are just two points ahead of Cotuit.
And they're still doing it.
After what was for them a two-day all-star break, the Red Sox beat division rival Chatham 6-3 last night for their sixth consecutive victory. Orleans also lost last night, putting the Red Sox in first place by eight points in the East.
Y-D now has the best team average and best team ERA in the league and both those dimensions were on display last night. Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), one player who wasn't an all-star, went 3-for-4 while Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) hit a home run and knocked in two, raising his league-leading RBI total to 21. The game was tied 3-3 until the seventh, when Ben McMahan (Florida) doubled and eventually came around on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Hanover (LSU).
The Red Sox added two insurance runs in the eighth and Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) continued his dominance with a scoreless ninth inning, giving him a league-best 10 saves. Burgoon helped make a winner out of Greg Peavey (Oregon State), who pitched three innings of relief after starter Michael Goodnight (Houston) lasted just four innings.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Chatham, and Orleans is on the same streak. Combined with Y-D's surge, things have really opened up in the East.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Chad Bell (Walters State) will try to continue his recent dominance as Cotuit visits Wareham. He pitched a no-hitter two weeks ago and in his most recent start, allowed one run and struck out seven in seven innings. Wareham will counter with Josh Mueller (Eastern Illinois). The Gatemen are just two points ahead of Cotuit.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
All-Star Live Blog
6:45 - So I fully planned on being at Fenway Park this evening, but I am at home instead. If I had just left in the morning, without glancing at any radar, I probably would have been fine. But idle hands and attractive meteorologists are a bad recipe for me. I kept going back to them until their fear-mongering convinced me that Hurricane Barry was on the way. So with the possibility of a drive from Little Rhody going for naught in a Boston deluge, I made the prudent but potentially regrettable decision to stay home and watch on NESN. Of course, it appears now that they'll play through this eminently light rain, and I am of course wishing I was there. However, I will soldier on. I feel I've taken one for the team here. I'm pretty well-acquaintaned with Murphy and his law, so I'm pretty sure this is all me. If I was at Fenway, I really would have brought a hurricane. So you're welcome. Anyway, the point is, I'll be watching and doing a little live blog here for anyone else who is not at Fenway. Stay tuned.
6:50 - They're starting early to get ahead of the rain. Workman on the mound for the home West squad, ready to go.
6:53 - Top four in East lineup looks real strong. Gary Brown leading off.
6:55 - Workman strikes out Brown with a 94 mph high fastball.
6:56 - Wates goes down swinging on a curveball. Workman hasn't been here long, but there's no doubting the stuff.
6:58 - Miscommunication in the outfield almost costs the West, but Todd Cunningham makes the diving catch in center. That's a 1-2-3 inning for Workman. In all-star appearances the last two years, he now hasn't allowed a base-runner and he has struck out four.
6:59 - It took until the third inning for a run to score last year. Todd Cunningham leading off for the West against Rob Rasmussen.
7:01 - Cunningham reaches on a hard shot to third that got past Jedd Gyorko. They'll call it an error.
7:02 - That didn't take long. After the error, Zack Cox crushed the first pitch he saw to deep center for a triple. Cunningham scores to give the West a 1-0 lead.
7:03 - Kyle Roller goes down on strikes. Blame it on the Cotuit helmet he was wearing. Actually, Ryan Cuneo is wearing a Cotuit helmet too. Apparently, Cotuit brought the helmets.
7:06 - Cuneo works the walk, and it's first and third for the West. There weren't two runners on base in last year's game until the fifth inning. Almost a twin killing for the East, but Cody Stanley legs out the throw, and Cox scores. It's 2-0.
7:08 - Stanley caught stealing by Chatham's Mike Murray to end the inning.
7:10 - Baseball America's Aaron Fitt is at the game and blogging. He says 13,000 in attendance. That's a great crowd, even on a clear night.
7:12 - Another Gatemen gets the call for the West. Jack Armstrong in and throwing 96.
7:15 - Armstrong leaving everything up. He walks Mike Murray with one out.
7:16 - My first look at the new Harwich home unis. I'm a fan.
7:19 - A couple of ground balls get Armstrong out of the inning with no damage done.
7:20 - NESN has Oriole Brian Roberts in the booth. He played for Chatham in 1998. Reminiscing about facing Ben Sheets and Barry Zito.
7:25 - Kyle Blair on for the East. He gets two quick outs before a soft line drive from B.A. Vollmuth gets over shortstop.
7:26 - With Blair on now, that means two of the first four pitchers in the game were top-five round picks in the 2007 draft. Blair went in the fifth, Workman in the third.
7:27 - A walk puts two on, and theEast West is threatening. Cunningham up.
7:30 - Cunningham hit by a 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded for Zack Cox.
7:31 - Zack Cox for MVP. Opposite field line drive plates Vollmuth for a 3-0 West lead. Bases still loaded for Roller.
7:32 - Blair gets out of the jam with a grounder to first.
7:34 - Make it three Gatemen in a row. Eric Pfisterer on the mound for the West.
7:37 - After a fielder's choice, a pickoff throw that glances off the glove of Roller allows Colin Walsh to take second.
7:41 - Pfisterer strikes out Brown and Wates to end the inning. Neither of those two have struck out much this year (Brown 9 in 85 AB, Wates 18 in 96). Impressive stuff from Pfisterer.
7:45 - Red Sox assistant GM Ben Cherington: "You could certainly make the argument that if you're going to see one amateur game in a year, this is it."
7:46 - Chris Sale doesn't give Cherington much time in the booth. Groundout, strikeout, groundout, and we're on to the fourth.
7:48 - Dallas Gallant on for the West. He's the first non-starting pitcher to make an appearance.
7:53 - Mike Murray just misses a home run. A deep drive to right drifts foul.
7:54 - Gallant strikes out Murray. The East squad still has just one hit, and it was an infield single.
7:59 - BA's Aaron Fitt in the booth, summing up the league's makeup this year: "I think it's a very solid year. There aren't the consensus top guys . . . this summer will go a long way to establishing who goes in the first round."
8:02 - Good play from Wiswall on a low throw gets the East out of a jam. End four, still 3-0.
8:03 - Some speculation from the Cape Cod Times: "The West subbed all its reserves in, too, indicating that this game might not go on much longer."
8:10 - Stephen Harrold in for the West. He has issued a pair of walks. Two on, one out for the East.
8:11 - Nice double play turned by Nick Crawford and Derek Dietrich, ending the inning.
8:14 - The tarp is on the field. Rain delay.
8:18 - NESN still calling it a rain delay. Cape Cod Times seems to think it's over. The game is official at this point.
8:20 - Well that's that. NESN confirms the game has been called after four-and-a-half. Zack Cox wins the MVP award. He goes 2-for-2 with a triple and a single and two RBI.
8:21 - Great interview with Cox. Paraphrasing: "Everyone wants to make it to the Major Leagues, but this right here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
8:22 - As the Cape Cod Times noted earlier, the teams made sure to get all their positional subs into the game early. That left nine pitchers who didn't unfortunately didn't get to take the mound: Casey Gaynor, Aaron Meade, John Leonard, Tyler Burgoon and Russell Brewer for the East; Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman, Patrick Cooper and Taylor Wall for the West.
8:24 - It's too bad that they had to call this one, but kudos to the Red Sox for allowing the league to play long enough to make it official. If this thing hadn't happened at all, it would have been a much bigger shame than an early ending.
6:50 - They're starting early to get ahead of the rain. Workman on the mound for the home West squad, ready to go.
6:53 - Top four in East lineup looks real strong. Gary Brown leading off.
6:55 - Workman strikes out Brown with a 94 mph high fastball.
6:56 - Wates goes down swinging on a curveball. Workman hasn't been here long, but there's no doubting the stuff.
6:58 - Miscommunication in the outfield almost costs the West, but Todd Cunningham makes the diving catch in center. That's a 1-2-3 inning for Workman. In all-star appearances the last two years, he now hasn't allowed a base-runner and he has struck out four.
6:59 - It took until the third inning for a run to score last year. Todd Cunningham leading off for the West against Rob Rasmussen.
7:01 - Cunningham reaches on a hard shot to third that got past Jedd Gyorko. They'll call it an error.
7:02 - That didn't take long. After the error, Zack Cox crushed the first pitch he saw to deep center for a triple. Cunningham scores to give the West a 1-0 lead.
7:03 - Kyle Roller goes down on strikes. Blame it on the Cotuit helmet he was wearing. Actually, Ryan Cuneo is wearing a Cotuit helmet too. Apparently, Cotuit brought the helmets.
7:06 - Cuneo works the walk, and it's first and third for the West. There weren't two runners on base in last year's game until the fifth inning. Almost a twin killing for the East, but Cody Stanley legs out the throw, and Cox scores. It's 2-0.
7:08 - Stanley caught stealing by Chatham's Mike Murray to end the inning.
7:10 - Baseball America's Aaron Fitt is at the game and blogging. He says 13,000 in attendance. That's a great crowd, even on a clear night.
7:12 - Another Gatemen gets the call for the West. Jack Armstrong in and throwing 96.
7:15 - Armstrong leaving everything up. He walks Mike Murray with one out.
7:16 - My first look at the new Harwich home unis. I'm a fan.
7:19 - A couple of ground balls get Armstrong out of the inning with no damage done.
7:20 - NESN has Oriole Brian Roberts in the booth. He played for Chatham in 1998. Reminiscing about facing Ben Sheets and Barry Zito.
7:25 - Kyle Blair on for the East. He gets two quick outs before a soft line drive from B.A. Vollmuth gets over shortstop.
7:26 - With Blair on now, that means two of the first four pitchers in the game were top-five round picks in the 2007 draft. Blair went in the fifth, Workman in the third.
7:27 - A walk puts two on, and the
7:30 - Cunningham hit by a 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded for Zack Cox.
7:31 - Zack Cox for MVP. Opposite field line drive plates Vollmuth for a 3-0 West lead. Bases still loaded for Roller.
7:32 - Blair gets out of the jam with a grounder to first.
7:34 - Make it three Gatemen in a row. Eric Pfisterer on the mound for the West.
7:37 - After a fielder's choice, a pickoff throw that glances off the glove of Roller allows Colin Walsh to take second.
7:41 - Pfisterer strikes out Brown and Wates to end the inning. Neither of those two have struck out much this year (Brown 9 in 85 AB, Wates 18 in 96). Impressive stuff from Pfisterer.
7:45 - Red Sox assistant GM Ben Cherington: "You could certainly make the argument that if you're going to see one amateur game in a year, this is it."
7:46 - Chris Sale doesn't give Cherington much time in the booth. Groundout, strikeout, groundout, and we're on to the fourth.
7:48 - Dallas Gallant on for the West. He's the first non-starting pitcher to make an appearance.
7:53 - Mike Murray just misses a home run. A deep drive to right drifts foul.
7:54 - Gallant strikes out Murray. The East squad still has just one hit, and it was an infield single.
7:59 - BA's Aaron Fitt in the booth, summing up the league's makeup this year: "I think it's a very solid year. There aren't the consensus top guys . . . this summer will go a long way to establishing who goes in the first round."
8:02 - Good play from Wiswall on a low throw gets the East out of a jam. End four, still 3-0.
8:03 - Some speculation from the Cape Cod Times: "The West subbed all its reserves in, too, indicating that this game might not go on much longer."
8:10 - Stephen Harrold in for the West. He has issued a pair of walks. Two on, one out for the East.
8:11 - Nice double play turned by Nick Crawford and Derek Dietrich, ending the inning.
8:14 - The tarp is on the field. Rain delay.
8:18 - NESN still calling it a rain delay. Cape Cod Times seems to think it's over. The game is official at this point.
8:20 - Well that's that. NESN confirms the game has been called after four-and-a-half. Zack Cox wins the MVP award. He goes 2-for-2 with a triple and a single and two RBI.
8:21 - Great interview with Cox. Paraphrasing: "Everyone wants to make it to the Major Leagues, but this right here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
8:22 - As the Cape Cod Times noted earlier, the teams made sure to get all their positional subs into the game early. That left nine pitchers who didn't unfortunately didn't get to take the mound: Casey Gaynor, Aaron Meade, John Leonard, Tyler Burgoon and Russell Brewer for the East; Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman, Patrick Cooper and Taylor Wall for the West.
8:24 - It's too bad that they had to call this one, but kudos to the Red Sox for allowing the league to play long enough to make it official. If this thing hadn't happened at all, it would have been a much bigger shame than an early ending.
Starry (and hopefully not rainy)
It's sadly fitting that in this wet, strange summer, the Cape League's biggest event could be heavily influenced by doppler radar.
The all-star game heads to Boston's Fenway Park tonight, and the forecast doesn't look great. Whatever happens, there will be an all-star game somewhere, some time. If rain forces a postponement of a suspension tonight, the game will be played in Hyannis on Saturday.
Here's hoping they play tonight, even if it's a little wet.
That, too, would be fitting in its own way.
If the 2009 class of Cape Leaguers have shown anything, it's that they can deliver good baseball, whenever they play.
I've found it tough to get a good feel for the 2009 season. That might just be me. It might be the rain. But the picture has come into focus lately, and it's becoming clear that there's a deep pool of talent on the Cape this year. There may not be a consensus top prospect or a shoo-in MVP, but there are a lot of players on the same plane. And I get the feeling that it's at a fairly high level.
Tonight, a lot of those players will take the field at Fenway Park. For this group, that will make taking the field in the Cape League all-star game a little more, even a lot more special.
They've earned a special opportunity. Let's hope they put on a good show.
Ten to Watch
A rundown of my picks for the top players at Fenway.
1. Todd Cunningham, Falmouth
He has hit from day one, and he's just not going to cool down. In a doubleheader yesterday, he went 3-for-5, raising his average to .394.
2. Jedd Gyorko, Brewster
He's 0-for-his-last-11 so his average has dipped to .308, but he might be the best all-around hitter in the league.
3. Chris Sale, Y-D
A tall lefty who has starred since the first day of the season, Sale is a good bet to be a first-rounder next year.
4. Gary Brown, Orleans
He was a late arrival, but he has done nothing but hit. And steal bases. And drive in runs.
5. Kyle Blair, Brewster
A high pick out of high school, Blair's performance has matched the hype this season. He's second in K's.
6. Zack Cox, Cotuit
Five tools, and plenty of production from perhaps the top frosh in the league: .364, 6 XBH
7. Kyle Roller, Bourne
Late-round pick this year is making his case for a big contract or a better result next June. Triple Crown candidate.
8. Mickey Wiswall, Y-D
BC star is league's leading run producer and is hitting .319.
9. Austin Wates, Y-D
Outfielder with some speed has been near the top in average all summer.
10. Tyler Burgoon, Y-D
League-leader in saves still hasn't allowed an earned run.
And Five More . . .
Because it was hard to narrow it down.
Brandon Workman
Derek Dietrich
Jack Armstrong
Kevin Munson
Dallas Gallant
What a Relief
Last year, the West squad had probably the six best starters in the league for the all-star game. This year, with Chad Bell and Jake Buchanan not chosen (big snubs, by the way), the West squad is much heavier on relievers. Brandon Workman, Eric Pfisterer, Jack Armstrong and Taylor Wall are the only starters. The rest of the innings will be left to bullpen guys, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Combined the five relievers -- Dallas Gallant, Stephen Harrold, Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman and Patrick Cooper -- have struck out 111 in 79.1 innings, while allowing only 13 earned runs. So can we say just get the game to the fourth?
ACardinal Firebird starter
Orleans' Rob Rasmussen is the second straight Orleans pitcher to start the all-star game. Last year, it was San Diego's Matt Thomson, who delivered one dominant inning. Rasmussen's 32 strikeouts are the most for an East all-star starter since 2005, when Chatham's Jared Hughes came in with 42.
Veterans
The East roster features just one freshman, Y-D's Tyler Hanover. The West has seven, including three starters.
Small Sample
Seven of the 24 position players in the game have played in fewer than 20 games.
Derby Bets
I predict we won't see a ton of home runs, based on Fenway's dimensions. I'd put my money on Hunter Morris sneaking a few around Pesky's Pole.
That's about all I've got for now. I will be heading out soon, taking a train in. For everyone who's going, have fun.
The all-star game heads to Boston's Fenway Park tonight, and the forecast doesn't look great. Whatever happens, there will be an all-star game somewhere, some time. If rain forces a postponement of a suspension tonight, the game will be played in Hyannis on Saturday.
Here's hoping they play tonight, even if it's a little wet.
That, too, would be fitting in its own way.
If the 2009 class of Cape Leaguers have shown anything, it's that they can deliver good baseball, whenever they play.
I've found it tough to get a good feel for the 2009 season. That might just be me. It might be the rain. But the picture has come into focus lately, and it's becoming clear that there's a deep pool of talent on the Cape this year. There may not be a consensus top prospect or a shoo-in MVP, but there are a lot of players on the same plane. And I get the feeling that it's at a fairly high level.
Tonight, a lot of those players will take the field at Fenway Park. For this group, that will make taking the field in the Cape League all-star game a little more, even a lot more special.
They've earned a special opportunity. Let's hope they put on a good show.
Ten to Watch
A rundown of my picks for the top players at Fenway.
1. Todd Cunningham, Falmouth
He has hit from day one, and he's just not going to cool down. In a doubleheader yesterday, he went 3-for-5, raising his average to .394.
2. Jedd Gyorko, Brewster
He's 0-for-his-last-11 so his average has dipped to .308, but he might be the best all-around hitter in the league.
3. Chris Sale, Y-D
A tall lefty who has starred since the first day of the season, Sale is a good bet to be a first-rounder next year.
4. Gary Brown, Orleans
He was a late arrival, but he has done nothing but hit. And steal bases. And drive in runs.
5. Kyle Blair, Brewster
A high pick out of high school, Blair's performance has matched the hype this season. He's second in K's.
6. Zack Cox, Cotuit
Five tools, and plenty of production from perhaps the top frosh in the league: .364, 6 XBH
7. Kyle Roller, Bourne
Late-round pick this year is making his case for a big contract or a better result next June. Triple Crown candidate.
8. Mickey Wiswall, Y-D
BC star is league's leading run producer and is hitting .319.
9. Austin Wates, Y-D
Outfielder with some speed has been near the top in average all summer.
10. Tyler Burgoon, Y-D
League-leader in saves still hasn't allowed an earned run.
And Five More . . .
Because it was hard to narrow it down.
Brandon Workman
Derek Dietrich
Jack Armstrong
Kevin Munson
Dallas Gallant
What a Relief
Last year, the West squad had probably the six best starters in the league for the all-star game. This year, with Chad Bell and Jake Buchanan not chosen (big snubs, by the way), the West squad is much heavier on relievers. Brandon Workman, Eric Pfisterer, Jack Armstrong and Taylor Wall are the only starters. The rest of the innings will be left to bullpen guys, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Combined the five relievers -- Dallas Gallant, Stephen Harrold, Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman and Patrick Cooper -- have struck out 111 in 79.1 innings, while allowing only 13 earned runs. So can we say just get the game to the fourth?
A
Orleans' Rob Rasmussen is the second straight Orleans pitcher to start the all-star game. Last year, it was San Diego's Matt Thomson, who delivered one dominant inning. Rasmussen's 32 strikeouts are the most for an East all-star starter since 2005, when Chatham's Jared Hughes came in with 42.
Veterans
The East roster features just one freshman, Y-D's Tyler Hanover. The West has seven, including three starters.
Small Sample
Seven of the 24 position players in the game have played in fewer than 20 games.
Derby Bets
I predict we won't see a ton of home runs, based on Fenway's dimensions. I'd put my money on Hunter Morris sneaking a few around Pesky's Pole.
That's about all I've got for now. I will be heading out soon, taking a train in. For everyone who's going, have fun.
Yesterday, Quickly
I've got to get an all-star post up, so here's an abbreviated recap of last night's games.
Falmouth has had a pretty tough season, but the Commodores hit the all-star break on a roll thanks to a doubleheader sweep of Chatham. The Commodores took game one 7-6 on the strength of an 11-hit attack. Conner Mach (Missouri) hit a three-run homer that broke a 4-4 tie. Falmouth then held off a Chatham rally for the win. In game two, Falmouth won 5-2. Kyle Winkler (TCU) allowed two runs in six strong innings. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) went 2-for-2 and B.A. Vollmuth hit a home run. Jones went 5-for-5 in the two games, raising his average from .183 to .237. Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 3-for-5 in the two games and head into the all-star game with a league-best .394 average.
Brewster's Matt Lujan (San Francisco) went six shutout innings and Hyannis' Tyler Wilson (Virginia) was almost as good through seven, but the one unearned run Wilson allowed was the difference in a 1-0 Whitecaps victory. A Harold Martinez (Miami) fifth-inning single brought home the game's lone run, after Tant Shepherd (Texas) reached on an error. Kendal Volz (Baylor) made his first appearance for Brewster, tossing a scoreless inning in relief.
Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) struck out 10 in six shutout innings as Bourne topped Wareham 4-0 in a crucial game in the West. Pierre LePage (Connecticut) and Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) backed Wimmers with two hits apiece. After Wimmers' night was done, Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) struck out five in two hitless innings and Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) struck out two in the ninth. The win moved Bourne into a tie with Wareham for first place in the West.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Daily Fog: Steady and Surging
It's one thing to get back into the mix with a winning streak. That's what a lot of teams have done this year, turning around some struggles and winning four or five in a row to get into the thick of things again.
To be near the top already and to pull away -- that means a little more.
And that's exactly what the Y-D Red Sox have done. Early in the season, they lost five straight games before responding with four straight wins. Since then, they've been probably the steadiest team in the league. In that span, they haven't lost more than two games in a row.
They've won a few, too.
The Red Sox beat Orleans, the team that's chasing them, by a 4-1 score last night. It's their fifth consecutive win. In the last nine games, they've lost just once, with one tie also mixed in.
Suddenly, the Red Sox have 20 wins, three more than anyone else in the league. With 41 points, they're in first place by six points, which has to be the largest margin in the East this season.
It helps that the Red Sox keep playing -- and beating -- Orleans. On Sunday, they swept a doubleheader with the Firebirds. The schedule is kind of quirky now because of the rainouts, so the teams got together again last night, which wasn't a good thing for Orleans. Y-D ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out five and scattered seven hits in seven innings. He allowed one run, and picked up his fourth win of the summer. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) pitched two scoreless innings for the save.
As usual, the offense took care of the rest. The Red Sox, who lead the league in hitting, haven't blown people out in their winning streak, but they've always done enough. Last night, they touched up all-star Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) for three runs on six hits in five innings. The most impressive part of that was the balance. The Red Sox got RBI from leadoff man Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), No. 3 hitter Tyler Hanover (LSU), No. 7 batter Josh Rutledge (Alabama) and ninth batter Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State). League RBI leader Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) didn't drive in a run, but he didn't have to.
I guess that's what happens when you get a winning streak going.
Even if you really didn't need one
Elsewhere
Jake Buchanan (NC State) posted an ERA over six this spring so you might think that he would eventually drop down from the top spot on the ERA leaderboard. Or he could pull away with one of the most dominant performances of the summer. Buchanan picked the second option. He tossed a complete-game shutout last night to lead Cotuit past Hyannis 3-0. Buchanan struck out 11, walked one and allowed just three hits. He lowered his league-best ERA to 0.50, and he continues to make me wonder how he was left off the all-star team.
By the way, that was Cotuit's third straight win. The Kettleers remain tied with Wareham atop the West.
Speaking of Wareham, the Gatemen had one of those "staff days," where they pitch a bunch of guys, probably in preparation for the all-star game. It didn't cost them anything, as five pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout and a 3-0 win over Brewster. All-stars Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) and Brandon Workman (Texas) were the bookends, and neither allowed a hit while combining for five shutout innings. Scott Rembisz (Florida International) picked up the win. George Springer (Connecticut) led the Wareham offense with two hits and a home run.
Mike Gipson (Florida Atlantic) delivered his best start of the summer, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits in seven shutout innings as Harwich topped Chatham 7-2. Gipson, who has great strikeout numbers (38 in 30 innings), lowered his ERA to 3.00. Dan Grovatt (Virginia) went 3-for-4, while Leon Landry (LSU) homered and drove in two. Trent Mummey (Auburn) also had two hits and two RBI.
Bourne scored two in the bottom of the ninth and walked off with a 4-3 victory over Falmouth. Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit the walk-off single, knocking in Ben Klafczynski (Kent State) with the winning run.
What to Watch For Tonight
Bourne, which sits a game behind Wareham, will send Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) to the mound against the Gatemen. This will be the second start of the summer for Wimmers. He's scheduled to go against Blake Monar (Indiana).
To be near the top already and to pull away -- that means a little more.
And that's exactly what the Y-D Red Sox have done. Early in the season, they lost five straight games before responding with four straight wins. Since then, they've been probably the steadiest team in the league. In that span, they haven't lost more than two games in a row.
They've won a few, too.
The Red Sox beat Orleans, the team that's chasing them, by a 4-1 score last night. It's their fifth consecutive win. In the last nine games, they've lost just once, with one tie also mixed in.
Suddenly, the Red Sox have 20 wins, three more than anyone else in the league. With 41 points, they're in first place by six points, which has to be the largest margin in the East this season.
It helps that the Red Sox keep playing -- and beating -- Orleans. On Sunday, they swept a doubleheader with the Firebirds. The schedule is kind of quirky now because of the rainouts, so the teams got together again last night, which wasn't a good thing for Orleans. Y-D ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out five and scattered seven hits in seven innings. He allowed one run, and picked up his fourth win of the summer. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) pitched two scoreless innings for the save.
As usual, the offense took care of the rest. The Red Sox, who lead the league in hitting, haven't blown people out in their winning streak, but they've always done enough. Last night, they touched up all-star Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) for three runs on six hits in five innings. The most impressive part of that was the balance. The Red Sox got RBI from leadoff man Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), No. 3 hitter Tyler Hanover (LSU), No. 7 batter Josh Rutledge (Alabama) and ninth batter Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State). League RBI leader Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) didn't drive in a run, but he didn't have to.
I guess that's what happens when you get a winning streak going.
Even if you really didn't need one
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Bourne, which sits a game behind Wareham, will send Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) to the mound against the Gatemen. This will be the second start of the summer for Wimmers. He's scheduled to go against Blake Monar (Indiana).
Monday, July 20, 2009
Daily Fog: A Quick Duel
My parents are vacationing on the Cape so I went over this weekend to visit them, which didn't leave me any time to write yesterday. We did, however, have time to go to the Chatham game last night.
Not that we needed much time.
Wareham's Cole Green (Texas) and Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) staged perhaps the best pitchers' duel of the summer, and it didn't take them long to do it. In a game that lasted just an hour and 54 minutes, Lyons and the Anglers came away with a 1-0 victory. Dean Green (Oklahoma State) hit a bases-loaded line drive that clipped the glove of a diving Ryan Pineda (Cal State Northridge) and brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Though the one run ended up defining the game's result, the pitching was the real story.
Both Green and Lyons ended up with 11 strikeouts. If I had been keeping a scorebook, I could tell you how many were strikeouts looking. I wasn't but I can still tell you: it was a lot. Green and Lyons were constantly ahead and freezing hitters time and again. Lyons, in particular, had a knee-bukcling curveball that he kept dropping right into the zone with two strikes.
It was as impressive a pitchers' duel as I've seen in a long time. Both allowed just two hits. Lyons didn't walk anybody. After a while, it didn't seem possible that either team could break through. The teams had one hit apiece through the first six innings, and both of the players who reached were thrown out trying to steal second. When Brett Eibner (Arkansas) hit a two-out double in the eighth, it was the first time a player for either team had been to second base. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) hit a sinking line drive to center that looked like it might bring Eibner home, but Addison Johnson (Clemson) made a charging catch to keep things scoreless.
Chatham finally put something together in the ninth. Green started missing some spots, and I actually thought he got squeezed on a couple of pitches as he issued a pair of one-out walks. After a mound conference, he got real wild and walked Mike Murray (Wake Forest) on four pitchers, prompting a change. Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) came in and faced Green, who crushed the line drive to second. Had Pineda somehow caught it, he would have doubled the runner off first. Instead, the ball rolled into right field and the game was over.
As we packed up to leave, I felt a pang of regret that I hadn't gotten to see Chatham flamethrower Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech), who had been warming up in the late innings. If it had gone to extras, he probably would have been on the mound.
But then I realized: I saw all the pitching I needed to see.
Elsewhere
With Wareham's loss and their own 5-3 comeback victory over Bourne, Cotuit moved into a first-place tie in the West. The Kettleers trailed 3-2 going into the eighth but put up three runs to take a lead. An RBI single by Jeff Rowland (Georgia Tech) brought home the go-ahead run and Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) drove in two more with a double. Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern) then worked a scoreless ninth to secure the victory. Rowland and Plagman both finished with two hits for the Kettleers, as did Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) and Chris Bisson (Kentucky). Rob Segedin (Tulane) went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Bourne.
Y-D swept a huge doubleheader with Orleans for its league-best 18th and 19th wins. The Red Sox are now in first place by four points over the Firebirds, who had been hot until last night. Y-D got strong pitching in both games, with Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) going five shutout innings in game one and Austin Ross (LSU) tossing six shutout frames in game two.
Brewster an Falmouth split their doubleheader, with the Whitecaps taking game one 2-1 and the Commodores winning game two 3-0. In the opener, Brewster got two RBI from Daniel Butler (Arizona) and didn't need much more. Kyle Blair (San Diego) allowed a run on three hits in six innings and struck out 11. Jordan Cooper (Wichita State) pitched well for Falmouth, but the bullpen allowed an unearned run in the sixth. In game two, Mark Pope (Georgia Tech) surrendered just two hits in five shutout innings for Falmouth. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit his second home run to spark the offense.
Harwich got a big performance from Anthony Sosnoskie (Virginia Tech) and a strong start from John Gast (Florida State) then held on for a 4-2 victory over Hyannis. Gast allowed four hits in 6.1 scoreless innings. Hyannis rallied for two in the ninth, but Glen Troyanowski (Florida Atlantic) got a strikeout to strand two runners and end the game. Sosnoskie went 3-for-4 with two home runs -- his first two of the year -- and three RBI for the Mariners.
What to Watch For Tonight
Orleans and Y-D will get together again for their third game in two days. Not sure about the pitching match-ups, though Chris Sale (Flodia Gulf Coast) is listed in the probables. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) is listed for Orleans, but he pitched the second game of yesterday's doubleheader.
Not that we needed much time.
Wareham's Cole Green (Texas) and Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) staged perhaps the best pitchers' duel of the summer, and it didn't take them long to do it. In a game that lasted just an hour and 54 minutes, Lyons and the Anglers came away with a 1-0 victory. Dean Green (Oklahoma State) hit a bases-loaded line drive that clipped the glove of a diving Ryan Pineda (Cal State Northridge) and brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Though the one run ended up defining the game's result, the pitching was the real story.
Both Green and Lyons ended up with 11 strikeouts. If I had been keeping a scorebook, I could tell you how many were strikeouts looking. I wasn't but I can still tell you: it was a lot. Green and Lyons were constantly ahead and freezing hitters time and again. Lyons, in particular, had a knee-bukcling curveball that he kept dropping right into the zone with two strikes.
It was as impressive a pitchers' duel as I've seen in a long time. Both allowed just two hits. Lyons didn't walk anybody. After a while, it didn't seem possible that either team could break through. The teams had one hit apiece through the first six innings, and both of the players who reached were thrown out trying to steal second. When Brett Eibner (Arkansas) hit a two-out double in the eighth, it was the first time a player for either team had been to second base. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) hit a sinking line drive to center that looked like it might bring Eibner home, but Addison Johnson (Clemson) made a charging catch to keep things scoreless.
Chatham finally put something together in the ninth. Green started missing some spots, and I actually thought he got squeezed on a couple of pitches as he issued a pair of one-out walks. After a mound conference, he got real wild and walked Mike Murray (Wake Forest) on four pitchers, prompting a change. Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) came in and faced Green, who crushed the line drive to second. Had Pineda somehow caught it, he would have doubled the runner off first. Instead, the ball rolled into right field and the game was over.
As we packed up to leave, I felt a pang of regret that I hadn't gotten to see Chatham flamethrower Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech), who had been warming up in the late innings. If it had gone to extras, he probably would have been on the mound.
But then I realized: I saw all the pitching I needed to see.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Orleans and Y-D will get together again for their third game in two days. Not sure about the pitching match-ups, though Chris Sale (Flodia Gulf Coast) is listed in the probables. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) is listed for Orleans, but he pitched the second game of yesterday's doubleheader.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Daily Fog: A Sleeping Giant
The first 25 games of the season have not gone well for the Falmouth Commodores. They have nine wins, the lowest number in the league, and in a Western Division race that has really tightened up, they're the only team that's still not in the mix.
But a little streak can make a big difference in a Cape League summer, and Falmouth has the kind of team that can do it.
I was originally going to write this post about Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State), who's still one of the league leaders in hitting, despite Falmouth's struggles. Then I decided I should probably mention Brian Fletcher (Auburn), before I looked down the stat sheet and realized Hunter Morris (Auburn) was also tearing it up. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) and Chris O'Brien (Wichita State) deserve a mention too.
As these realizations hit me, it became clear: the Commodores have a lineup that's turning into one of the most dangerous in the league.
They posted an 8-3 victory over Cotuit last night, and I wouldn't be shocked if they continued to deliver nights like that, now that things are starting to click.
Cunningham has been a key cog in all of Falmouth's big victories this season. In a 10-2 win on July 11, he went 4-for-5. In a 14-9 win on July 6, he went 2-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI. Last night, the trend continued, as Cunningham went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. He's not hitting .380 with two home runs and 11 RBI. A little more power the rest of the way, and he could put himself into the MVP conversation, if he's not already there. Falmouth players have won the last two MVP awards.
While Cunningham has been big in Falmouth's big wins, he's obviously been steady all the way along, even in the losses. Now, he's getting a little more help. Fletcher, who's hitting .323, went 2-for-5 last night with two runs and an RBI. O'Brien, who leads the league in on-base percentage and is one of just four players in the league with more walks than strikeouts, went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Vollmuth didn't do much last night, but he's hitting .260 and six of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases.
And then there's Morris. Perhaps the league's best pure slugger, he's really starting to heat up. Since taking an 0-for-4 on Sunday, Morris is eight for his last 11, with a home run, four runs scored and three RBI. For a while, it looked like he might turn in the more typical Cape League power-hitter line, with a .260 average and a big home run total. Now, he's hitting .313 with four home runs.
All in all, there's a lot to like in the Falmouth lineup. The Commodores are currently second in the league in hitting, but I could see that improving. The pitching certainly needs to improve -- the Commodores are last in ERA -- but if it does, Falmouth is a team to watch.
Elsewhere
Bourne snapped its five-game losing streak in emphatic fashion. After a day off Thursday, the Braves hosted Chatham Friday and stormed to a 10-1 victory on the strength of a nine-run sixth inning. To that point, the Braves were getting shut down by Anglers starter Patrick Johnson (North Carolina), who allowed two hits in five inning. But once Johnson left the game, the floodgates opened. The Braves sent 13 men to the plate and scored more runs in the one inning than they had in their last four games, combined. Rob Segedin (Tulane), Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) and Chris Wallace (Houston) each drove in two runs to power the Braves' attack. Bourne starter Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) struck out eight but walked six in five innings and took a no-decision. Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) picked up the win with three strong innings.
Y-D moved into a tie for first in the East thanks to a 3-1 victory over Brewster. Michael Goodnight (Houston), who lasted just 2.2 innings in his last start, allowed only three hits in five shutout innings this time around. Goodnight didn't factor in the decision but kept the game tied. Y-D broke through with two in the top of the ninth. Josh Rutledge (Alabama) had an RBI single to bring home the go-ahead run and Micah Gibbs (LSU) brought in an insurance run with a double. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) struck out two in the bottom of the ninth for his league-best eighth save. For Brewster, Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) hit his fourth home run.
In a game that went nearly five hours because of a lightning delay, Wareham out-lasted Hyannis 7-3. Ryan LaMarre (Michigan) had one of the best offensive nights the league has seen this summer, going 3-for-4, with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBI. His second double, brought home two runs and broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh. Dean Kiekhefer (Louisville) got the win for Wareham with three lights-out innings in relief. He allowed just one hit. The win kept Wareham in a first-place tie with Bourne.
Orleans had 16 hits and blew past Harwich 10-2. Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) continued to be a major spark for the Firebirds, delivering four hits and three RBI. This boxscore was not reported so the numbers aren't factored into the leaderboards, but a little math tells me that Brown is now hitting .383, tops in the league. All the offense was more than enough for Rob Rasmussen (UCLA), who struck out six in 5.2 innings.
But a little streak can make a big difference in a Cape League summer, and Falmouth has the kind of team that can do it.
I was originally going to write this post about Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State), who's still one of the league leaders in hitting, despite Falmouth's struggles. Then I decided I should probably mention Brian Fletcher (Auburn), before I looked down the stat sheet and realized Hunter Morris (Auburn) was also tearing it up. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) and Chris O'Brien (Wichita State) deserve a mention too.
As these realizations hit me, it became clear: the Commodores have a lineup that's turning into one of the most dangerous in the league.
They posted an 8-3 victory over Cotuit last night, and I wouldn't be shocked if they continued to deliver nights like that, now that things are starting to click.
Cunningham has been a key cog in all of Falmouth's big victories this season. In a 10-2 win on July 11, he went 4-for-5. In a 14-9 win on July 6, he went 2-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI. Last night, the trend continued, as Cunningham went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. He's not hitting .380 with two home runs and 11 RBI. A little more power the rest of the way, and he could put himself into the MVP conversation, if he's not already there. Falmouth players have won the last two MVP awards.
While Cunningham has been big in Falmouth's big wins, he's obviously been steady all the way along, even in the losses. Now, he's getting a little more help. Fletcher, who's hitting .323, went 2-for-5 last night with two runs and an RBI. O'Brien, who leads the league in on-base percentage and is one of just four players in the league with more walks than strikeouts, went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Vollmuth didn't do much last night, but he's hitting .260 and six of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases.
And then there's Morris. Perhaps the league's best pure slugger, he's really starting to heat up. Since taking an 0-for-4 on Sunday, Morris is eight for his last 11, with a home run, four runs scored and three RBI. For a while, it looked like he might turn in the more typical Cape League power-hitter line, with a .260 average and a big home run total. Now, he's hitting .313 with four home runs.
All in all, there's a lot to like in the Falmouth lineup. The Commodores are currently second in the league in hitting, but I could see that improving. The pitching certainly needs to improve -- the Commodores are last in ERA -- but if it does, Falmouth is a team to watch.
Elsewhere
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