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.