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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
