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.
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
cotuit takes it
They got the game in, and it didn't even take that long.
Cotuit beat Falmouth 3-2 today in game three of the Western Division playoffs to clinch a spot in the league championship. The Kettleers fell behind 1-0 but then grabbed a 3-1 lead and held it for most of the game. The Commodores got a run in the ninth, but Cotuit held on for the victory.
The Kettleers will take on Harwich in the championship series, which begins Wednesday. Cotuit will host the first game. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Cotuit beat Falmouth 3-2 today in game three of the Western Division playoffs to clinch a spot in the league championship. The Kettleers fell behind 1-0 but then grabbed a 3-1 lead and held it for most of the game. The Commodores got a run in the ninth, but Cotuit held on for the victory.
The Kettleers will take on Harwich in the championship series, which begins Wednesday. Cotuit will host the first game. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
let's try this again
As long as that green stays away, we'll have playoff baseball today after yesterday's game three had to be postponed. The league is in quite the time crunch now, with players getting ready to head back to school. I'm sure some of them were planning on already being gone.
As far as yesterday's delay, it could help Cotuit. Ace Seth Blair was not going to pitch yesterday, but today, he's on four days rest and he might be the one getting the ball.
We'll see at 3 p.m.
Monday, August 11, 2008
harwich wins a marathon, falmouth evens series
One first-round playoff series is going three games.
The other kind of already did.
While Falmouth outlasted Cotuit 6-3 to even the Western Division series, Harwich and Orleans staged an epic game in the East. When it was over, 18 innings and more than four hours later, Harwich had a 1-0 victory and a spot in the championship.
Harwich 1, Orleans 0
I almost went to this game, but with a two-hour drive ahead of me after an 18-inning game, it's probably better that I didn't.
Except I really wish I'd seen it.
Extra-inning games that get up to the 13th or 14th inning are incredible enough. This one went 18, and it was playoff game, and throughout the game, the score was 0-0. Crazy stuff. There was tremendous pitching, tremendous defense and not-so-tremendous hitting (Shaver Hansen and his 0-for-8 can attest).
In the end, with fog possibly playing a role, Orleans outfielder Angelo Songco charged in on a fly ball from Branton Belt, and with the shortstop and centerfielder converging, the ball bounced off Songco's glove. Brian Kemp, who was on second base and going on contact with two outs, raced home to give Harwich the victory.
That's a tough way to end a game, and for Orleans, a tough way to end a season. But everything that came before the ending was the stuff classic games are made of.
Falmouth 6, Cotuit 3
Starting pitcher Chris Gloor gave Falmouth exactly what it needed, dominating until the sixth inning and setting the stage for the Commodores to tie the series. They scored two runs in the first, one in the third and one in the fifth before Cotuit finally got to Gloor with two runs in the sixth.
But the Commodores never lost the lead. Rex Brothers pitched 1.2 scoreless innings out of the pen and Ben Tootle picked up the save, stranding two in the ninth to seal the victory.
Trevor Coleman had a home run for Falmouth, Kevin Nolan went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Michael Thomas went 3-for-4.
Looking Ahead
Chad Bettis, who has been Falmouth's most consistent starter this year, will get the ball in today's decisive game three, which will be played at 3 p.m. in Cotuit, as long as the rain holds off. The Kettleers have not announced a starter.
Meanwhile, Harwich will get a well-deserved day off.
The other kind of already did.
While Falmouth outlasted Cotuit 6-3 to even the Western Division series, Harwich and Orleans staged an epic game in the East. When it was over, 18 innings and more than four hours later, Harwich had a 1-0 victory and a spot in the championship.
Harwich 1, Orleans 0
I almost went to this game, but with a two-hour drive ahead of me after an 18-inning game, it's probably better that I didn't.
Except I really wish I'd seen it.
Extra-inning games that get up to the 13th or 14th inning are incredible enough. This one went 18, and it was playoff game, and throughout the game, the score was 0-0. Crazy stuff. There was tremendous pitching, tremendous defense and not-so-tremendous hitting (Shaver Hansen and his 0-for-8 can attest).
In the end, with fog possibly playing a role, Orleans outfielder Angelo Songco charged in on a fly ball from Branton Belt, and with the shortstop and centerfielder converging, the ball bounced off Songco's glove. Brian Kemp, who was on second base and going on contact with two outs, raced home to give Harwich the victory.
That's a tough way to end a game, and for Orleans, a tough way to end a season. But everything that came before the ending was the stuff classic games are made of.
- Six pitchers didn't allow a run. William Bullock went nine shutout innings for the Mariners, followed by 1.1 by Willie Kempf, 5.2 by Steve Kalush and 2 from Sean Black. For Orleans starter Matt Thomson went 7.1 scoreless frames, Adam Wilk went 3.2 and closer Alex Hassan tossed 6.2 dominant innings.
- Orleans left nine men on base, Harwich 13.
- The Cardinals had the game's best chance to score in the seventh. Songco was hit by a pitch then stole second and third. On a fly ball to left field with one out, Songco tagged up and headed for home, but catcher-turned-outfielder Tommy Medica cut him down at the plate.
- It was the longest game of the season, and it could have gone longer. The 11:30 curfew was waived.
Falmouth 6, Cotuit 3
Starting pitcher Chris Gloor gave Falmouth exactly what it needed, dominating until the sixth inning and setting the stage for the Commodores to tie the series. They scored two runs in the first, one in the third and one in the fifth before Cotuit finally got to Gloor with two runs in the sixth.
But the Commodores never lost the lead. Rex Brothers pitched 1.2 scoreless innings out of the pen and Ben Tootle picked up the save, stranding two in the ninth to seal the victory.
Trevor Coleman had a home run for Falmouth, Kevin Nolan went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Michael Thomas went 3-for-4.
Looking Ahead
Chad Bettis, who has been Falmouth's most consistent starter this year, will get the ball in today's decisive game three, which will be played at 3 p.m. in Cotuit, as long as the rain holds off. The Kettleers have not announced a starter.
Meanwhile, Harwich will get a well-deserved day off.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
cotuit, harwich strike first
The teams that came into the postseason hot stayed hot yesterday on the opening night of the playoffs.
The top-seeded Cotuit Kettleers, who won five straight games at the end of the regular season, made it six in a row with a 6-4 victory over No. 2 Falmouth. Over in the East, the second-seeded Harwich Mariners, winners of four in a row to end the season, beat Orleans 4-3 for the 1-0 series lead.
Cotuit 6, Falmouth 4
I wasn't surprised to see that Cotuit grabbed its victory. The Kettleers have been playing better than anybody in the league and, yesterday, they had one of their aces on the mound. Nick Hernandez gave Cotuit exactly what it needed, allowing just two runs in six innings. He struck out eight and didn't walk anybody. Daniel Wolford was strong in relief, while Drew Storen allowed a run in the ninth before picking up the save.
As for the offense, Cotuit continued a recent trend -- hits from every spot. Yesterday, eight of nine starters had at least one hit, with Jason Kipnis going 2-for-3 with a home run.
Meanwhile, Falmouth actually out-hit Cotuit 11-10, but the Commodores left 11 on base. They also found themselves in an early hole, with the Kettleers scoring five in the first three innings off Falmouth starter Jorge Reyes.
Harwich 4, Orleans 3
Harwich brought momentum into the game and didn't waste any time running with it. The Mariners all of their four runs in the top of the first inning, before Orleans could even blink. The Cardinals eventually settled in but couldn't climb all the way back in.
I don't blame them. That's a real tough start to recover from, and it's impressive to see from the Mariners. I knew they were hot coming into this series, but they're also a very streaky team, and you never know when the streak is going to end.
Not last night. Shaver Hansen led off the game with a double, and the merry-go-round was quickly at top speed. A three-run home run by Joseph Sanders was the big blow.
Armed with a four-run cushion, J.J. Hoover tossed seven dominant innings, striking out 12 and allowing only one earned run. Willie Kempf and Steve Kalush finished off the victory.
Looking Ahead
The difference between winning in two and winning in three is big, especially for the pitching rotation, so both Harwich and Cotuit will really be hoping to close it out tonight.
Cotuit's road looks like it will get a little tougher, with Falmouth's Chris Gloor on the mound against Paul Applebee. Gloor has a 2.59 ERA, a little better than Applebee's 3.09 mark. Gloor also has a low WHIP, while Applebee has given up more hits than innings pitched.
The Kettleers may also have to contend with Falmouth fireballer Ben Tootle, who didn't pitch yesterday. If the Commodores get a lead, Tootle will be in there.
Over in the East, Harwich heads home with a chance to clinch. It'll be a tall task, though, with Orleans ace and all-star starter Matt Thomson on the mound. But the Mariners wil counter with a good starter of their own. In fact, William Bullock allowed one run in 6.1 innings when he beat Orleans on Aug. 2.
The top-seeded Cotuit Kettleers, who won five straight games at the end of the regular season, made it six in a row with a 6-4 victory over No. 2 Falmouth. Over in the East, the second-seeded Harwich Mariners, winners of four in a row to end the season, beat Orleans 4-3 for the 1-0 series lead.
Cotuit 6, Falmouth 4
I wasn't surprised to see that Cotuit grabbed its victory. The Kettleers have been playing better than anybody in the league and, yesterday, they had one of their aces on the mound. Nick Hernandez gave Cotuit exactly what it needed, allowing just two runs in six innings. He struck out eight and didn't walk anybody. Daniel Wolford was strong in relief, while Drew Storen allowed a run in the ninth before picking up the save.
As for the offense, Cotuit continued a recent trend -- hits from every spot. Yesterday, eight of nine starters had at least one hit, with Jason Kipnis going 2-for-3 with a home run.
Meanwhile, Falmouth actually out-hit Cotuit 11-10, but the Commodores left 11 on base. They also found themselves in an early hole, with the Kettleers scoring five in the first three innings off Falmouth starter Jorge Reyes.
Harwich 4, Orleans 3
Harwich brought momentum into the game and didn't waste any time running with it. The Mariners all of their four runs in the top of the first inning, before Orleans could even blink. The Cardinals eventually settled in but couldn't climb all the way back in.
I don't blame them. That's a real tough start to recover from, and it's impressive to see from the Mariners. I knew they were hot coming into this series, but they're also a very streaky team, and you never know when the streak is going to end.
Not last night. Shaver Hansen led off the game with a double, and the merry-go-round was quickly at top speed. A three-run home run by Joseph Sanders was the big blow.
Armed with a four-run cushion, J.J. Hoover tossed seven dominant innings, striking out 12 and allowing only one earned run. Willie Kempf and Steve Kalush finished off the victory.
Looking Ahead
The difference between winning in two and winning in three is big, especially for the pitching rotation, so both Harwich and Cotuit will really be hoping to close it out tonight.
Cotuit's road looks like it will get a little tougher, with Falmouth's Chris Gloor on the mound against Paul Applebee. Gloor has a 2.59 ERA, a little better than Applebee's 3.09 mark. Gloor also has a low WHIP, while Applebee has given up more hits than innings pitched.
The Kettleers may also have to contend with Falmouth fireballer Ben Tootle, who didn't pitch yesterday. If the Commodores get a lead, Tootle will be in there.
Over in the East, Harwich heads home with a chance to clinch. It'll be a tall task, though, with Orleans ace and all-star starter Matt Thomson on the mound. But the Mariners wil counter with a good starter of their own. In fact, William Bullock allowed one run in 6.1 innings when he beat Orleans on Aug. 2.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
