One Chatham pitcher currently has enough innings to qualify for the ERA leaderboard. Only two rank among the league’s top 40 in innings pitched. Just four times in 21 games has an Angler starter gone five innings. Not a single starter has gone more than five.
Those may sound like hallmarks of a struggling staff, but in the Cape League’s brave new pitching world, they’re largely irrelevant numbers. The Anglers have fully embraced the new approach, so the lack of long outings and big innings totals is a given.
What matters is what the pitchers do in their short stints, and Chatham pitchers have done a lot. The Anglers lead the league in strikeouts and opponents batting average while ranking second in team ERA.
Over the years, it’s been interesting to watch the trends in Cape League pitching. When it comes to balancing wear and tear on an arm with the chance for summer improvement and career enhancement, caution is winning out more and more. It was never more evident than last year, when just six pitchers qualified for the ERA title.
Cape League teams have had no choice but to adjust to the new reality, and I don’t know if anyone’s done it better than Chatham this year.
Twenty-three pitchers have taken the mound. Eight have departed at this point, leaving a 15-man staff. And every game, the staff pulls weight together.
The Anglers started the season by trotting out five pitchers on opening night, something they’ve done twice overall. They’ve used four pitchers in a game six times, three pitchers nine times and two pitchers four times, though three of those instances were seven-inning doubleheader games or weather-shortened contests. Whatever the total number of pitchers, starters most often go four innings, then make way for the bullpen.
And it’s been working. Saturday’s 9-6 win over Harwich was a classic example. Starting pitcher Jack Conlon (Texas A&M), who has pitched in relief and as a starter this summer, went 2.1 innings. Reliever Spencer Von Scoyoc (Arizona State) did the same. Zach King (Vanderbilt) logged 2.2 innings. And Troy Miller (Michigan) went the final 1.2.
The first three weren’t dominant – each allowed two runs – but they largely did their jobs. Miller finished things off in impressive fashion, allowing one hit in his outing.
At the plate, Blake Sabol (USC) drove in three runs and Drew Mendoza (Florida State) knocked in two. A five-run fourth inning staked the Anglers to the lead.
Another team effort by the pitching staff took care of the rest.
Cotuit 8, Hyannis 3
John Baker (Ball State) delivered another strong start and the Kettleers backed him up with a nine-hit attack for a win over Hyannis. Baker allowed one run on six hits and struck out six. He now leads the league in strikeouts with 27 and is tied for the league lead in wins with three. Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) and Zach Humphreys (TCU) each homered to lead the offense, while Jonathan Robertson (Creighton) had two RBI. Cotuit now leads the Barnstable Patriot Cup series 2-1.
Falmouth 6, Wareham 4
The Commodores rallied past first-place Wareham for their third consecutive win. Trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth, Falmouth broke out for four runs. Hayden Cantrelle (Louisiana Lafayette) scored on an error to tie the game and Logan Davidson (Clemson) plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Back from Team USA trials, Jack Little (Stanford) gave up one run in the bottom of the ninth stranded the tying run on base for the save. Kyle Stowers (Stanford) had two hits and an RBI to pace the Commodores. Sahid Valenzuela (Cal State Fullerton) had three hits for Wareham and is now hitting .404.
Bourne 7, Orleans 2
Only one of Bourne’s 11 hits went for extra-bases, but timely singles led to plenty of offense in a win over Orleans. Six different players drove in runs, led by Gabe Holt (Texas Tech), who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. The freshman standout for the Red Raiders is off to a fast start since arriving from Omaha, with hits in six of his first seven games. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) added three hits and an RBI, while Chase Murray (Georgia Tech) had two hits and an RBI. Justin Lasko (UMass) allowed two runs in six innings for the win, with Trey Benton (East Carolina) and Jacob Wallace (UConn) combining on a shutout relief performance. For Orleans, Nicholas Osborne (Tennessee Tech) hit his third home run in seven games.
Y-D 6, Brewster 6
Brewster scored six runs in the first two innings, but Y-D battled all the way back to force a tie. Ray Alejo (Central Florida) had two hits and scored two runs to lead the Whitecaps. Quin Cotton (Grand Canyon) drove in two runs for Y-D. Ty Madrigal (St. Mary’s) was strong in relief for Y-D with four scoreless innings. Zach Linginfelter (Tennessee) struck out seven in 4.2 innings for Brewster.
What to Watch
Bourne and Falmouth are one game apart in the West standings and they meet tonight at Arnie Allen Diamond.