It is not often that we get to see a new Cape League record established, but in the final few days of this wild summer of 2012, it’s possible that a lot of history could be made. A quick rundown:
Daily Fog: Bourne Supremacy
A lot will be sorted out in the playoff race over the next few days, but most of it will be about seeding and who’s playing whom. Unless Brewster gets hot and chases down Chatham in the East, though, the only battle for a final playoff spot will be in the West, where Bourne and Hyannis are on the hunt.
The way things have gone this year — with neither of those teams able to sustain much — match-ups between the two will have a big say.
Last night’s went to Bourne in decisive fashion.
The Braves rode a great performance by Jaron Long (Ohio State) and their highest-scoring game of the season to a 13-1 victory over Hyannis. Bourne, which has won three in a row, now has a four-point lead on Hyannis, who has lost five straight.
The Braves scored 10 runs in the first three innings and that was more than enough for Long, who turned in his best start of the summer. He struck out nine and allowed four hits in six shutout innings. John Farrell (William & Mary), Patrick Young (Villanova) and Hawtin Buchanan (Ole Miss) each pitched an inning to finish it off.
At the plate, Bourne finished with 21 hits. Jack Reinheimer (East Carolina) went 4-for-5 with an RBI, Colin Moran went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Mike Ahmed (Holy Cross) went 3-for-5 with three runs knocked in. Justin Leeson (Georgetown), Jordan Patterson (South Alabama) and Austin Wynns (Fresno State) added three hits each.
Bourne and Hyannis will play one more time in the regular season — on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Bourne.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
A very busy day ahead, with Hyannis and Harwich each playing split doubleheaders. Sean Manaea (Indiana State) is expected to start for the Harbor Hawks in their second game at Brewster at 4:30 p.m.
RFF Power Rankings: Week 7
It’s the second-to-last edition of the power rankings, and there’s a first-timer in the top spot.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | THE SKINNY | |
| 1 |  |
Cotuit Kettleers | I’ve been a little slow to get on the Cotuit bandwagon, but I think it’s time. The Kettleers have won 10 games in a row — the longest streak by any team this season — and have won 17 of 19 since July 5. That doesn’t happen by accident. Cotuit has turned into a dynamic offensive team, the bullpen has been outstanding and the players seem to have really embraced this run and the goals it’s brought within reach. | |
| 2 |  |
Y-D Red Sox | The Red Sox haven’t been hot for a while now and went 2-2 this past week, but their offense still isn’t slowing down much. The Red Sox are hitting .306 with a league-best 243 runs scored. The reason for leap-frogging Harwich is their pitching. Y-D got three really good starts this week and took hard-luck losses in two of them. If Ben Lively, Andrew Thurman and Alex Gonzalez keep it up, this team will be tough to beat. | |
| 3 |  |
Harwich Mariners | Since going 11-2 to start the year, the Mariners have gone 12-12, and it’s catching up with them a bit. Harwich went 2-2 on the week and, with Cotuit scorching, the Mariners saw their season-long stranglehold on the league’s best record finally run out. The Mariners are probably going to break the Cape League’s team home run record — they need just three more — and there’s still a lot of talent here. There are red flags, though. The team is hitting .244, ninth in the league, and has struck out more than any team in the league. The pitching staff saw its ERA rise to 4.49 this week. | |
| 4 |  |
Orleans Firebirds | Orleans has had the best ERA in the league all season and it continues to be the team’s defining quality. Even in its only loss this past week, Orleans pitched pretty well. For the Firebirds, it’s not about dominant starters or lights-out bullpens — everybody is just steady, and that’s a pretty good starting point for success. The offense had a pretty good week of its own, scoring 19 runs in three games. | |
| 5 |  |
Falmouth Commodores | Last week, I wrote that the Commodores — then mired in an eight-game losing streak — still had in them their strong play from the beginning of the season. This week, the Commodores found it, snapping the skid and going 4-0. The pitching set the tone. Sean Hagan almost threw a no-hitter and settled for a complete-game shutout. Craig Schlitter and John Simms turned in dominant starts, as well, and five pitchers combined on a shutout of Bourne. Provided they make the playoffs, the Commodores are going to be a team whose record you throw out when you evaluate the postseason. | |
| 6 |  |
Wareham Gatemen | We’re still waiting for the Gatemen to really put things together, but I still wouldn’t want to run into them in the playoffs, either. The lineup is as powerful as any this side of Harwich. Pitching remains the concern. Wareham actually got some quality performances this week, but the inconsistency was there, as well. | |
| 7 |  |
Chatham Anglers | The Anglers went 0-3-1 for the week and have won just two of their last 12 games. They’ll have to heat up at the right time if they want to make a playoff run. Their ability to trot out Mike Wagner and Ryan Thompson in a playoff series gives them a leg up on the teams below. Andrew Knapp has been a bright spot on offense, with a .385 average and two home runs in the last seven days. | |
| 8 |  |
Hyannis Harbor Hawks | Hyannis dropped below Bourne in the standings thanks to an 0-4 week and they have a tough schedule remaining that includes two games against Y-D. I have no idea who to predict as the final playoff team in the West, but for the purposes of the rankings, Sean Manaea and David Garner give the Harbor Hawks the edge. | |
| 9 |  |
Bourne Braves | Bourne took a hit with the loss of Mason Robbins but did go 2-2 for the week. The Braves hold a one-game lead on Hyannis for the fourth and final playoff spot. They got their best pitching performance of the year on Sunday as Jeff Thompson threw a six-inning no-hitter in a rain-shortened game. Still, I’m not entirely sure what to make of this team. | |
| 10 |  |
Brewster Whitecaps | Brewster had another rough week, going 1-3-1. The Whitecaps have won two of their last eight games and though their offense continues to rank third in the league in hitting, it’s been a tough go overall. |
Daily Fog: Valuable Arm
MVP awards are funny. Everybody has their own definition, their own qualifications for what an MVP should be. For some people, it’s just the best player. For others, the best player on the best team.
And then there’s the concept of value. Sometimes, the best player is the most valuable because he’s just the best. Other times, without a certain player, a team just wouldn’t be where it is.
Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) probably won’t win the Cape League’s MVP award. He wasn’t even an all-star.
But Cotuit wouldn’t be where it is without him.
Connolly pitched 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen last night and got the win as Cotuit beat Brewster 10-9 for its 10th victory in a row. Connolly — who has not started a game — now leads the league in wins with seven. Not only that, but he has matched the highest win total of the last 12 years. No pitcher’s won more than seven.
It’s amazing — I don’t know if a relief pitcher has ever led the league in wins outright. Last year, there were a couple of guys who had pitched some innings out of the bullpen and were tied for the league lead, but that was when the lead was at four wins. At seven, you’d be hard-pressed to find another relief pitcher who’s done that.
But it’s not surprising. That’s how good Connolly has been — and the seven wins really only hint at his value. He leads the league in appearances with 21, meaning he’s pitched in more than half of Cotuit’s 37 games. He’s also tied for the league lead in innings pitched. In 13 of his outings, he hasn’t allowed a run. He ranks second in the league in strikeouts and fourth in ERA.
And when it comes to value, this is the stat that speaks loudest: Cotuit is 17-4 in games Connolly has pitched. In his last eight appearances, the Kettleers are 8-0.
Last night, Connolly and the Kettleers were doing it again. Connolly came into the game in the fifth. He allowed two inherited runners to score but got out of the frame without further damage, pitched a perfect sixth, watched his team take the lead in the bottom of the sixth and then pitched a scoreless seventh.
Cotuit went on to the one-run win. Dan Slania (Notre Dame) got the save, while James Roberts (USC) went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead the offense. Patrick Biondi (Michigan) had two hits and two RBI, and Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt) also drove in two.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Looks like two very good pitching match-ups tonight. In Falmouth, the Commodores send Trey Masek to the hill against Orleans and Matt Boyd at 6:30 p.m. And in Chatham, Michael Wagner goes for the Anglers against Brewster’s Tom Windle in a 7 p.m. start.
Daily Fog: Unusual Suspects
It’s been a tough summer in Bourne, but the Braves have shown a flair for the dramatic all season.
Even with the leading man in that drama — Mason Robbins — heading home, the Braves still put on a pretty good show last night.
Trailing Orleans 4-3, they scored a run in the eighth to tie the game. After Orleans jumped back on top in the top of the ninth, the Braves scored two runs and walked off with the 6-5 victory.
L.J. Mazzilli (UConn) doubled and scored the tying run in the eighth on a squeeze bunt by Jordan Patterson (South Alabama). Then in the ninth, with the bases loaded and two outs, Justin Leeson (Georgetown) — Robbins’ replacement in right field — rapped the first pitch he saw into right field to score two and give Bourne the victory.
Leeson had two hits to lead the Braves’ charge, as did Mazzilli. Patterson and Joe Jackson (The Citadel) had the other RBI.
The comeback gave standout reliever Tim Giel (Columbia) his first win of the season.
The victory, coupled with a Hyannis loss, moves the Braves two points ahead of the Harbor Hawks for the fourth and final playoff spot with seven games remaining.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Cotuit is running away with first place in the West, but there’s still a battle for the rest of the playoff spots. The most interesting match-up in that race tonight is Falmouth at Wareham at 7 p.m. The Commodores lead the Gatemen by two points for second place.
Daily Fog: Shut Down
Maybe they were inspired by the All-Star Game.
A night after pitching dominated the Cape’s Mid-Summer Classic, the league jumped right back into regular-season action and pitchers dominated that, too. Falmouth’s Sean Hagan (St. John’s) had a no-hitter broken up in the ninth inning and settled for a complete game, one-hit shutout. Bourne’s Jeff Thompson (Louisville) pitched a six-inning no-hitter in a game that was called early due to rain. And three Cotuit pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout and a 1-0 victory over Y-D.
Together, those performances made for probably the best pitching night of the offense-filled summer.
Start with Hagan. The 6-foot-6 lefty, a 29th-round pick this year, wasn’t an All-Star but he’s had his moments this summer. In his last start, he allowed two runs in nine innings as part of an 11-inning game.
This time, the nine innings were even better. Hagan struck out nine, walked one and just mowed down the league’ third-best hitting team. He retired the first 21 batters he faced and took a perfect game into the eighth, when he hit a batter.
As he headed to the ninth, he was one out away from the league’s first nine-inning no-hitter since Jordan Pries did it in 2010. After a strikeout for out number one, Erik Forgione (Memphis) broke up the no-no with a double. Hagan then walked the next batter but finished off the shutout with a groundout and a strikeout.
Falmouth, which had 16 hits, ended up with the 6-0 win.
No-no Rain
Thompson was the top prospect in the NECBL last summer but has had his struggles on the Cape. He came into last night’s game with a 5.87 ERA. Facing Harwich, he didn’t look like a no-hitter candidate.
But there he was.
Thompson struck out nine and walked two in six innings. When the game was called, his six no-hit innings turned into a no-hitter. It’s a bit of a shame that he didn’t get the chance to go the full way. He was at 80 pitches through six so you’ve got to figure he had a few more left in him.
Maybe Harwich would have got to him later, but maybe not. Regardless, it was a great performance by Thompson.
It’s the first time Harwich has been shut-out all season.
Three’s Company
In the best pitchers’ duel of the night, Cotuit slipped past Y-D 1-0 for its eighth straight win.
The Kettleers were facing Andrew Thurman (UC Irvine), who was coming off a dominant complete game shutout in his last start. But the Kettleers matched him. Joe Broussard (LSU) started and allowed four hits in six innings, while striking out four. Cameron Griffin (Stetson) and Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) finished off the victory with a scoreless frame.
Cotuit got its lone run in the seventh when Patrick Biondi (Michigan) singled and eventually came around on a wild pitch.
The Kettleers now have the best record in the league.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Cotuit will try to stay hot as it hosts Chatham at 5 p.m.
All-Star Game: Pitchers’ Revenge
So the All-Star Game ended in a tie, huh? The way this season’s going, must have been 12-12. Eight home runs between the teams. Everybody ran out of pitching so they called it a night.
Or not.
In the Cape League’s Year of the Hitter, it was the All-Star Game of the Pitcher as the East and West played to a 1-1 tie at Whitehouse Field. The runs scored on a dropped third strike in the eighth and an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
I couldn’t make it over to Harwich so I watched on Fox College Sports. I thought going in that pitchers had a chance to dominate since they’d each only be out there for an inning. But with the hitters in the league, I thought someone at some point would break through.
Instead, it looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless tie until the West got something — a little something — going in the eighth. Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) and Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) poked singles through the infield off Brewster’s Tom Windle (Minnesota), and then they executed a double steal to put runners on second and third.
The East got an out at home when second baseman Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern) made a tough play and fired to the plate to get Palka. And it looked like the East would get out of the inning when John Murphy swung threw a low 0-2 pitch. But the ball got away, Murphy ran to first and May scampered home with the go-ahead run.
In the ninth, though, against Dan Slania, the league’s best closer, the East rallied. Alex Blandino (Stanford) singled and took second on a fielder’s choice. Slania got the second out then jumped ahead of Y-D’s Robert Pehl (Washington) 0-2. Pehl worked it back to 2-2, though, and then roped a base hit into left. Blandino raced around with the tying run.
Asuaje was hit by a pitch to put the winning run in scoring position, but Slania struck out Healy to end the game, which was slated to go nine innings regardless of score.
Palka earned MVP honors for the West squad with three hits. Blandino, who was 2-for-3, won the honor for the East.
The real MVPs were the pitchers, as 16 of them tossed scoreless innings. Sean Manaea (Indiana State) didn’t disappoint in getting the start for the West, as he struck out two in the first inning. His teammate Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) was among the most impressive arms of the night, with his fastball hitting 96. On the East side, Matt Boyd (Oregon State), Kyle Crockett (Virginia) and Ryan Thompson (Franklin Pierce) all pitched hitless frames.
The game was the lowest scoring All-Star Game since 2005, when the East won 1-0 on a run in the ninth. That game was the highlight of a pitching-dominated summer. Eight of the 16 pitchers in that All-Star Game have gone on to the Major Leagues, including Tim Lincecum and Daniel Bard.
If anybody has more observations about the game, feel free to share them in the comments.
Daily Fog: Finishers
In the power rankings the other day, I mentioned that Cotuit’s propensity for short outings from its starters was a little bit of a concern. I still think it’s an issue, but if anybody can handle the heavy workload, it might be the Cotuit bullpen.
Even a 14-inning game wasn’t a problem.
After starter Kyle Finnegan (Texas State) struck out seven and gave up three runs in 3.2 innings, five Cotuit relievers kept Hyannis off the board for the rest of a game that matched the longest of the summer. The Hyannis bullpen was impressive, as well, but Cotuit broke through for three runs in the top of the 14th and held off the Harbor Hawks in the bottom half for the 6-3 win. It’s the seventh victory in a row for the Kettleers.
The bullpen has been awesome throughout for the Kettleers, but this was a new level. Dusty Isaacs (Georgia Tech) relieved Finnegan and had a starter-type performance, going 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine. Jacob Stone (Weatherford) and Dan Slania (Notre Dame) followed with hitless outings, and Tim Mayza (Millersville) worked around a single in the 13th to pitch another scoreless frame.
With a lead in the 14th, Mayza gave up a leadoff single to Blake Austin (Auburn) and was replaced by Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina), who’s been the busiest and probably the most successful member of the bullpen. Connolly came through again, striking out two and getting a pop-out to finish off the victory. Amazingly, Connolly — who has not started a game — now is tied for second in the league in strikeouts with 46. He’s allowed two runs in his last nine appearances, a span of 21.1 innings.
The bullpen performance set the stage for the Kettleers in the 14th. An Aramis Garcia (Florida International) RBI single brought in the go-ahead run and an Adam Nelubowich (Washington State) squeeze bunt brought in another. Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) then delivered an RBI single to make it 6-3.
Patrick Biondi (Michigan) went 3-for-6 to lead the Cotuit offense and he’ll now carry a .404 average into the All-Star Game. May and Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston) had two hits each.
Cotuit has now won 14 of 16 games.
For Hyannis, Austin went 3-for-5 and Brad Zebedis (Presbyterian) homered. Peter Miller (Florida State) had the best relief performance as he struck out seven in four scoreless innings.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
The Cape League All-Star Game is tonight at 6 p.m. See the post below for more info.
All Star Game Preview
The summer of 2012 in the Cape Cod Baseball League has been one of the best I can remember.
Saturday night, the best of the best take center stage.
The Cape League All-Star Game returns to the Cape for the first time since 2008, after three years at Fenway Park. The Harwich Mariners will host the game Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Whitehouse Field.
For Cape League fans who haven’t made the trek up to Fenway these past three years, the return of the All-Star Game comes at a pretty good time. It coincides with a terrific season, full of great story lines, great numbers and great players. Most of them will be on the field Saturday, from Sean Manaea and his 75 strikeouts to Phillip Ervin and his 10 home runs.
As always, it should be fun.
The Schedule
2 p. m. – Gates Open to Public
2:00 – 2:40 – East Batting Practice
2:45 – 3:25 – West Batting Practice
3:40 – 4:10 – East Infield / Outfield Warm up
– Autograph Sessions Begin (See Below)
4:15 – 4:45 -West Infield / Outfield Warm up
5:00 – 5:30 – Home Run Hitting Contest
5:40 – 5:45 – Pre-Game Ceremony
5:45 – 5:52 – Player Introductions
5:52 – 5:55 – National Antham
5:55 – 5:57 – First Pitch Ceremony
6:05 – Cape League All Star Game Start
Autograph Sessions
3:40 – 4:15 – East and West Pitchers
4:20 – 4:45 – East Position Players
4:55 – 5:25 – West Position Players
Broadcast Info
For anyone not attending, the game will be broadcast live on Fox College Sports. On the radio, you can listen on WCAI and the Cape & The Islands NPR stations.
Ten to Watch
All 42 players are deserving of your attention, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the very best.
1. Sean Manaea, Hyannis
The starting pitcher for the West squad is putting together a historic season and is quickly approaching the league’s modern-era strikeout record. With only an inning or two on his agenda, the lefty’s mid-90’s fastball may light up radar guns even more than usual.
2. Phillip Ervin, Harwich
Ervin was the story of the first half of the season as he hit eight home runs in June. His pace has slowed down, but he’s still one of the league’s top hitters. The ball flat out jumps off his bat.
3. Robert Pehl, Yarmouth-Dennis
Pehl had a decent freshman season at Washington but has taken things to another level on the Cape. He has 14 multi-hit games and carries a .368 average and a league-best 32 RBI into the ASG.
4. Colin Moran, Bourne
One of the top college hitters in the country, the UNC rising junior has kind of quietly lived up to every expectation. He’s hitting .331 with five home runs and ranks second in the league in RBI. He might be the best pure hitter in the league.
5. Aaron Blair, Y-D
Blair wasn’t on a lot of people’s radar before the season, but the Marshall righty has been the league’s top starting pitcher not named Sean Manaea. He’ll start for the East.
6. Tyler Horan, Wareham
Horan didn’t get off to the same kind of start as Ervin, but he’s now tied for the league lead in home runs with 10. The Middleboro, Mass., native is also hitting .333.
7. Tom Windle, Brewster
Another talented southpaw, Windle has struck 40 and walked just 4 in 32.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .203 against him.
8. Mason Robbins, Bourne
Perhaps the top freshman on the Cape, the Southern Miss star and former 20th round pick is tied for the league lead in extra-base hits, and he’s batting .336 with seven home runs.
9. Matt Boyd, Orleans
The unsigned 13th-rounder in this year’s draft hasn’t been on the Cape long, but he’s made a big impression. After starting the year in the bullpen, he struck out 12 and allowed one hit in six innings in his first start.
10. Brandon Trinkwon, Hyannis
Trinkwon has been one of my favorites this year. A smooth shortstop and a lefty swinger, he’s hitting .339 with five home runs.
Daily Fog: To the Top
It wasn’t all too surprising when Y-D and Orleans spent a day tied with Harwich for the Cape League’s best record. Those teams have been hot on the Mariners’ heels all summer. You could have seen that tie coming.
This one? Not quite.
Cotuit is comfortably in first place in the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Western Division, but in adding to their lead last night with a 16-3 victory over Wareham, the Kettleers matched East leader Harwich for the league’s best record at 21-12.
It’s been quite a run. All season, the West has been a step behind the East, and for a long time, Cotuit was right in the middle of that. The Kettleers fell to 8-10 when they were crushed by Hyannis the day after the Fourth of July.
Since then, they’ve gone 13-2.
The run started with a seven-game winning streak. After two losses in a row, the Kettleers have now won six straight. With the rest of the West still treading water, the surge has put the Kettleers at the top of the division. They lead it by six games, and their record looks more impressive now that it matches Harwich.
Cotuit got the win last night with its highest run total of the season. Though they only had 11 hits, the Kettleers took advantage of eight walks and four Gatemen errors. Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston) hit two home runs and drove in four, and Aramis Garcia (Florida International) also homered. Jacob Valdez (San Jose State) added two hits and three RBI while Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt) had a triple and three RBI.
On the mound, Adam McCreery (Arizona State) went four scoreless innings before the bullpen continued its steady work. Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) — who has not started a game — picked up his sixth win of the year, going 2.2 innings and allowing one run. Cameron Griffin (Stetson), Joe Broussard (LSU) and Tim Mayza (Millersville) finished off the victory.
Wareham dropped to 15-18 with the loss. On the bright side for the Gatemen, Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) hit his 10th home run of the year to tie Harwich’s Phillip Ervin for the league lead.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Harwich visits Y-D, who’s two games back of the Mariners for first place. The game is at 5 p.m. A.J. Reed (Kentucky), who’s had some quality starts goes for the Mariners against Ben Lively (Central Florida), who struck out seven in five scoreless innings his last time out.
Also check back later for a little all-star game preview.