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Daily Fog: Sweeping

The hottest team in the league when the playoffs began is out. And now someone else is pretty hot in their own right.

Y-D finished off a sweep of top-seeded Orleans by winning an 11-10 slugfest with four runs in the ninth. Wareham also swept, rolling to a 12-3 victory over Bourne, the seventh win in a row for the Gatemen.

In the other two series, Falmouth and Harwich forced rubber games today.

Y-D had been labeled by many as a dark horse, and the Red Sox took game one behind a dominant pitching effort from Mark Appel. Game two was a lot shorter on pitching — the teams combined for 33 hits — but the Red Sox still found a way.

The Red Sox trailed 10-7 in the ninth, and trotting in from the bullpen was Orleans closer Trevor Gott (Kentucky), the Cape League’s Relief Pitcher of the Year.

That didn’t stop them. Y-D made it 10-8 with a James Ramsey (Florida State) solo home run. Stephen Piscotty (Stanford) then walked and Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) singled, but Gott induced Mason Katz (LSU) to pop out for the second out. Then Tyler Hanover (LSU) came through, hitting a single to score two and tie the game. Connor Harrell (Vanderbilt) followed with a walk-off double to plate Hanover with the winning run.

The loss was a heartbreaker for the Firebirds, who had rallied from a 5-1 deficit to take the lead. But the Red Sox had too much in the end. Ramsey, Katz, Hanover and Matt Wessinger (St. John’s) each had two hits, with Ramsey driving in three runs.

As for the other sweep, Wareham didn’t need any heroics in the 12-3 victory. The Gatemen trailed 2-1 early but scored five in the fourth and three in the sixth and never looked back. L.J. Mazzilli (UConn) had a homer and four RBI, while Robert Refsnyder (Arizona), Johnny Field (Arizona, Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) and William Carmona (Stony Brook) all had two hits.

The big story for Wareham was starting pitcher Brent Suter (Harvard), who tossed a complete game, striking out eight and allowing two earned runs. Suter had been solid this season but not spectacular. On this night, he turned in — believe it or not — the first nine-inning complete game in the Cape League this summer. The only previous complete games had been in seven-inning doubleheaders. Heck of a time for the first one.

Elsewhere

  • Harwich kept its series with Brewster alive thanks to an 8-2 victory. The Mariners started Carter Capps (Mt. Olive), who had pitched only out of the bullpen this summer. Capps was a starter at school, though, and he came through with six strong innings. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven. Caleb Reed (Mississippi State) closed the deal, allowing one run in three innings. As for the offense, Harwich broke out after getting just five hits the night before. Jake Davies (Georgia Tech), John Wooten (East Carolina) and Mike Garza (Georgetown) all had two hits, with Davies driving in three runs.

  • Falmouth also stayed alive, posting a 6-2 victory over top-seeded Falmouth. Tyler Duffey (Rice) started for the Commodores and got the better of Hyannis ace Scott Firth (Clemson). Duffey allowed two runs in six innings, while Falmouth got to Firth for five runs in 4.1 innings. Jared King (Kansas State) had two hits and two RBI to lead the Falmouth offense. Armed with a lead, Nate Koneski (Holy Cross) came out of the bullpen and dominated, pitching three innings without allowing a hit. Hyannis managed just four hits for the day.

    • What to Watch

    Brewster at Harwich and Falmouth at Hyannis are both scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight, but the weather isn’t looking so good. Keep an eye on the Cape League’s twitter and Facebook pages for updates.

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    Playoffs: The Ringer

    I wrote yesterday about Y-D’s late arrivals, a talent influx that shaped up as a big factor for the playoffs. The influx hadn’t yet translated to success, though. The Red Sox never had that expected hot streak.

    But last night, on the first night of the playoffs, the Red Sox found some success.

    Stanford star Mark Appel, who had made only two starts since arriving from Team USA in late July, got the ball for game one and showed everybody that Y-D might have the league’s best postseason ace.

    Appel went eight shutout innings in game one against Orleans, allowing five hits and striking out 10. It’s just the kind of performance you’d expect for a guy who touches 97 miles per hour and may be the best pitching prospect in the league. But considering his arrival time and Y-D’s general struggles — the Sox went 1-4 in their last five — it almost seems made up that he would come out and do this in game one of the playoffs.

    But he did it.

    Appel scattered the five hits he allowed and, after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the second, he never allowed more than one baserunner in any inning. In the process, he delivered not just a great playoff start, but really one of the great starts of the summer. Starting pitching has been a little lackluster this year, without a lot of guys going deep into games with big strikeout numbers. Appel broke the mold at the perfect time for the Red Sox.

    As for the offense, Y-D had enough. John Brebbia (Elon) pitched a solid eight innings for Orleans but Y-D got to him for four runs. Cody Keefer (UCLA) knocked in two runs and James Ramsey (Florida State) also had an RBI. Tyler Hanover (LSU) went 4-for-4.

    While the win is certainly impressive for Y-D, it doesn’t guarantee a thing going forward, of course. Orleans hasn’t lost two in a row since July 19.

    And Appel won’t be pitching tomorrow.

    Elsewhere

  • In the other 1 vs. 4 series, Hyannis rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat Falmouth 6-4. The Harbor Hawks gave up two runs in the second and third innings but came back with five in the fourth. Kevin Plawecki (Purdue) went 3-for-5 with two RBI, Justin Gonzalez (Florida State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Chadd Krist (Cal) had two hits and an RBI. Starter Jon Moscot (Pepperdine) settled down to pitch six innings, allowing nothing in his final three. Ryan Gibson (Oklahoma) and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) finished it off. It’s the first playoff win for Hyannis since August 11, 2004.

  • Brewster won a pitchers’ duel with Harwich by a 3-1 score. Tony Buccifero (Michigan State) went seven strong innings for Brewster, striking out eight and allowing just one run. Taylor Rogers (Kentucky) struck out nine in seven innings for Harwich but two unearned runs cost the Mariners. J.J. Altobelli (Oregon) led the Brewster offense with two hits and an RBI. Brewster broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the eighth. Andrew Toles (Tennessee) knocked in the go-ahead run with a single, and Altobelli plated Toles for the 3-1 lead. J.T. Chargois (Rice) got the save for Brewster.

  • Wareham scored three runs in the eighth and held off Bourne in the ninth to win 6-5. The Gatemen trailed 4-3 going into the eighth but got a two-run double by Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) to take the lead. Tyler Ross (LSU) then came through with an RBI single to make it 6-4. Bourne scored a run off Konner Wade (Arizona) in the ninth but he buckled down and didn’t allow anything else as Wareham took the 1-0 lead in the series. Daniel Feehan (UConn) got the win in relief for the Gatemen after Josh Turley (Baylor) had allowed two earned in seven innings. Palka and L.J. Mazzilli (UConn) each had two RBI. Tommy Coyle (North Carolina) drove in two runs for Bourne.

    • What to Watch

    Game: The Cape Cod Times says Joey DeNato will start today, but the league site has Brian Johnson as Y-D’s probable starter. Either way, Orleans has some work to do to extend the series.
    Player: If Johnson gets the start, he’s got the ability to do something like what Appel did last night.

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    Playoff Previews

    This time of year, it’s always hard to believe that it’s this time of year. It feels like the season started last week. But we march on. The playoffs begin tonight. Here are some quick breakdowns for all the series . . .

    West Playoffs

    No. 1 Hyannis vs. No. 4 Falmouth
    Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. at McKeon Park, Hyannis
    Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. at Guv Fuller Field, Falmouth
    Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 7 p.m. at McKeon Park, Hyannis

    Hyannis: 29-15
    Falmouth: 19-25
    Season Series: Hyannis 3, Falmouth 3

    Hyannis went 5-1 in the first week of the season and has essentially been the team to beat since then. Other teams have gotten hot and cooled down; Hyannis has remained steady — and has been hot a few times in its own right. The Harbor Hawks won eight in a row late in the season and finished with 10 wins in their final 13 games.

    They’re the favorite, but they need only look back to their last three games to know that it won’t be easy at any point, even in a first-round series against a team that had its struggles down the stretch. Falmouth had lost five in a row but finished out the season by taking two of three — from Hyannis.

    The Commodores also have strong pitching on their side. Joe Bircher led the league in strikeouts while game one starter Andrew Heaney tied for second. As a team, Falmouth had the best ERA in the league.

    I still give Hyannis the edge, though. The offense is balanced, with different guys stepping up every night. There’s a lot of depth there. As for the pitching, Hyannis tied for second in team ERA, and they’re facing a Falmouth team that hasn’t been as strong since Jack Marder signed a pro contract.

    I think the Harbor Hawks may have the intangible, too. The franchise hasn’t won a Cape League title since 1991, and the players know that. They’ve seemed like a special group from the start — now they get to see how far they can go.

    No. 2 Wareham vs. No. 3 Bourne
    Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. at Spillane Field, Wareham
    Game 2: Saturday, 4 p.m. at Doran Park, Bourne
    Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 7 p.m. at Spillane Field, Wareham

    Wareham: 23-21
    Bourne: 22-20-2
    Season Series: Wareham 4, Bourne 2

    Bourne looked destined for the No. 2 seed when it won 9 of 10 games in early July. Since that stretch ended, though, the Braves have gone 4-9. In the meantime, Wareham came from off the pace, won its final five games — including two over Bourne — and clinched the two spot and the home-field advantage that comes with it.

    Statistically, the Gatemen are tough to figure out. They’re in the bottom half of the league in both team average and ERA, not the typical profile for a playoff team, let alone the No. 2 seed. But the Gatemen have found ways to win games. Daniel Palka and Robert Refsnyder have been leading the offense lately, while Max Muncy has been steady all summer. On the mound, there isn’t a dominant ace since Justin Amlung signed a pro contract, but Josh Turley has been good and Brent Suter has pitched well his last two times out.

    Things are a little more clear-cut for the Braves. If they hit, they win. Their pitching staff is one of the best in the league from top to bottom, but their team batting average ended up at .240. In its July win streak, Bourne hit .282. With strong pitching, an offensive jump like that makes an enormous difference. Travis Jankowski has been a mainstay atop the lineup, but Bourne needs other guys to step up if it’s going to make a run.

    East Playoffs

    No. 1 Orleans vs. No. 4 Yarmouth-Dennis
    Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. at Eldredge Park, Orleans
    Game 2: Saturday, 4 p.m. at Red Wilson Field, Y-D
    Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 7 p.m. at Eldredge Park, Orleans

    Orleans: 24-17-3
    Y-D: 19-21-4
    Season Series: Y-D 3, Orleans 2, 1 tie

    The way things were going in early July, with teams just seeming to float, somebody was going to make a run in the East. It was Orleans, and it was a big run. The Firebirds won 11 of their final 12 games.

    Can they keep it up? They’ve been very hot, hitting .284 as a team during the 12-game stretch. They’ve also pitched well, allowing more than three earned runs only three times in the 12 games.

    The individual statistics aren’t overwhelming for Orleans, but when you run down the list that includes Matt Duffy, Reed Gragnani, Ben Waldrip and Andrew Aplin, you realize the Firebirds have five solid hitters. Several other guys have heated up lately.

    In terms of pitching, Orleans is like a lot of teams in that it doesn’t have a dominant ace, but the team still ranked fifth in ERA.

    As for Y-D, if there’s a sleeper in these playoffs, the Red Sox might be it. They had an influx of talent after Team USA and the College World Series ended, but it hasn’t quite translated to wins yet. Still, though, when you add Matt Reynolds and Brian Johnson to an offense that was already strong with Mason Katz, Stephen Piscotty and James Ramsey, you have a team that’s bound to get going.

    The pitching is the wildcard for Y-D. The Red Sox didn’t list any probables, but it’s possible that they could trot out Johnson — a two-way star at Florida — and Stanford’s Mark Appel, perhaps the top college pitching prospect for the 2012 draft class. Appel, in particular, could provide an enormous boost. He has made only two appearances this summer, but struck out 12 in six innings in his second start.

    So, essentially, it’s the team that’s been hot vs. the team that everyone thinks should be getting hot. It’s going to be interesting — probably the most interesting of all the first-round series.

    No. 2 Harwich vs. No. 3 Brewster
    Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. at Whitehouse Field, Harwich
    Game 2: Saturday, 4 p.m. at Stony Brook Field, Brewster
    Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 7 p.m. at Whitehouse Field, Harwich

    Harwich: 24-19-1
    Brewster: 20-20-4
    Season Series: Harwich 3, Brewster 2, 1 tie

    For quite a while, it looked like Harwich and Brewster would be battling it out for the top seed, until Orleans came along. Now the Mariners and Whitecaps meet each other in the playoffs in probably the most clear-cut, strength vs. strength match-up of the first round.

    Harwich’s team ERA is higher than you’d think (3.35) because it seems like the Mariners have been dominating. I’ll still call pitching a strength for them, though, particularly in the bullpen. Nobody has been able to touch Carter Capps or Chris Overman, so if Harwich gets a lead look out.

    Brewster actually has a better ERA than Harwich, but the Whitecaps’ identity is tied up in its offense. The Whitecaps hit .260 this year, tied with Cotuit for the best mark in the league.

    How does it shake out? In these kinds of match-ups, it’s offense not the strong attributes that decide things. In that case, Brewster’s pitching might be too much for Harwich, whit hit .238 as a team, second-worst in the league and worst among playoff teams. And the Whitecaps’ probably starters — Tony Buccifero, Luke Bard and Brandon Love — have quietly been very good.

    If the Whitecaps get quality starts, I’ll give them the slight edge.

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    Daily Fog: On Fire(birds)

    On July 19, Orleans lost an 8-3 game to Chatham and dropped to 13-16-3. At that point, roughly two weeks remained in the regular season. The Firebirds looked like they’d still make the playoffs, but that was only because Chatham was doing a lot worse.

    Two weeks later, Orleans is indeed in the playoffs — as the Eastern Division champion.

    It’s been quite a run.

    The Firebirds finished with 11 wins in their final 12 games. It was easy to lose track, because Hyannis was just as hot and because of the all-star break. But Orleans won eight in a row to start their stretch, lost to Hyannis to end the streak and then didn’t lose again.

    Yesterday, Orleans put the finishing touches on their run by sweeping a doubleheader with Chatham. With those wins, they finished two points ahead of Harwich for first place.

    Orleans won the first game yesterday by a 6-2 score. Stony Brook’s Tyler Johnson, who has emerged as an ace, allowed just one hit in 6.1 shutout innings. He struck out five.

    The offense was led by Maxx Tissenbaum (Stony Brook), who broke open a 1-0 game with a three-run homer in the eighth. He finished 2-for-4 with four RBI. Tarran Senay (NC State) also hit a home run, while Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) drove in a run.

    The victory in game one secured the championship for Orleans. Even with a loss in game two and a Harwich win, the Firebirds would hold the tiebreaker thanks to their 5-1 head-to-head record against Harwich.

    But Orleans didn’t let the tiebreaker even come into play. The teams traveled to Eldredge Park for the nightcap and the Firebirds held off a late charge by Chatham to finish their season with a 9-8 win.

    Andrew Aplin (Arizona State) had a huge night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. Tissenbaum and Senay also hit home runs, their second blasts of the day. The Anglers touched Orleans pitchers up for 17 hits of their own, but the Firebirds stayed in front the whole way. With a one run lead, Trevor Gott (Kentucky) pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

    Elsewhere

  • There was another interesting race going on last night — the race for the batting title. And it ended in a surprise. Statisticians were watching the Orleans-Chatham doubleheader very closely, because it looked like either Dane Phillips or Matt Duffy would win the crown. Phillips ended up on top in that duel, but over in Harwich, Y-D’s Stephen Piscotty (Stanford) — who hadn’t even qualified for the league lead before last night — went 4-for-5, qualified for the title and took it by .000219 points.

  • Harwich won that game against Y-D 8-7, earning home-field advantage for its first-round series. Harwich led 7-6 in the top of the ninth before Y-D tied it on a Brian Johnson (Florida) RBI single. But Harwich put a rally together in the bottom of the ninth and won it when Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida) raced home on a throwing error.

  • Wareham also took home-field advantage thanks to its fifth win in a row and its second straight against Bourne, the team it took home-field from. The Gatemen trailed 2-1 in the eighth but came back with three runs on a Max Muncy (Baylor) RBI single and a pair of wild pitches. Bourne scored a run in the ninth but ended up falling a run short in the 4-3 loss. Wareham closer Konner Wade (Arizona) pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 12th save. Matt Grimes (Georgia Tech) got a no-decision for Wareham but pitched seven shutout innings.

  • Hyannis and Falmouth split their doubleheader. The Harbor Hawks won 1-0 in the first game, with Scott Firth (Clemson), Dean McArdle (Stanford), Kyle Kraus (Portland) and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) combining on the shutout. Dan Gulbransen’s solo home run was the only offense. In the nightcap, Falmouth broke a tie with two in the seventh and won 8-6. Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) and Eric Garcia (Missouri) knocked in two runs apiece to lead the Commodores. Hyannis and Falmouth will meet again in the playoffs.

  • Cotuit isn’t making the playoffs but finished strong last night with a 3-0 win over Brewster. Kevin Ziomek (Vanderbilt) went six shutout innings before Kendall Graveman (Mississippi State), Michael Clevinger (Seminole JC) and Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss) finished it off. The flame-throwing Wahl ended the season with a strikeout. The Cotuit offense was led by Logan Vick (Baylor), who continued a six-game hitting streak and added an RBI. Jordan Leyland (UC Irvine) had two hits and an RBI, while Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) finished up his outstanding summer with a 1-for-2 night.

    • What to Watch

    There’s an off-day today before the playoffs start tomorrow. I’ll have a playoff preview coming at some point.

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    Daily Fog: Settled

    The Cotuit Kettleers won’t be defending their Cape League championship this year.

    With a 4-2 loss to Brewster yesterday and Falmouth’s 6-1 win over Hyannis, Cotuit was officially eliminated from playoff contention. Falmouth secured the fourth and final playoff spot from the West.

    The Kettleers came into the night one point back of Falmouth with two games to play. Last night’s results have them three points back with one to play.

    Falmouth had lost five in a row, but after an off day on Monday, the Commodores came back strong, beating first-place Hyannis — their future playoff opponent — 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader. The second game was postponed due to rain, but it was mission accomplished for Falmouth.

    The first game was tied at 1-1 going into the fifth, when the Commodores broke out for five runs. Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s), Jake Rodriguez (Oregon State), Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) and Jared King (Kansas State) each knocked in runs.

    On the mound for Falmouth, Nathan Thornhill (Texas) struck out five and allowed just run in six innings. Deandre Smelter (Georgia Tech) pitched a scoreless seventh.

    As for Cotuit, a win didn’t seem to be in the cards. Brewster finished with 10 hits, led by two each from J.J. Altobelli (Oregon), Taylor Ard (Washington State) and Tanner Nivins (Stony Brook). Cotuit loaded the bases for Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) in the eighth, but Brewster reliever J.T. Chargois (Rice) got Roache to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice. Then with Cotuit hoping to get a rally going in the ninth, the game was called due to lightning.

    Elsewhere

  • Orleans and Chatham had their game postponed and will play a doubleheader today.

  • In the only other game that got in last night, Y-D beat Harwich 7-3. Brian Johnson (Florida) hit a three-run homer to lead the Red Sox offense, while Chris Taylor (Virginia) had a double and broke a 3-3 tie when he scored on an error in the fourth. Andrew Thurman (UC Irvine) pitched well out of the bullpen for Y-D, striking out two in five innings. The loss keeps Harwich tied with Orleans for first place in the East.

    • What to Watch

    Game: Seven games on the schedule for the final day of the regular season. Orleans and Chatham will play a split doubleheader, with a 2 p.m. game in Chatham and a 7 p.m. tilt in Orleans. The Firebirds will be trying to clinch the East’s top seed.
    Player: Orleans’ Reed Gragnani (Virginia) has had a big hand in the team’s late-season surge. He’s hitting .314 overall and has 11 hits in his last six games.

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    Daily Fog: The Way Home

    With two games to end the regular season and an imminent playoff match-up, Bourne and Wareham are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the next week. Where those meetings happen depends on how the regular season finishes up.

    Wareham beat Bourne 6-3 last night to move within two points of the second-place Braves in the West standings. The teams play again in the season finale tomorrow night, and if the Gatemen win again, they would take over second place and grab home-field advantage for their first-round playoff series with Bourne. If the Braves win Wednesday, they would hold onto second and take home-field for themselves.

    Wareham got it done last night thanks to a 14-hit attack and four runs in the eighth inning. Bourne led 3-2 for much of the game before breaking out in the eighth. Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) and Tyler Ross (LSU) had RBI singles, C.T. Bradford (Mississippi State) knocked in a run with a triple and another run came home on an RBI groundout by William Carmona (Stony Brook).

    Luke Farrell (Northwestern), who had come on in the fifth, then pitched a scoreless eighth before Konner Wade (Arizona) picked up his 11th save. Farrell got the win after a solid start by Jake Boyd (Stetson), a recent addition to the Wareham roster.

    The Gatemen were led offensively by Palka, who went 4-for-4 with two RBI, raising his average to .330. That ranks him third in the league. Ross and Bradford had two hits each.

    D.J. Hicks had two hits for Bourne.

    The teams will play again Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Wareham.

    What to Watch
    Game: Wareham vs. Bourne was the only game on the schedule last night, but tonight features five games, including a doubleheader between Hyannis and Falmouth in Falmouth. The twin bill begins at 4:30 p.m.
    Player: Falmouth is reeling lately, but Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s) is still hitting. He’s at .309 with 13 doubles and 22 RBI, and he has eight hits in his last seven games.

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    Daily Fog: Great Dane

    There’s only one team in the league that isn’t thinking about the playoffs right now. Seven teams have qualified and two others are fighting each other for a spot.

    Chatham was eliminated from contention last week. But at least one Angler is still making the most of the last few games.

    Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) has had a fantastic summer, and with a late surge, he may actually end up closer to the Triple Crown than Cotuit star Victor Roache.

    In two games since the all-star break, Phillips has gone 7-for-8 with two doubles, a triple, a run scored and an eye-popping eight RBI. He now leads the league in average at .355 and he leads in RBI with 32. His four home runs aren’t too shabby either — he’s tied for seventh in that category.

    Last night, Phillips went 4-for-4 with five RBI as Chatham beat first-place Harwich 10-5.

    Phillips is in his second summer on Cape Cod. Last year, he played for Hyannis and had the struggles that a lot of freshman have. He hit .152 with just four RBI. But after a strong college season in which he hit .339, Phillips has come back with a vengeance in Chatham. He’s been the Anglers’ best player, and with his hot streak, he has cemented himself as one of the best in the league. In addition to his average and RBI leads, Phillips is tops in on-base percentage and slugging.

    Chatham only has two games remaining, and then Phillips will have to say goodbye to the Cape. I think he’ll make the last two count as well.

    Elsewhere

  • The race for the final playoff spot in the West continued to tighten up as Cotuit beat Bourne 5-4 and Falmouth lost to Wareham 2-1. The Kettleers are now just one point back of Falmouth for the fourth and final spot. Cotuit scored four in the first and held off the Braves to pick up the win, its second one-run victory in a row. Kevin Roundtree (USC), Logan Vick (Baylor) and Micah Johnson (Indiana) all had two hits for the Kettleers. Chris Beck (Georgia Southern) started and went 3.1 innings. Five relievers combined to keep Bourne at bay over the final six innings.

  • Falmouth has now lost five in a row. The Commodores had league strikeout leader Joe Bircher (Bradley) on the mound last night and watched him go five shutout innings. But the Gatemen got to reliever Taylor Sandefur (Western Carolina) in the sixth, scoring all the runs they needed. Jeff Reynolds (Harvard) and Tyler Ross (LSU) knocked in the runs for the Gatemen, who have won three in a row.

  • In the East, Orleans moved into a first-place tie with Harwich thanks to a 7-3 victory over Brewster. That win also puts Brewster five points back. With two games left, that means the Whitecaps can finish no higher than third; Harwich or Orleans will win the division. The Firebirds have now won two in a row since their eight-game win streak was snapped by Hyannis. Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) again led the offense last night, going 3-for-4 with an RBI to raise his average to .354. He’s six for his last nine. Anthony Gomez (Vanderbilt), Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) and Jayce Boyd (Florida State) chipped in with two hits each as the Firebirds finished with 14. On the mound, Mike Hauschild (Dayton) went six strong innings.

  • Hyannis scored three early runs and let its bullpen do the rest in a 3-1 victory over Y-D. The Harbor Hawks picked up two runs on errors and added another on an RBI by Joey Rickard (Arizona). After Matt Dermody (Iowa) went four solid innings, Hyannis went to its pen and cruised to the win. Eric Ruth (Winthrop), Ryan Gibson (Oklahoma) and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) combined to allow just two hits the rest of the way.

    • What to Watch
    Game: Only one on the schedule tonight. Wareham visits Bourne at 4:30 p.m. The teams will meet again in the season finale on Wednesday, and while both teams are safely in the playoffs, these two games will determine who finishes in second place. Wareham is currently four points back with just these two games to play. If Wareham can sweep, it would finish tied with Bourne and would win the season series.
    Player: Robert Refsynder (Arizona) has a five-game hitting streak for Wareham and leads the league in triples.

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    Daily Fog: Staying Alive

    This time last year, Cotuit had just started a six-game losing streak to end the season. Then the Kettleers turned it all around and won six of seven in the playoffs to capture the league championship.

    This year, Cotuit can’t afford to lose six straight before the playoffs. The Kettleers are going to have to get hot a little earlier if they even want to make it.
    So far, so good for Cotuit.

    The Kettleers returned from the brief all-star break with four games left on their schedule. They trailed fourth-place Falmouth by five points.

    Last night, they beat the Commodores 2-1, a major victory in their quest for a playoff spot. Cotuit is now three points back with three games to play.

    Falmouth took a 1-0 lead last night on a fourth-inning RBI double by Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s). But in the sixth, Cotuit’s Alex Yarbrough (Ole Miss) knocked in the tying and go-ahead runs with a single.

    On the mound, Kyle Zimmer (San Francisco) started and went seven strong innings. Armed with the lead, reliever Michael Clevinger (Seminole JC) pitched two scoreless frames to finish off the win.

    Cotuit will try to get closer tonight when it hosts Bourne. Falmouth still has four games remaining, starting tonight at Wareham. On the negative side for the Commodores, the team’s final three games are all against first-place Hyannis.

    Elsewhere

  • Nobody’s fighting for a spot in the East but everybody’s still fighting for position. With its 3-2 victory over Brewster, Harwich kept a hold on first place, staying up on Orleans by two points. The game was tied in the ninth when a Darnell Sweeney (Central Florida) double brought home the go-ahead run. Eddie Butler (Radford) was impressive out of the bullpen for the Mariners, allowing just two hits in 4.1 shutout innings. He got the win and Carter Capps (Mt. Olive) got the save.

  • Orleans stayed two points back of Harwich with a 6-3 victory over Y-D. The Firebirds pounded 14 hits, led by three from Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) and Ronnie Shaeffer (UC Irvine). Matt Boyd (Oregon State) pitched five strong innings and Kenny Long (Illinois State) got the win in relief with three solid frames.

  • Hyannis finally saw its win streak come to an end as second-place Bourne posted a 4-0 victory over the Harbor Hawks. Kevin Brandt (East Carolina) scattered six hits in 5.1 scoreless innings and Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) allowed just two hits and no runs in the final 3.2 innings. Hyannis starter Jon Moscot (Pepperdine) matched Brandt in his five innings of work, but Bourne got to the Hyannis bullpen with four runs in the sixth. The Harbor Hawks uncharacteristically made four errors in that inning, leading to three unearned runs.

  • Wareham scored five runs in the second inning and held off a charge from Chatham to beat the Anglers 8-6. Robert Refsnyder (Arizona), Max Muncy (Baylor) and C.T. Bradford (Mississippi State) each knocked in two runs to power the offense. Wareham used six pitchers, with Josh Turley (Baylor) starting and getting the win.

    • What to Watch

    Game: Bourne visits Cotuit as the Kettleers try to make a run at the playoffs. Falmouth will be in Wareham.
    Player: Overshadowed by Victor Roache, Cotuit’s Alex Yarbrough has had an awesome season. He’s hitting .286 with three homers and 11 doubles.

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    East Takes All-Star Game

    In a year when relief pitching has been dominant, it’s no surprise that the East bullpen put on a show in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game last night in Fenway Park.

    After the West squad scored a run in the first inning, the East went to its pen and watched eight pitchers allow a combined one hit the rest of the way — and that hit came in the third. The final six pitchers didn’t allow a hit and faced only one batter over the minimum.

    It started with Orleans’ Tyler Johnson (Stony Brook), who pitched a perfect fourth. Brewster’s J.T. Chargois (Rice) followed suit in the fifth and Harwich’s Chris Overman (NC State) continued his dominant summer with a scoreless sixth. Overman hasn’t allowed an earned run this summer.

    In the seventh, Brewster’s Austin Voth (Washington) pitched a perfect inning. In the eighth, it was Harwich’s Carter Capps (Mt. Olive), who had a baserunner reach on a called third strike before striking out two more and getting a flyout for another hitless frame. Saves leader Trevor Gott (Kentucky) of Orleans then finished it off with two strikeouts in the ninth, including one of Victor Roache.

    And thankfully for the East, the offense did its part too. After falling behind in the first, the East took a 2-1 lead in the second on a Mason Katz (LSU) double and two throwing errors, which allowed Katz to come all the way around.

    In the third, Brewster’s Jason Monda (Washington State) knocked in teammate Ryan Jones (Michigan State) for the 3-1 lead. Y-D’s James Ramsey finished the scoring when he belted a solo home run in the fifth.

    Stephen Piscotty (Stanford) led the East offense with two hits while Hyannis’ Eric Stamets (Evansville) had two to lead the West. Ramsey was the East MVP while Stamets took home the honors for the East. On the mound, the West bullpen had its moments too, with closers Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss), Konner Wade (Arizona) and John Simms (Rice) each pitching a scoreless frame.

    The attendance in this the league’s third year at Fenway was 7,007.

    What to Watch

    We’ll be back to a full slate of action, with several match-ups that could shape up as playoff previews. In the East, Brewster hosts Harwich and Y-D hosts Orleans. In the West, Bourne visits Hyannis. Also out West, Falmouth hosts Cotuit in a game with playoff implications. Falmouth has a five-point lead on Cotuit for the finaly playoff spot.

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    Daily Fog: Clinching

    When you look at recent history, it’s easy to forget that the Hyannis franchise owns the league record for single-season wins. In 1979, the then-Mets set that record with 33 wins. That team also won the Cape League championship for the second year in a row.

    Since then, sustained success has been hard to come by. Hyannis won one more championship in 1991 but hasn’t won again. The team hasn’t even been to the finals again since 2000. It hasn’t been to the playoffs in six years. And its 2005 team lost 36 games, a league record it didn’t want to hold.

    Last night, the 2011 Harbor Hawks officially started their own page in the history books.

    With an 11-2 victory over Orleans — its eighth a row — Hyannis clinched the West regular-season title and the top seed for the playoffs.

    Not long after the game went final, the Hyannis web site already had a “2011 West Division Champs” graphic taking center stage. You can understand the excitement. It’s been a special season and it’s gotten even better in the last week or so.

    In its eight-game win streak, Hyannis has out-scored its opponents 46-12. The streak is also the longest by any team in the league this season.

    And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Bourne got hot two weeks ago and actually moved into a tie with Hyannis on July 17. The next time it took the field, on July 19, Hyannis started its streak.

    Last night’s win may have been the most impressive of all. Orleans came into the game on a seven-game winning streak of its own, but the Firebirds were no match for Hyannis on this night.

    The Harbor Hawks exploded for seven runs in the second inning and got a strong start by Dean McArdle (Stanford) to win going away.

    Five players had multi-hit games, led by Joey Rickard (Arizona), Chadd Krist (Cal), Kevin Plawecki (Purdue) and Dan Gulbransen (Jacksonville). All those players also knocked in two runs each. Plawecki hit his first home run.

    McArdle did the rest, allowing two runs on just two hits in seven innings. Zach Cooper (Central Michigan) and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) finished off the win.

    With five games left after the all-star break, it’s going to be fun to see how hot the Harbor Hawks can stay. Even if they win out, they won’t break that old league record for wins. But they’ll certainly be adding to their own legend.

    Elsewhere

  • With Orleans loss, Harwich seized an opportunity and jumped into sole possession of first place in the East with a 1-0 victory over Falmouth. The Mariners were under the radar a bit while Hyannis and Orleans heated up, but the Mariners have now won three in a row. Six pitchers got it done last night, combining to allow just four hits. Jake Davies (Georgia Tech), a key hitter in the lineup, pitched for the first time all summer, getting the start and going four innings. Lex Rutledge (Samford) was credited with the win in relief. Harwich got its only offense in the seventh on a solo home run by Luke Voit (Missouri State).

  • Wareham clinched a playoff spot in the West with a 2-1 victory over Cotuit, leaving just one playoff spot up for grabs. Cotuit and Falmouth will fight it out for that one. For Wareham, two runs in the first inning proved to be enough. Robert Refsnyder (Arizona) and Johnny Field (Arizona) knocked in those runs. Starter Steve Perakslis (Maine) went four scoreless innings and Dillon Newman (Baylor) pitched two more on his way to the win. Cotuit scored a run in the seventh, but C.T. Bradford (Mississippi State) came in and struck out two to get out of a jam. Bradford, making just his second appearance, ended up striking out five in two innings. Konner Wade (Arizona) got the save.

  • Brewster snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 victory over Chatham. Taylor Ard (Washington State) hit a three-run homer while Andrew Toles (Tennessee) went 3-for-4 to lead the offense. Brandon Love (Mercer) allowed one run on three hits in six innings to pick up his fourth win, which ties him for the league lead. Richie Shaffer (Clemson) led Chatham with three hits, including his fifth home run.

  • Y-D had won four in a row, but Bourne cooled the Red Sox off with a 4-2 victory. After Y-D took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, the Braves answered with two in the bottom half. Tommy Coyle (North Carolina) had an RBI triple and then scored on a sac fly by D.J. Hicks (Central Florida). On the mound, reliever R.C. Orlan (North Carolina) made his first start and went four innings without allowing a hit. Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) got the win with 3.2 innings of relief. R.J. Alvarez (Florida Atlantic) picked up the save. In a losing effort, Y-D starter Mark Appel (Stanford) delivered the most impressive strikeout performance of the summer, finishing with 12 in just six innings.