It’s been the year of the reliever this summer on Cape Cod, with closers and setup guys frequently out-shining starters. That makes it tough to pick the best closer; you could make a good case for a lot of them.
When your team gets hot and you jump on for the ride, your case is going to look even better.
That’s exactly what Orleans’ Trevor Gott (Kentucky) has done. Already one of the top closers in the league, Gott has vaulted himself to the top of the list over the last week. His Firebirds have won six games in a row, and he’s saved four of them. He now leads the league with 11 saves.
Last night, it was more of the same. Orleans took a 2-0 lead on Falmouth thanks to a first-inning home run by Anthony Gomez (Vanderbilt) and a second-inning RBI from Reed Gragnani (Virginia). Falmouth made it 2-1 in the fifth before Orleans added an insurance run in the eighth on a homer by Matt Duffy (Long Beach State).
Waiting in the wings, Gott didn’t really need the extra cushion. He came on for the ninth and allowed a leadoff single before quickly working his way out of trouble with a flyout and a double play.
That’s no surprise — Gott hasn’t blown a save all summer. He was coming off a strong spring for Kentucky, and he started fast on the Cape, picking up a save on opening night. For a while Orleans had Marcus Stroman, its closer last year, in the fold, but when he left for Team USA, Gott became the guy.
And he seized the chance. He allowed a run in his third start before putting together a streak of 12.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He finally allowed another run on Sunday but still picked up a save. For the season, he has struck out 23 and walked only four in 19 innings of work.
If Orleans keeps winning, Gott may end up running away with the saves title. Whatever happens, the hot Firebirds are glad they’ve got a hot closer to lean on.
Elsewhere
Hyannis also won its sixth straight game with a 5-1 victory over Brewster. The Harbor Hawks are now 25-12 and eight points ahead of second-place Bourne. Trey Masek (Texas Tech) got the start and allowed just one run in five innings of work. Kolt Browder (Baylor) and Dietrich Enns (Central Michigan) finished it off with two scoreless frames each. Joey DeMichele (Arizona State) and Kevin Plawecki (Purdue) each had two hits and two RBI to lead the offense. Joey Rickard (Arizona) and Eric Stamets (Evansville) also had two hits.
Harwich stayed tied with Orleans for first in the East with a 10-0 victory over Cotuit. Talented Stanford freshman Austin Wilson, who came in hitting just .151, broke out in a big way, going 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Darnell Sweeney (Central Florida), Mike Garza (Georgetown) and Jake Davies (Georgia Tech) added two hits apiece. Chris Stratton (Mississippi State) went eight innings without allowing a run and Eddie Butler (Radford) pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off the shutout.
Bourne scratched across two runs in the fifth and got strong pitching across the board to beat Chatham 2-0. Patrick Cantwell (Stony Brook) went 3-for-4 and doubled home a run in the fifth. Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) then scored on a groundout to make it 2-0, and that was enough for Bourne’s pitchers. Newcomer Logan Norris (LSU-Shreveport) got the start for Bourne and allowed just three hits in six shutout innings. John Farrell (William & Mary) relieved him and dominated for two innings, striking out five. R.J. Alvarez (Florida Atlantic) picked up the save. Dominic Leone (Clemson) allowed two runs in seven innings for Chatham, while Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) had two hits.
Y-D kept pace in the suddenly hot Eastern Division race with a 6-2 victory over Wareham. The Red Sox are three points out of first and one point behind Brewster for third. Stephen Piscotty (Stanford) led the charge last night, going 3-for-3 with two RBI. Chris Taylor (Virginia) also had two RBI and Brian Johnson (Florida) helped himself with an RBI. Johnson got the start and went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs and striking out five. A.J. Vanegas (Stanford) and Daniel Gibson (Florida) came out of the bullpen and didn’t give up another run.
What to Watch
Game: First-place Hyannis and second-place Bourne will play two more times before the end of the regular season, with the first one scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m in Hyannis.
Player: League ERA leader Scott Firth (Clemson) is scheduled to start for the Harbor Hawks. Firth has allowed three earned runs all season.
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