UPDATE: This game has been postponed to Thursday at 7 p.m. because of rain on the Cape.
The first real marquee match-up of the season gets underway at 7 p.m. tonight when Orleans visits Harwich at Whitehouse Field. The teams have already met once this year, in the fourth game of the season, but that was before we really had a good feel for who they were.
Now we have about as strong a feeling as you can have at this early point that they’re the best teams in the league.
Orleans beat Harwich 5-4 in the first meeting, a day after their first loss of the season. More than a week later, that’s still the only loss for the Firebirds, who are 9-1 and have caught fire offensively in recent games. The Firebirds have scored eight, eight, 14 and seven runs in their last four games.
For Harwich, that loss to Orleans was its second of the season, but the Mariners haven’t lost since. They’ve been incredibly impressive with the bats, smashing a league-best 18 home runs. Amazingly, only four teams in the last two years have hit more than 18 home runs for an entire season. At this rate, the Mariners are on pace for 79 home runs, which would smash the Cape League record of 59. Ultimately, I don’t think they’ll smash it, but they could approach it.
It all adds up to a great match-up, and that’s not even touching on the pitching. LSU standout Aaron Nola is scheduled to make his second start for the Mariners. He struck out 10 and allowed two hits in five shutout innings last time. Orleans will go with Dartmouth veteran Kyle Hunter who gave up three hits and just two unearned runs in his first outing.
It’s funny. Sometimes the Cape League can be short on storylines at this point in the season, when nobody has separated themselves and nobody has really stood out as a team.
These two teams have stood out in a major, major way. It should be fun tonight.
If you can’t get out there, remember to click the Game Day link above for all your live coverage needs.
Karstin whitsen from Florida is now signed to play for orleans! THey have some talented pitchers on that team now! Covey, KAbitza, and whitsen. Great job on all the preason articeles Will. I printed them and bringnthem to the games.
Wow. That could be huge.