There is some debate in sports whether “clutch” is a real, quantifiable thing.
Wherever you stand on the issue, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have given one side of the argument some ammunition in the 2014 Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. In the process, they’ve given Cape League fans a pair of classics.
The Red Sox have pitched very well in the post-season. And when they’ve had to pitch well, they’ve pitched beyond well.
Last night, Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara) and Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) combined on a shutout as Y-D edged Harwich 2-0 in game three of the East finals to clinch a spot in the Cape League championship.
The Red Sox have now played two decisive third games this postseason and have won them by 1-0 and 2-0 scores. The fact that they’re decisive games is one thing. Then their opponents have upped the ante by pitching gems themselves, and Y-D hasn’t blinked.
Clutch.
Last night, Jacome squared off with Harwich’s Zack Erwin (Clemson). They were both brilliant, but Y-D scratched a run across in the second inning on a two-out chopper from Marcus Mastrobuoni (Cal State Stanislaus) that the Mariners couldn’t handle. Josh Lester (Missouri) scored.
Jacome gave up a double to Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) to start the bottom of the second, as it looked like the Mariners would have a quick answer, but Jacome got out of trouble. From there, he allowed just one more hit, a two-out single in the fifth.
Jacome went 6.1 innings, allowing three hits, striking out six and walking none.
He left with his team clinging to the 1-0 lead but gave the ball to the very capable hands of Bickford, the former first-round pick. Bickford finished off a scoreless seventh and struck out two in a perfect eighth. His team added an insurance run in the ninth on a Brennon Lund (BYU) sacrifice fly, but Bickford didn’t need it.
Facing the middle of one of the best batting orders in the league, Bickford gave up a leadoff single to C.J. Hinojosa (Texas).
And then he was masterful.
Bickford struck out Ian Happ (Cincinnati) – one of the league’s top hitters – on three pitches. Then he struck out Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech) on three pitches. Harwich’s last chance was Annunziata, who owned the double in the second. Bickford needed four pitches this time, but he struck Annunziata out, too, sending Y-D into the championship with a flourish.
For the second straight year, a team is into the finals after needing three games to win each of its first two playoff series. Last year, that team was Cotuit and the Kettleers went on to the title.
Y-D will match up with Falmouth, who is 4-0 in the playoffs.
The championship series is scheduled to begin tonight, but heavy rain is in the forecast, so Thursday might be more likely.
Whenever it starts, it’s going to be a good one.