RIGHT FIELD FOG

If we needed a reminder that the Western Division race is a long way from being decided, we got it last night. Fourth-place Bourne beat first-place Falmouth 5-4 while third-place Cotuit beat second-place Hyannis 12-2.

The result? The top four teams are separated by four points.

These are especially big wins for Bourne and Cotuit. Had they lost last night, they wouldn’t be out of it, but they wouldn’t be quite so far in it either. Falmouth would have had 43 points and Hyannis would have had 40. Cotuit would have stayed in third with 36 points and Bourne would have been in fourth with 35.

So it’s a big difference.

Bourne got its victory thanks in part to a seventh-inning rally. With the game tied, Ross Wilson (Alabama) walked and Stephen Batts (East Carolina) doubled him to third. Wilson scampered home with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. That made a winner out of Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina), who allowed four runs and struck out seven in seven innings.

Meanwhile, Cotuit had a game like it used to have in the first few weeks of the season. The Kettleers, who for awhile hit double digits with regularity, used a 13-hit attack to blow past Hyannis 12-2. Interestingly, Hyannis had 10 hits but could only get those two runs across as Cotuit starter Seth Blair (Arizona State) consistently worked out of trouble en route to a complete-game victory. Cotuit, on the other hand, took full advantage of its opportunities. Michael Gilmartin (Wofford), Evan Crawford (Indiana) and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) each had two RBI.

As far as these kinds of match-ups go, last night was only the beginning. Those four teams will play each other again tonight, with Bourne taking on Hyannis and Cotuit meeting Falmouth.

Elsewhere

• Y-D used a three-run seventh to grab a lead then held off a rally to beat Brewster 5-4. Josh Rutledge (Alabama) had two hits for the Red Sox and Andy Wilkins (Arkansas) had a home run.

• Wareham beat Orleans 3-1 in a fog-shortened game. Kipp Schutz (Indiana) and Cole Leonida (Georgia Tech) each hit home runs to power the Gatemen.

• Chatham and Harwich didn’t get that far, as their game in Harwich was postponed due to fog.

What to Watch For Tonight

• As I mentioned, more intriguing match-ups tonight in the West. Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) will go for Cotuit at Falmouth, who counters with Chad Bettis (Texas Tech). Bourne sends Ricky Bowen (Mississippi State) to the hill against Hyannis and Will Weidig (Brown).

Even when their five-game winning streak ended July 22, the Harwich Mariners were in a comfortable spot, eight points ahead of Chatham and Brewster for second place in the East. The way they’d been playing, it looked for sure like the Mariners would bounce right back and continue pulling away.

Instead, that loss July 22 was the start of a five-game losing streak.

With Chatham not playing for two days before the All-Star game and with Brewster losing its first game after the break, Harwich’s lead still stood at six points going into last night. But Brewster beat Harwich and Chatham beat Orleans.

The lead is four now, and four looks a lot different than six.

Harwich scored five runs last night, getting three off All-Star Buddy Baumann (Missouri State). But Brewster, trailing by a run, scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead. A two-run triple by Yasmani Grandal (Miami) was the key hit. Mike Freeman (Clemson) knocked Grandal in to make it 7-5.

Harwich threatened in the ninth when Iden Nazario (Miami) walked the bases loaded, but Nazario settled in and got a strikeout to end the game. Brent Milleville (Stanford) had two home runs for Brewster.

Over in Chatham, the A’s kept pace with the Whitecaps thanks to a 9-8 win over Orleans, their second straight victory. It was also the second straight game in which the A’s scored nine runs and won with some heroics. Chatham trailed by one in the bottom of the ninth before Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest) delivered a single with the bases loaded to knock in the tying and winning runs.

Chatham and Brewster won’t get a chance to tighten things up tonight because everyone is off while the All-Stars get recognized at Fenway Park. But on Thursday, Chatham will visit Harwich. The Mariners have had Chatham’s number this year, but if things change Thursday, look out.

Four may turn into two pretty quickly, and two looks a lot different than four.

Elsewhere

• A pair of aces got roughed up pretty good last night. Wareham’s Brandon Workman (Texas) allowed seven runs in an 8-4 loss to Y-D. Bourne’s Bryce Stowell (UC Irvine) surrendered six runs in a game with Cotuit that ended in an 8-8 tie.

• Y-D did all its damage against Workman in a seven-run second inning, which chased Workman from the game. A two-run home run by DeAngelo Mack (South Carolina) and a two-run double by Ryan Ortiz (Oregon State) keyed the rally.

• Stowell was solid through four innings for Bourne, but Cotuit tacked on three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Matt Holliman (Ole Miss), Kevin Patterson (Auburn) and Joey Lewis (Georgia) all hit home runs for the Kettleers.

• Falmouth beat Hyannis 3-1 for its fourth consecutive win. The Commodores now sit in first place by three points. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) turned in a solid start for Falmouth, and the bullpen was lights-out, with Ben Tootle (Jacksonville State) picking up the save. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) hit his second home run in as many nights and his eighth this season.

On a night when three contending teams had to start shuffling their lineups in the absence of All-Stars, the Hyannis Mets kept their All-Stars in the fold.

And they delivered.

As mentioned below, Bourne played without Dusty Coleman, Falmouth played without Jimmy Cesario and Orleans without Rich Poythress. Meanwhile, Hyannis got a two-home run game from Chris Dominguez (Louisville) and a dominant pitching performance from Andrew Carraway (Virginia) to beat Wareham 6-1. The victory moved the Mets to 19-16, one point back of Falmouth for first place in the West.

The fact that Hyannis got those big performances isn’t necessarily a sign of things to come. After all, Falmouth, without Cesario, still posted a victory last night. But in a tight race like the one in the West, having a few more big guns in the lineup and having them produce could be the difference.

Dominguez’ performance is the big one. Hyannis’ hot streaks this year have coincided with his hot streaks. When he had a stretch of five home runs in five days, the Mets were in the midst of a five-game winning streak.

Last night’s game marked the second time this season that Dominguez has had a multi-home run game (the first time came when he tied a Cape League record with three in one game). Dominguez now has 10 home runs, which leads the league.

Carraway’s performance was equally impressive. The righthander from Virginia struck out eight and didn’t walk anybody in eight dominant innings. He allowed one run on five hits. Carraway now leads the league in ERA, and he’s second in strikeouts.

Elsewhere

• Falmouth got its 6-2 victory over Y-D thanks to a grand slam by Ryan Jones (Wichita State) in the eighth inning. It was the seventh home run of the year for Jones on only 28 hits. The victory kept Falmouth in first place by a point.

• Orleans got three hits from Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State) and a strong performance by the bullpen to hold off Brewster 6-5. After starter Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) allowed four runs in five innings, Justin Earls (Georgia) and Adam Wilk (Long Beach State) combined for three shutout innings. Alex Hassan (Duke) allowed a run in the ninth but held on to pick up his fifth save,

• Kyle Bellows (San Jose State) went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBI and Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest) hit a two-run home run to lead Chatham past Bourne 9-4 in 13 innings. Chatham scored four runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game and force extra innings. After the teams traded three scoreless frames, Chatham scratched an unearned across in the 13th before Bellows broke things open with the grand slam.

• Harwich lost is fourth straight, a 6-1 decision at the hands of Cotuit. The Kettleers got four in the fourth and two in the seventh, which was more than enough for Nick Hernandez (Tennessee) who allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Daniel Wolford (Cal) allowed one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Four All-Star pitchers are scheduled to take the hill. Brandon Workman (Texas) goes for Wareham at Y-D. Bryce Stowell (UC-Irvine) gets the ball for Bourne at Cotuit. Buddy Baumann (Missouri State) takes the mound for Brewster at Harwich. Matt Thomson (San Diego) goes for Orleans at Chatham, though that could change. The Cape Cod Times reported last night that Thomson got hit in the arm by a line drive into the dugout during last night’s game.

It looks like the All-Star game may have been the last Cape League experience for three of its participants. The Cape Cod Times reported today that Bourne’s Dusty Coleman will sign a pro contract and that Orleans’ Rich Poythress is heading home. It was also reported this weekend that Falmouth’s Jimmy Cesario will sign a pro contract.

Congrats to Coleman and Cesario. They clearly got what they needed out of the summer. Both were late-round picks — Coleman by the A’s in the 28th round, Cesario by the Rockies in the 46th round — but the fact that they’re signing means their successful summers upped the ante a bit.

The loss of Coleman and Cesario will have a big impact on the Western Division race. Both were among the best hitters in the league, so Bourne and Falmouth will be left with big holes in the lineup.

Coleman had started 26 games for the Braves at shortstop, and two other shortstops who were on the roster are no longer with the team. That leaves Pierre LePage, who has played two games at shorstop and only six games overall. He has hit .158.

It’s a similar situation for Falmouth. Cesario had been splitting time between second base and the outfield. It shouldn’t be a problem to replace him in the outfield, but Brandon Macias, who’s played only six games, will have to step up at second.

As for Orleans, losing Poythress will be a big blow, but I don’t expect it to be a crushing blow. He was hitting .311 and he provided a big spark when he arrived from the College World Series. I just get the feeling that with the fire lit, it’s not going to go out just because the spark is gone.

Regardless, three big losses. Hopefully we won’t see too many more over the next few weeks, or the stretch run will turn into a war of attrition.

For a moment, I really thought the crowd’s reaction to the streakers would be the biggest roar of the night. The crowd may have been the biggest in All-Star game history (8,629), but the game’s ebb and flow seemed to have a lot of people sitting on their hands. It was, but when the dominant pitching lost its grip and the West opened things up, the next few innings seemed anti-climactic.

The trio of streakers, who hopped the fence in right and jaunted across the outfield in the bottom of the eighth, got the crowd going again.

Grant Green really got the crowd going.

On the first pitch after the interruption, Green launched a two-run game-tying home run — and launched pandemonium. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a Cape League crowd get so into a moment.

And with good reason. The East trailed 6-1 when the inning started. Even when three runs came across, the momentum shift wasn’t gigantic. They still had a long way to go. But when Green stepped to the plate with a runner on, you kind of got that feeling, the one you get when the stars align to create the possibility for something special. Maybe the best player in the league, at the plate on his home field, with a chance to tie the game.

Green delivered.

It was incredible, and once Green touched the plate, it seemed inevitable that the East would break the tie. They did it quickly, with Mark Fleury crushing another two-run home run to put the East on top 8-6.

On Fluery’s blast, I really thought Hyannis right-fielder Trent Ashcraft had made the catch. He was back at the wall, reaching up, leaning back. But he couldn’t reach it, and the East had its lead.

In that inning, on this night, that was probably the way it had to end.

All in all, it was quite a game. I’ll post some more on the game once I watch the tape of the NESN broadcast. For now, a few quick thoughts.

• I went to the game with a couple of friends and we ended up standing beyond the fence in left field to watch the game. It wasn’t a bad spot. We had a good view of the streakers, unfortunately, but had a pretty good view of Green’s home run, too.

• The offense kind of stole the show in the end, but aside from the bad innings by the East’s Martin Viramontes and the West’s Seth Blair, the pitching was completely dominant. Ten of the 18 pitchers recorded perfect outings, and of the game’s 51 recorded outs, 21 came via the strikeout. Things were moving so fast, that if you blinked, you probably missed a good pitcher.

• In the pitching department, I was most impressed with Harwich’s Chris Manno. The Duke lefty came into the toughest spot of the night, entering with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. He proceeded to strike out the next two batters before working a perfect seventh, with two more strikeouts.

• In the top of the ninth, it was announced that the teams would play the bottom of the ninth regardless of score. Thankfully, they didn’t do that. It would have been ridiculous.

The three games last night were the last set before the All-Star break, and the league’s two first-place teams finished on a high note. Orleans beat Wareham 7-4 while Falmouth topped Harwich 4-2. The Cardinals sit in first place by eight points. Falmouth has a one-point lead.

For Orleans, Kyle Spraker (Loyola Marymount), the starter at shortstop now that Cole Figueroa is gone, went 2-for-4 and knocked in the game-tying run in the top of the eighth. He scored the go-ahead run himself on a wild pitch. Orleans then blew it open in the ninth thanks to run-scoring hits by Nate Freiman (Duke), Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) and Spraker.

The Cardinals used six different pitchers, with reliever Justin Earls (Georgia) getting the win.

As for Falmouth, two All-Stars led the way. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) and Trevor Coleman (Missouri) both went 3-for-4 with an RBI and the Commodores scored two runs in the sixth to take a lead they never relinquished.

Elsewhere

• Brewster blew past Y-D 11-1 on the strength of a 4-for-5 night from Ty Kelly (UC Davis), one of the East’s All-Star reserves. Caleb Cotham (Vanderbilt) took the big cushion and ran with it, tossing six strong innings. He allowed a run and struck out four.

What to Watch For Tonight

• All-Star game in Chatham, 7 p.m.

• I was going to post a part two of the All-Star game guide, but a change of plans means I actually get to go to the game, which wasn’t happening originally. Since I’m going to get an early start, I’m not going to have time to do part two. But I’m going to the game, which is pretty awesome. Everybody else who’s going, enjoy.

• Prediction: West wins 2-0 on a Chris Dominguez two-run home run.

The Falmouth Commodores answered Harwich’s ninth-inning rally with one of their own then put together another one in the 10th to grab a crucial 5-4 victory last night. It was the only game on the schedule, so it was a chance for Falmouth to gain ground or lose ground in the West with everybody else standing still.

Had they lost, the Commodores would be sitting in fourth place with 33 points. As it is, they’re sitting in first place with 35 points. That’s a big swing, and that’s one a good night can do for you in the ridiculously tight Western Division race.

Trevor Coleman (Missouri), who scored the winning run, reached on an error to start the 10th. After two walks loaded the bases, Darin Ruf (Creighton) drew another walk to force in the run.

Harwich looked well on its way to victory after rallying from a 3-2 deficit with back-to-back home runs from Brandon Belt (Texas) and Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt). But A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) hit a two-out home run to keep the Commodores alive and force extras.

With the exception of Wareham, Falmouth is playing better than anyone else in the West race. The Commodores are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They’ll host Harwich again tonight before getting three days off for the All-Star break.

What to Watch For Tonight

• The forecasted rain might have its say, but if it doesn’t there’s a good match-up in Wareham. Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas), who’s been dominant in his last two starts, will try to keep the Gatemen rolling against first-place Orleans.

(Consider this the All-Star Game overview. Part two will offer a detailed look at all the players.)

Chatham will be hopping on Saturday.

Fans, scouts and the best college baseball players in the country will converge on Veterans Field for the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. It’s a game that’s always the greatest spectacle of a Cape League summer, and, really, it goes beyond that. Essentially, it’s the only time in the year that this much amateur baseball talent will play on one field.

So you don’t want to miss it.

How much talent is there? It varies from year to year. I get the feeling that the league isn’t quite as top heavy this year as it was last year, when five Cape League all-stars went on to become top 10 picks in the June draft.

But players still have time to emerge, and the All-Star game may be their best opportunity yet to turn some heads. Remember last year? Aaron Crow was absolutely dominant when he struck out the side in the first inning, so dominant that he earned MVP honors despite pitching just that one inning. Crow had a great summer all around, but that one performance made believers out of dozens of scouts and baseball higher-ups. Crow was the ninth pick in this year’s draft.

Plenty of players are candidates to leave that kind of impression this year, and they’ll all be trying to do it. But they’ll be having fun, too. The Cape League sometimes seems like just a stop on the journey, but it’s a journey in and of itself, too.

For the players in the All-Star game, this is one part of the journey they’re sure to remember.

The Nitty-Gritty

Get there early . . .
2 p.m. – Gates open to public
2:45 – East Batting Practice / West Autograph / Media
3:30 – West Batting Practice / East Autographs / Media
4:30 – East Infield
4:45 – West Infield
5:00 – Baseball Factory Home Run Hitting Contest
6:15 – All Star Player Introductions / Lineup
6:30 – Presentation of colors and National Anthem
6:50 – First Pitch Ceremony
7:00 – 46th CCBL All-Star Game

Ten to Watch

Here’s a quick rundown of the top players you’ll see in Chatham on Saturday.
1. Grant Green, Chatham – The East’s starting shortstop is one of the favorites to win the league’s MVP award at the end of the season. He’s also a likely first-round pick next June.
2. Bryce Stowell, Bourne – A 22nd-round pick this year, the UC-Irvine righthander has been completely dominant this summer. He’ll start for the West.
3. Brandon Workman, Wareham – Probably the top freshman on the Cape, the Texas flamethrower leads the league in strikeouts.
4. Marc Krauss, Bourne – Right on Green’s heels in the MVP race, Krauss has burst onto the scene with huge numbers.
5. Chris Dominguez, Hyannis – Home run king is a threat to launch one 400 feet every time he’s in the batter’s box.
6. Ben Tootle, Falmouth – Small school, big arm. Tootle, from Jacksonville State in Alabama, throws harder than anyone on the Cape. He’s liable to hit 96 or 97 on radar guns.
7. A.J. Pollock, Falmouth – Maybe the best pure hitter in the league, Pollock stands a good chance of winning the batting title.
8. Andrew Carraway, Hyannis – A junior who went undrafted, Carraway is making teams look foolish for not picking him. He’s second in the league in strikeouts.
9. Nick McCully, Bourne – Righty from Coastal Carolina has been one of the league’s most consistent starting pitchers.
10. Nick Liles, Y-D – One of the most exciting players to watch on the Cape. Liles leads the league with 14 stolen bases.

Starter Kit

If the West coaching staff decides to use starting pitchers one inning after another, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them get to the sixth with a shutout intact. Bryce Stowell, Brandon Workman, Andrew Carraway, Nick McCully, Dallas Keuchel and Seth Blair are probably the top six starting pitchers in the league. Only Matt Thomson and Sammy Solis from the East could come close to cracking that list.

And the Bullpen . . .

So maybe we could go ahead and make it nine shutout innings. Reliever Ben Tootle will blow people away while closers Eric Pettis and Russell Brewer are two of the three best in the league.

Look, Real Second Basemen!

Because of a lack of second-base talent last year, the All-Star starters at second were a shortstop and a third baseman. But Nick Liles and Jimmy Cesario get the call this year. Both have actually seen significant time at second.

Youth is Served

Eight freshmen will be on the field, and some of them may be serious prospects come 2010. After all, if you’re a Cape League All-Star after your freshmen year, you’re doing something right. The list: LHP Brian Dupra, SS D.J. LeMahieu, LHP Sammy Solis and RHP Martin Viramontes in the East; RHP Seth Blair, RHP Russell Brewer, DH Kevin Patterson and RHP Brandon Workman in the West.

Back for More . . . Sort Of

Chatham closer Brad Boxberger is the only player who earned a trip to the All-Star game for the second year in a row. But last year, Boxberger was injured and didn’t even play.

The Lone Tar Heel

North Carolina annually sends more players to the Cape than any other school. It’s a shoo-in that a few will make the All-Star game, but this year, only one got the nod — and it’s not the one you’d think. Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Matt Harvey may have the hype, but it’s catcher Mark Fleury who will be on the field Saturday. Fleury didn’t have an everyday job this spring, but he’s hitting .302 this summer.

Southpaw Central

The West has one lefthanded pitcher, Dallas Keuchel. The East? How about five? Sammy Solis and Chris Manno are the best of the bunch.

Derby Wagering?

If I were a betting man, I would pick Chris Dominguez to win the home run derby. I know, I’m really going out on a limb. He only has eight home runs this year.

Eastern Division, Western Flavor

Eleven of the Eastern Division’s 21 All-Stars play at California colleges.

Infield Pop

The West’s starting infield of Ben Paulsen, Jimmy Cesario, Chris Dominguez and Dusty Coleman has combined for 15 home runs and 87 RBI. The East? Nine home runs and 52 RBI.

The Bright Lights

NESN will broadcast the game live for the first time ever. In years past, it’s been broadcast on tape delay.

Did someone forget to bring the bats?

Four games ended in shutouts last night. Cotuit shut out Bourne 1-0, Hyannis did the same to Harwich, Y-D beat Chatham 3-0 and, in the most zero-ey game of all, Orleans and Brewster shut each other out in a 0-0 game that was called after 10 innings due to darkness.

A strange night, indeed. Before last night’s game, there hadn’t been more than two shutouts in one night all season. But the pitching was tremendous last night, particularly the starting pitching. Of the eight starting pitchers involved in the shutouts, six of them didn’t allow a run.

Cotuit’s Seth Blair (Arizona State) turned in the best performance. He was one out away from a complete game, but with a runner on second with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Kettleers went to Daniel Wolford (Cal), who got a strikeout to end the inning. Cotuit then won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Joey Lewis (Georgia) broke from third on a ground ball and slid in safely at home. For Bourne, Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina) allowed two hits in his seven shutout innings.

The Hyannis-Harwich game was another 1-0 affair, with a Matt Nuzzo (Brown) RBI double in the fifth standing as the only tally. Colin Bates (North Carolina), Andrew Carraway (Virginia) and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) combined on the shutout. Bates allowed three hits in six innings, Carraway — making his first relief appearance — went two scoreless innings and Brewer worked out of a jam in the ninth to get his 12th save and his first since July 12.

Chatham got shut out for the second straight night, this time at the hands of Y-D. Tyler Waldron (Pacific) allowed three hits and struck out seven in seven shutout innings. Shawn Tolleson (Baylor) and Dean Weaver (Georgia) each pitched a scoreless inning. The Red Sox got all three of their runs off Chatham’s Kyle Blair (San Diego), who was making his first start. He struck out seven in four innings.

Finally, in Brewster, the Whitecaps and Cardinals couldn’t get much of anything going. They combined for 11 hits, but nary a run crossed the plate. Brad Stillings (Kent State) tossed five shutout innings for Orleans while Brewster starter Rob Gilliam (UNC Greensboro) went six shutout innings. Orleans left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th. Brewster left a runner on in both the ninth and 10th innings.

Elsewhere

• Apparently, you had to go to Martha’s Vineyard to see two teams score in the same game. Wareham and Falmouth played the first-ever Cape League game on the Vineyard yesterday afternoon and the Gatemen came away with a 6-1 victory. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) had three hits and Cole Leonida (Georgia Tech) had a home run and three RBI to lead the Gatemen, who got seven shutout innings from Robby Broach (Tulane). The win is the fifth in a row for Wareham in the ever-tightening Western Division race. The Gatemen are still in last at 14-19-1, but they’re only seven points back of first place Hyannis.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Only one game on the schedule. Harwich will travel to Falmouth, with J.J. Hoover (Calhoun CC) squaring off against Falmouth’s Chris Gloor (Quinnipiac).

Since not every useful stat is available on the team stats page, I’m compiling the leaders in some extra stat categories. I did this a few times last year, and will do it a couple of times this year too. I’ve got two categories done right now, with more to follow.

To look at them, just click on the links below (they’ll take you to a geocities page).

OPS
WHIP