Game 22 preview: Chatham at Cotuit

by KJ Edelman, 07-05-2019

The Anglers are one of the hottest teams in the Cape League, winning six of their last seven games. As of Friday, Chatham is atop the CCBL standings with 27 points. Up next is Cotuit at Lowell Park on Saturday, which starts at 5 p.m. 

Chatham is coming off a doubleheader split on Friday at Guy Fuller Field against Falmouth. The A’s lost on a seventh inning walk off in the first game, but scored six straight in the first four innings in the second game.

“I think we’re settling in,” second baseman Tyler Doanes said on Friday. “We’re kind of sort of getting in a rhythm. No more rainouts. We get to play and it’s showing.” 

Despite five unanswered runs from the Commodores, Chatham held onto win, 6-5.

Cotuit is coming off a blowout win against Hyannis. The Kettleers put up 15 hits and scored in all but two innings. Six of the 16 runs came from Matthew Mervis (Duke), who went 4-for-6 on the night.

Probable pitchers

Hugh Fisher (Vanderbilt) will get the start for the Anglers on the same day he was activated. The left-hander appeared in 20 games for the eventual NCAA champion, posting a 4.78 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 32 innings. 

Jeremy Wu-Yelland (Hawaii) is expected to come in relief. In three of his four appearances, the left-hander has not allowed an earned run. Most recently against Yarmouth-Dennis, Wu-Yelland threw two scoreless innings, allowing one run and a walk. In 9.1 innings, he has 2.89 ERA with seven strikeouts.

Another lefty, Jackson Wolf (West Virginia), will begin the game for Cotuit. All of Wolf’s outings have gone over four innings this season, and his only loss came against Chatham. On June 24, Wolf allowed three hits and struck out seven batters. His last outing was June 30 against Wareham where pitched five scoreless frames. 

Players to watch

Tyler Doanes (West Virginia) is a right-handed hitter and he’s teammates with Cotuit’s starter at West Virginia. But Doanes might not even need a leg up. The second baseman has six hits in his last four games, including a triple on Friday. In the last two games, Doanes has three RBIs.

When Jorge Arenas (Stetson) isn’t recording a one-out save on Fourth of July, he’s raising his batting average which is top on the Anglers with a minimum of 20 at-bats. Arenas has 13 hit, fourth on the team, and went 2-for-3 in the second game of the Falmouth doubleheader.

Stat to know — .047

The batting average increase of Chatham between the months of June and July. In 15 games in June, the A’s hit .235. In six games in July, they’re hitting .287.

Last time they played

Chatham moved into first place in the Eastern Division off a 4-2 win at Veterans Field. Kaden Polcovich (Oklahoma State) and Jamal O’Guinn (USC) both homered.