Pitcher's Duel Expected as Anglers take on Y-D

by Chris Jones, 07-31-2013

It will likely be a pitchers duel at Veterans Field on Wednesday night, as Chatham Anglers starter Tommy Lawrence (Maine) will face-off against Y-D right-hander Daniel Savas (Illinois State). Both pitchers have yet to be dealt a loss so far this season.

Lawrence has shut down opposing offenses since arriving in Chatham on June 24. He holds a 3-0 record with a miniscule 0.77 earned run average in six appearances for the Anglers this summer.

The only two runs that Lawrence has allowed this season came in his first appearance on June 25 against Y-D, where he gave up a two-run home run to D.J Stewart (Florida State) that tied the game in the ninth inning. Since then, Lawrence has only allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out 18 over the past 20.1 innings pitched.

Coming off of a tough loss against the last-place Whitecaps, Manager John Schiffner is looking for Lawrence to be a stopper, and help get Chatham back in the win column.

"He (Lawrence) has been great for us this season," Schiffner said. "We feel good about our chances when he is on the mound."

Lawrences' counterpart on the mound will be Savas, who is also 3-0 on the season. Savas has made seven appearances (five starts) for the Red Sox, and holds a 3.30 ERA with 32 strikeouts and only seven walks.

Savas has made one start against Chatham this season, where he picked up the win after allowing three earned runs and striking out seven in Y-Ds 6-4 win against the Anglers.

Savas' best start came against Harwich on July 18, where he only allowed five hits and one run while striking out 12 over eight dominant innings.

After only mustering one hit against Brewster on Tuesday, the Anglers offense will look to bounce back against Savas and the Red Sox pitching staff.

"I don't think we were very focused, but hopefully we will come back strong and focus," Schiffner said.

Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) has been hot at the plate, hitting for an even .500 average over the past week. During that span he has three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI.

Connor Joe (San Diego) continues to be a mainstay in the middle of the Anglers lineup, and is hitting .400 over the past week.

The Anglers are entering the home-stretch of the regular season, and are currently in a stretch of nine games in eight days before the end of it. With six games left to play, five of them come against East Division opponents.

"These games are important. We are in a good position in the standings, but we would still like to win these games," Schiffner said.

First pitch at 7 p.m. Tune into the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. for live coverage with broadcasters Brandon Liebhaber and Keith Zubrow at TRZ Teamline or call 1-800-846-4700, code 3841.



Chris Jones is the Beat Writer and Social Media Manager for the Chatham Anglers. Follow him on twitter at @Chrisjones_UO, and follow the Chatham Anglers at @ChathamAnglers.

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