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Cervantes shines, Chatham falls to Y-D 4-1 late
CHATHAM, Mass. — He appears awfully insignificant. On a baseball field that spans over 300 feet to the corners and nearly 400 feet to center, there’s not much to be said about a two inch speck on the pitcher's mound.
In fact, the only way you might catch a glimpse of that speck — which, in reality, is a grey, two-inch tall good luck charm, a toy triceratops by the name of Jerry — is if you’re actively looking for him. Sure, Jerry’s found himself in the spotlight over the past year as he’s moved from high school mounds to just behind the rubber at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium. But on a cool summer night at Veterans Field, you’d still need a squint and a sharp eyeglass prescription to find him.
Even if Jerry were a life-size dinosaur, though, the beast that shares the mound with him might be just as intimidating. Angel Cervantes — the freshman All-American pitcher and, perhaps more importantly, Jerry’s owner — diced through some of the top offenses in the Big Ten while starring for the Bruins this spring.
In his Chatham debut Tuesday, against the top offense in the Cape Cod Baseball League, he did the same. Cervantes — aided by Jerry’s support for the first time at Veterans Field — tossed five no-hit innings and struck out six.
“I'm pretty sure (Jerry) liked today's outing.” Cervantes said postgame. “It was awesome.”
Once Cervantes exited the game in the sixth inning, though, the A’s bullpen couldn’t replicate the effort, ultimately giving way to the Yarmouth-Dennis (4-0, 1-0 East) bats in Chatham’s (0-4, 0-1 East) 4-1 loss. The defeat means the Anglers remain the only winless team in the CCBL and are 0-4 for the first time in over 25 years.
The silver lining was clear, though. The A’s have a legitimate ace on their hands with Cervantes. And whatever good luck Jerry brings has almost certainly made it to the Cape.
The story goes that Cervantes started bringing Jerry to the mound in high school as part of a project for his senior year photography class, where students were challenged to photograph mini dinosaurs on the ground at various angles. He first debuted at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, before making his way to mounds across the country.
Veterans Field was next on the list. In the top of the first on Tuesday, Cervantes walked to the mound, placed Jerry behind the rubber and promptly got to work.
It was three up, three down, including a punchout of Brodie Johnston (Vanderbilt), who entered the game with a top-five OPS in the league. As he worked through the meat of Y-D’s order, Cervantes got some defensive support, with a Rett Johnson (NC State) diving grab in center and a smooth pick at first by Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) in the third inning.
In the bottom of the third, the offense gave Cervantes a lead to work with. Johnson battled back from an 0-2 count to work a walk before swiping second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Connor Shouse (Texas Tech) then continued his hot streak by plating Johnson with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 A’s.
That narrow advantage was all Cervantes really needed. Cervantes fanned three straight Y-D batters, carving through the Red Sox two three and four hitters like a master butcher.
Cervantes said he’s been working on his two-seam fastball recently, which he used often on right-handed batters Tuesday night. His arsenal — which also features two change ups, a slider and a curveball — was causing Y-D troubles all evening.
“He's got great stuff,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said of Cervantes. “He mixes well, takes his job serious, and he wants to get better.”
When he came back out in the fifth, it was rinse and repeat. Another Y-D batter went down by way of the K and two more popped out. Cervantes left the fifth having not allowed a hit.
That marked the end of his night, though. Cook said Cervantes was on a pitch count of 65, forcing the A’s manager to opt for Oisin Lee (Notre Dame/Transfer) in the top of the sixth. The reliever promptly gave up hits to Phoenix Call (UCLA) and Ethan Ball (Virginia Tech). Two wild pitches and an RBI single from Jake Souders (Samford) then allowed the Red Sox to take a 3-1 advantage after the frame.
The same issues plagued the A’s in the seventh. Lee recorded an out before allowing a walk and a single, prompting Cook to call to the bullpen. Talan Bell (UCF) wasn’t much more effective, dealing a wild pitch before walking Call to load the bases. Then, he hit Ball to drive in Y-D’s fourth run of the evening.
“They have to take care of the business,” Cook said of his bullpen. “They gotta be better. That's just the bottom line.”
Collins Black (NC State) helped steady the Anglers when he checked in for Bell with two outs in the seventh, cutting Johnston down on strikes before putting together a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
But Y-D’s Peyton Rodgers (UC Irvine) locked things down on the other end. The right-hander went four strong innings in relief and allowed just four baserunners. He only ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth, after Johnson walked and Jacob Parker (Mississippi State) punched a single through the left side.
It prompted Y-D manager Scott Pickler to opt for left-hander Brock Ketelsen (Stanford), who forced Bino Watters (LSU) into an inning-ending double play, extinguishing Chatham’s best opportunity for a comeback.
So, Cervantes’ dream debut was spoiled. But it’s nonetheless an encouraging sign.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander — whose demeanor is about as unassuming as the toy he brings with him to the mound — brings Chatham the juice it needs from its starting pitchers. From here on out, it’ll be up to his bullpen to replicate the effort.
In fact, the only way you might catch a glimpse of that speck — which, in reality, is a grey, two-inch tall good luck charm, a toy triceratops by the name of Jerry — is if you’re actively looking for him. Sure, Jerry’s found himself in the spotlight over the past year as he’s moved from high school mounds to just behind the rubber at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium. But on a cool summer night at Veterans Field, you’d still need a squint and a sharp eyeglass prescription to find him.
Even if Jerry were a life-size dinosaur, though, the beast that shares the mound with him might be just as intimidating. Angel Cervantes — the freshman All-American pitcher and, perhaps more importantly, Jerry’s owner — diced through some of the top offenses in the Big Ten while starring for the Bruins this spring.
In his Chatham debut Tuesday, against the top offense in the Cape Cod Baseball League, he did the same. Cervantes — aided by Jerry’s support for the first time at Veterans Field — tossed five no-hit innings and struck out six.
“I'm pretty sure (Jerry) liked today's outing.” Cervantes said postgame. “It was awesome.”
Once Cervantes exited the game in the sixth inning, though, the A’s bullpen couldn’t replicate the effort, ultimately giving way to the Yarmouth-Dennis (4-0, 1-0 East) bats in Chatham’s (0-4, 0-1 East) 4-1 loss. The defeat means the Anglers remain the only winless team in the CCBL and are 0-4 for the first time in over 25 years.
The silver lining was clear, though. The A’s have a legitimate ace on their hands with Cervantes. And whatever good luck Jerry brings has almost certainly made it to the Cape.
The story goes that Cervantes started bringing Jerry to the mound in high school as part of a project for his senior year photography class, where students were challenged to photograph mini dinosaurs on the ground at various angles. He first debuted at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, before making his way to mounds across the country.
Veterans Field was next on the list. In the top of the first on Tuesday, Cervantes walked to the mound, placed Jerry behind the rubber and promptly got to work.
It was three up, three down, including a punchout of Brodie Johnston (Vanderbilt), who entered the game with a top-five OPS in the league. As he worked through the meat of Y-D’s order, Cervantes got some defensive support, with a Rett Johnson (NC State) diving grab in center and a smooth pick at first by Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) in the third inning.
In the bottom of the third, the offense gave Cervantes a lead to work with. Johnson battled back from an 0-2 count to work a walk before swiping second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Connor Shouse (Texas Tech) then continued his hot streak by plating Johnson with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 A’s.
That narrow advantage was all Cervantes really needed. Cervantes fanned three straight Y-D batters, carving through the Red Sox two three and four hitters like a master butcher.
Jerry the Dinosaur, a two-inch toy triceratops, made his Chatham debut alongside Angel Cervantes in the A's 4-1 loss to Yarmouth-Dennis Tuesday. Photograph by Alistair Hennessey
Cervantes said he’s been working on his two-seam fastball recently, which he used often on right-handed batters Tuesday night. His arsenal — which also features two change ups, a slider and a curveball — was causing Y-D troubles all evening.
“He's got great stuff,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said of Cervantes. “He mixes well, takes his job serious, and he wants to get better.”
When he came back out in the fifth, it was rinse and repeat. Another Y-D batter went down by way of the K and two more popped out. Cervantes left the fifth having not allowed a hit.
That marked the end of his night, though. Cook said Cervantes was on a pitch count of 65, forcing the A’s manager to opt for Oisin Lee (Notre Dame/Transfer) in the top of the sixth. The reliever promptly gave up hits to Phoenix Call (UCLA) and Ethan Ball (Virginia Tech). Two wild pitches and an RBI single from Jake Souders (Samford) then allowed the Red Sox to take a 3-1 advantage after the frame.
The same issues plagued the A’s in the seventh. Lee recorded an out before allowing a walk and a single, prompting Cook to call to the bullpen. Talan Bell (UCF) wasn’t much more effective, dealing a wild pitch before walking Call to load the bases. Then, he hit Ball to drive in Y-D’s fourth run of the evening.
“They have to take care of the business,” Cook said of his bullpen. “They gotta be better. That's just the bottom line.”
Collins Black (NC State) helped steady the Anglers when he checked in for Bell with two outs in the seventh, cutting Johnston down on strikes before putting together a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
But Y-D’s Peyton Rodgers (UC Irvine) locked things down on the other end. The right-hander went four strong innings in relief and allowed just four baserunners. He only ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth, after Johnson walked and Jacob Parker (Mississippi State) punched a single through the left side.
It prompted Y-D manager Scott Pickler to opt for left-hander Brock Ketelsen (Stanford), who forced Bino Watters (LSU) into an inning-ending double play, extinguishing Chatham’s best opportunity for a comeback.
So, Cervantes’ dream debut was spoiled. But it’s nonetheless an encouraging sign.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander — whose demeanor is about as unassuming as the toy he brings with him to the mound — brings Chatham the juice it needs from its starting pitchers. From here on out, it’ll be up to his bullpen to replicate the effort.
