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Game 25 Preview: Chatham vs. Yarmouth-Dennis
CHATHAM, Mass. — The Anglers have lost three games in a row.
It’s been a while since that was a true statement. Chatham lost four in a row to open their season, but responded in full force with several win streaks to climb back over .500 and place itself 10 points clear of Orleans for a playoff spot in the East Division.
Then, the A’s dropped a 7-5 game to Brewster at home, notched one hit in a walkoff road loss to Harwich, and allowed three late runs to Orleans in a 5-4 defeat at home. The Anglers had an off-day after those three losses to East Division rivals, giving them a chance to reset.
But now, an even-more formidable East Division foe awaits them. Here’s everything to know before Chatham (10-12-2, East) hosts Yarmouth-Dennis (19-4-1, East) Tuesday.
Oliver Pudvar (UConn), the second of Chatham’s two remaining starters from its Opening Day rotation, will take the bump for the Anglers against Y-D. Pudvar — who was just named a CCBL All-Star — has been the A’s most reliable innings-eater, leading the team with 20.2 of them thus far, and they haven’t been empty-calorie frames, either. He’s been sharp on the hill, sporting a 1.16 WHIP and holding opponents to a 3.05 earned run average.
But on the other end, Connor Hamilton (Vanderbilt) has the skill to match him. The Red Sox starter has made four starts on the Cape this summer — just like Pudvar — and thrown 14.1 innings for Y-D. In those innings, he has a 2.51 ERA, which is stronger than Pudvar’s by over half a run. However, he also has just eight strikeouts to six walks, indicating command issues that the A’s may be able to capitalize on at the plate.
Jake Souders (Mississippi State) is the only Y-D position player with at least 20 plate appearances over the past week. Fortunately for the Red Sox, he’s also been arguably their best hitter in that span as well. Souders, who usually mans third base for Y-D, hit two home runs, drove in five runs and racked up a 1.056 OPS over the past week, bumping up his season OPS all the way to .743.
But he doesn’t have the highest OPS on the team. Among qualified hitters, he actually ranks fourth. Kevin Takeuchi (USC) leads the way for Yarmouth-Dennis on offense. His .762 OPS is the highest mark among qualified Red Sox, and it’s largely bolstered by his .394 on-base percentage. His .246 batting average isn’t anything too remarkable, but his plate discipline makes him a threat to reach regularly.
There is only one player on Chatham’s roster with an OPS above .700 in the past week. It is neither of the A’s CCBL All-Stars, Rob Rispoli (UConn) and Bino Watters (LSU). That distinction belongs to Ty Peeples (Florida State). His overall season stats still aren’t very strong, evidenced by his .172 batting average, but Peeples leads qualified Anglers with a .768 OPS in the past week. He’s heating up at a time where Chatham desperately needs more offensive help.
He hasn’t had the best introduction to the Cape thus far, but Junior Lauaki (Georgia) has still displayed potential in his five-game stint with Chatham. That was never more evident than Sunday at Veterans Field, where Lauaki crushed his first home run of the summer against Orleans. He doesn’t get the bat on the ball often, but it flies far and fast when he does.
There’s no team on the Cape that’s better at hitting on the road than Yarmouth-Dennis. The Red Sox lead the CCBL with a .732 OPS in away games, and they also lead the league with a total of 77 runs scored away from Red Wilson Field.
That’s bad news for Chatham as it gears up to host the Red Sox at Veterans Field Tuesday. When it comes to hitting at home, the A’s are the second-worst team in the CCBL, with a paltry .653 OPS. The Anglers are also dead-bottom in the league with 77 hits at home and a .219 batting average. Veterans Field, the stadium which is ostensibly supposed to serve as friendly confines for Chatham, might not be so friendly to the A’s Tuesday if these trends persist.
Chatham, on the heels of a devastating eight-run collapse to Brewster, got off to a quick start when it last faced Yarmouth-Dennis at Red Wilson Field on June 30, going up 5-0 heading into the fifth inning behind a dominant four-inning start from Jack Ohman (Yale).
But, much like the Whitecaps in the A’s previous game, Y-D began to claw back once Chatham turned to its bullpen. It began with a run in the fifth, then two in the sixth, then three more in the seventh. That tied the game up at 6-6, and after a scoreless eighth inning from both sides, that was ultimately the final score of the darkness-abridged game.
It’s been a while since that was a true statement. Chatham lost four in a row to open their season, but responded in full force with several win streaks to climb back over .500 and place itself 10 points clear of Orleans for a playoff spot in the East Division.
Then, the A’s dropped a 7-5 game to Brewster at home, notched one hit in a walkoff road loss to Harwich, and allowed three late runs to Orleans in a 5-4 defeat at home. The Anglers had an off-day after those three losses to East Division rivals, giving them a chance to reset.
But now, an even-more formidable East Division foe awaits them. Here’s everything to know before Chatham (10-12-2, East) hosts Yarmouth-Dennis (19-4-1, East) Tuesday.
Probable Starters
Oliver Pudvar (UConn), the second of Chatham’s two remaining starters from its Opening Day rotation, will take the bump for the Anglers against Y-D. Pudvar — who was just named a CCBL All-Star — has been the A’s most reliable innings-eater, leading the team with 20.2 of them thus far, and they haven’t been empty-calorie frames, either. He’s been sharp on the hill, sporting a 1.16 WHIP and holding opponents to a 3.05 earned run average.
But on the other end, Connor Hamilton (Vanderbilt) has the skill to match him. The Red Sox starter has made four starts on the Cape this summer — just like Pudvar — and thrown 14.1 innings for Y-D. In those innings, he has a 2.51 ERA, which is stronger than Pudvar’s by over half a run. However, he also has just eight strikeouts to six walks, indicating command issues that the A’s may be able to capitalize on at the plate.
Yarmouth-Dennis Players To Watch
Jake Souders (Mississippi State) is the only Y-D position player with at least 20 plate appearances over the past week. Fortunately for the Red Sox, he’s also been arguably their best hitter in that span as well. Souders, who usually mans third base for Y-D, hit two home runs, drove in five runs and racked up a 1.056 OPS over the past week, bumping up his season OPS all the way to .743.
But he doesn’t have the highest OPS on the team. Among qualified hitters, he actually ranks fourth. Kevin Takeuchi (USC) leads the way for Yarmouth-Dennis on offense. His .762 OPS is the highest mark among qualified Red Sox, and it’s largely bolstered by his .394 on-base percentage. His .246 batting average isn’t anything too remarkable, but his plate discipline makes him a threat to reach regularly.
Chatham Players To Watch
There is only one player on Chatham’s roster with an OPS above .700 in the past week. It is neither of the A’s CCBL All-Stars, Rob Rispoli (UConn) and Bino Watters (LSU). That distinction belongs to Ty Peeples (Florida State). His overall season stats still aren’t very strong, evidenced by his .172 batting average, but Peeples leads qualified Anglers with a .768 OPS in the past week. He’s heating up at a time where Chatham desperately needs more offensive help.
He hasn’t had the best introduction to the Cape thus far, but Junior Lauaki (Georgia) has still displayed potential in his five-game stint with Chatham. That was never more evident than Sunday at Veterans Field, where Lauaki crushed his first home run of the summer against Orleans. He doesn’t get the bat on the ball often, but it flies far and fast when he does.
Number To Know: .732
There’s no team on the Cape that’s better at hitting on the road than Yarmouth-Dennis. The Red Sox lead the CCBL with a .732 OPS in away games, and they also lead the league with a total of 77 runs scored away from Red Wilson Field.
That’s bad news for Chatham as it gears up to host the Red Sox at Veterans Field Tuesday. When it comes to hitting at home, the A’s are the second-worst team in the CCBL, with a paltry .653 OPS. The Anglers are also dead-bottom in the league with 77 hits at home and a .219 batting average. Veterans Field, the stadium which is ostensibly supposed to serve as friendly confines for Chatham, might not be so friendly to the A’s Tuesday if these trends persist.
Last Time They Played
Chatham, on the heels of a devastating eight-run collapse to Brewster, got off to a quick start when it last faced Yarmouth-Dennis at Red Wilson Field on June 30, going up 5-0 heading into the fifth inning behind a dominant four-inning start from Jack Ohman (Yale).
But, much like the Whitecaps in the A’s previous game, Y-D began to claw back once Chatham turned to its bullpen. It began with a run in the fifth, then two in the sixth, then three more in the seventh. That tied the game up at 6-6, and after a scoreless eighth inning from both sides, that was ultimately the final score of the darkness-abridged game.
