Anglers News« Back to 2026 News |
Game 38 Preview: Chatham at Orleans
CHATHAM, Mass. — Over the past few days, the weather on Cape Cod has done everything possible to halt Chatham’s momentum. The Anglers entered Wednesday having won four games in a row, but rain caused every game in the league to be postponed to a later date. And when those rainy conditions continued Thursday, all games were postponed again.
It meant Chatham was set to play five games on the final three days of the season. But it couldn’t stop the A’s offense, which has caught fire over the past week. Chatham beat Brewster Friday afternoon 9-0 for its fifth straight victory.
Now, after clinching their first playoff spot since 2024, the Anglers’ focus must quickly shift to Orleans, as they dash to Eldredge Park for their second game of the day at 6:30 p.m.
While the contest in Brewster was just seven innings, this one will be nine. Here’s what to know about the Anglers (16-17-3, East) and the Firebirds (12-24, East) before the matchup.
Chatham’s ace, Angel Cervantes (UCLA), is slated to get the ball against the Firebirds. It’ll be his sixth start of the year and third against Orleans. He still boasts the best earned run average of all qualified pitchers on the Cape, with a 1.14 mark in 23.2 innings. That number went up a bit in his last start against the Firebirds, where he gave up two runs on solo homers. But he’s allowed just three earned runs all season, and will give the A’s a good shot to win Friday night.
Luca Alagheband (Harvard) is set to toe the rubber for Orleans in what’ll be his first start of the summer. The lefty has been a consistent presence out of the Firebird bullpen, though, making 11 appearances and tossing 15.1 innings in relief. He’s given up just three earned runs in that span, good for a 1.76 ERA, and has totaled 16 strikeouts to just nine walks.
If one player has consistently been kryptonite to Chatham, it’s Dominic Cadiz (UCLA). In the teams’ first meeting on July 3, he went 6-for-6 with a home run and a walk-off single. In the squads’ last meeting on July 25, he took Cervantes deep in the first inning. He’s hitting .331 on the season overall with a .835 OPS, both top-10 marks in the league. And now that Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) — with his league-leading nine home runs — is gone, Cadiz will need to provide the pop for the Firebirds.
In that aforementioned July 3 game between Chatham and Orleans, Rowan Kelly (UC Santa Barbara) tallied four hits and the game-winning run. He’s been almost as much of a problem for Chatham as Cadiz, totaling six hits in four games against the Anglers this season. He’s hitting .289 on the year overall with a .786 OPS.
Bino Watters (LSU) missed one of Chatham’s games on the win streak with back soreness, but he’s still been a major catalyst for the Angler offense. After going 1-for-2 with two walks this morning, he’s now hitting .333, the fourth-best mark in the league, and he’s hitting 4-for-8 over his past four games.
The only Angler with a better OPS mark in that span is Armani Guzman (West Virginia), who’s similarly been on a tear during Chatham’s win streak. Guzman went 4-for-4 Friday morning against Brewster, and is now hitting .533 with a 1.211 OPS and six RBIs over his past four games. His speed is also a major threat, as he’s 14-for-16 on steal attempts in his 16 games with Chatham.
After Chatham’s win Friday morning, the Anglers sit 11 points ahead of Orleans for fourth place in the East, making it mathematically impossible for the Firebirds to catch the Anglers. So, Orleans doesn’t have much to play for at this point.
Chatham, on the other hand, can still catch third-place Harwich, which has 38 points to the A’s 35. A win over Orleans and a Harwich loss to Hyannis Friday night would pull the Anglers within one point of third place in the East Division.
When Chatham last trekked to Eldredge Park on July 25, the Angler bats ignited for 12 runs on 15 hits in a 12-4 victory over the Firebirds. The win brought Chatham nine points clear of Orleans for playoff position in the East, which helped the A’s clinch on Friday morning.
Cervantes got the start for Chatham and tossed five innings of two-run ball. Myatt and Cadiz took him yard, but the Angler offense backed him up in a big way. All 12 of the A’s runs came in the first six innings, including three in the first and six in the sixth. Five Anglers had multiple hits, while Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) led the way with four knocks.
It meant Chatham was set to play five games on the final three days of the season. But it couldn’t stop the A’s offense, which has caught fire over the past week. Chatham beat Brewster Friday afternoon 9-0 for its fifth straight victory.
Now, after clinching their first playoff spot since 2024, the Anglers’ focus must quickly shift to Orleans, as they dash to Eldredge Park for their second game of the day at 6:30 p.m.
While the contest in Brewster was just seven innings, this one will be nine. Here’s what to know about the Anglers (16-17-3, East) and the Firebirds (12-24, East) before the matchup.
Probable Starters
Chatham’s ace, Angel Cervantes (UCLA), is slated to get the ball against the Firebirds. It’ll be his sixth start of the year and third against Orleans. He still boasts the best earned run average of all qualified pitchers on the Cape, with a 1.14 mark in 23.2 innings. That number went up a bit in his last start against the Firebirds, where he gave up two runs on solo homers. But he’s allowed just three earned runs all season, and will give the A’s a good shot to win Friday night.
Luca Alagheband (Harvard) is set to toe the rubber for Orleans in what’ll be his first start of the summer. The lefty has been a consistent presence out of the Firebird bullpen, though, making 11 appearances and tossing 15.1 innings in relief. He’s given up just three earned runs in that span, good for a 1.76 ERA, and has totaled 16 strikeouts to just nine walks.
Orleans Players To Watch
If one player has consistently been kryptonite to Chatham, it’s Dominic Cadiz (UCLA). In the teams’ first meeting on July 3, he went 6-for-6 with a home run and a walk-off single. In the squads’ last meeting on July 25, he took Cervantes deep in the first inning. He’s hitting .331 on the season overall with a .835 OPS, both top-10 marks in the league. And now that Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) — with his league-leading nine home runs — is gone, Cadiz will need to provide the pop for the Firebirds.
In that aforementioned July 3 game between Chatham and Orleans, Rowan Kelly (UC Santa Barbara) tallied four hits and the game-winning run. He’s been almost as much of a problem for Chatham as Cadiz, totaling six hits in four games against the Anglers this season. He’s hitting .289 on the year overall with a .786 OPS.
Chatham Players To Watch
Bino Watters (LSU) missed one of Chatham’s games on the win streak with back soreness, but he’s still been a major catalyst for the Angler offense. After going 1-for-2 with two walks this morning, he’s now hitting .333, the fourth-best mark in the league, and he’s hitting 4-for-8 over his past four games.
The only Angler with a better OPS mark in that span is Armani Guzman (West Virginia), who’s similarly been on a tear during Chatham’s win streak. Guzman went 4-for-4 Friday morning against Brewster, and is now hitting .533 with a 1.211 OPS and six RBIs over his past four games. His speed is also a major threat, as he’s 14-for-16 on steal attempts in his 16 games with Chatham.
Number To Know: 11
After Chatham’s win Friday morning, the Anglers sit 11 points ahead of Orleans for fourth place in the East, making it mathematically impossible for the Firebirds to catch the Anglers. So, Orleans doesn’t have much to play for at this point.
Chatham, on the other hand, can still catch third-place Harwich, which has 38 points to the A’s 35. A win over Orleans and a Harwich loss to Hyannis Friday night would pull the Anglers within one point of third place in the East Division.
Last Time They Played
When Chatham last trekked to Eldredge Park on July 25, the Angler bats ignited for 12 runs on 15 hits in a 12-4 victory over the Firebirds. The win brought Chatham nine points clear of Orleans for playoff position in the East, which helped the A’s clinch on Friday morning.
Cervantes got the start for Chatham and tossed five innings of two-run ball. Myatt and Cadiz took him yard, but the Angler offense backed him up in a big way. All 12 of the A’s runs came in the first six innings, including three in the first and six in the sixth. Five Anglers had multiple hits, while Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) led the way with four knocks.
