MULTIPLE MISTAKES STEAL WINABLE GAME AWAY FROM RED SOX
The YD Red Sox (10-10-2) battled back in a tough game against the Chatham Anglers (6-14-1) but allowed mental mistakes and errors to drop their second game to a weak Chatham team this summer. Trailing the majority of the game, the Red Sox scored two hard earned runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the score yet surrendered the winning run in the bottom half of the frame to drop their second straight game.
Faults along with brilliant pitching by the Anglers starting pitcher, Tim Cooney, brought YD’s loss column into double digits on Tuesday. Cooney entered the game struggling with a 1-2 record and a 7.13 ERA in 17.2 innings this season. He had also allowed 26 hits. It seemed that a different hurler showed up to the game as he went seven strong innings allowing only five hits while striking out eight and walking none. Those eight strikeouts, half of them looking, nearly doubled his total for the season, which sat at ten to begin the game. Some of those looking strike outs may have been attributed to a wide and somewhat erratic strike zone by the home plate umpire however.
The Red Sox threatened to score first in the top of the second when Stephen Piscotty led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After a ground out moved him over to third, Cody Keefer grounded a ball to the shortstop and Piscotty was off at contact. A strong throw home caught Piscotty to save a run. Recent arrival Connor Harrell from Vanderbilt followed with a single that would have scored Piscotty. A double steal put runners on second and third with two outs but catcher Derrick Chung struck out to end the inning.
Chatham scored their first run in the bottom of the second after two lead off singles and a sac bunt put runners on second and third. Next, a bouncing ball to Matt Wessinger at second was bobbled as he looked to hurry an attempt to nab the runner at home. Luckily, he was able to get the out at first.
The second Angler run came in the bottom of the fifth after a two-out walk followed by an error by Wessinger placed two runners on base. The next batter grounded to shortstop Chris Taylor who overthrew Mason Katz at first base bringing the runner home from second base. Right fielder James Ramsey ran down the overthrown ball and cannoned the ball home to throw out the runner attempting to score from first on the overthrow and end the inning. Chatham led 2-0.
Besides the second inning in which the Red Sox threatened, a runner did not reach second base again until the sixth inning when Taylor led off the inning with a single and stole second. But a labored YD offense could not bring him around. Of Tim Cooney’s seven innings pitched, four of them were 1-2-3 innings.
The Red Sox got to Chatham relief man Matt Koch in the top of the eighth, scoring two runs to tie the game and put the pressure back on the Angler offense. New addition, catcher, Mike Zunino from Florida singled to left with one out for his first hit as a Red Sox. Chris Taylor followed with an infield single, and an error by the Chatham first baseman, who couldn’t handle the throw, allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Third baseman Tyler Hanover grounded out but grabbed the RBI for the first YD run. Ramsey followed by hitting the second infield single of the inning, scoring the second run and tying the score at two. Ramsey stole second to put himself in scoring position, but Mason Katz struck out to end the inning.
A wild bottom of the eighth inning provided the winning run for Chatham. A lead off walk put one runner on. YD relief pitcher Matt Reckling struck out the next batter on a bunt third strike. An interesting play followed when a fly ball to right field dropped due to bad communication, but the runner was thrown out at second to record the second out of the inning. Reckling would have retired the side and escape the inning, yet a pass ball third strike put the batter on base. The pass ball was YD’s third error of the game and resulted in the go-ahead run for the Anglers when a single by pinch hitter Joe Sever scooted up the middle.
All three of Chatham’s runs were in direct result of a mental mistake or error on the part of the Red Sox. Starting pitcher Zack Weiss pitched well enough to get the win, going six innings and allowing two runs, only one earned. But YD dropped their second game to the Chatham Anglers who possess the worst record in the Cape League this summer.
The Red Sox will look to right themselves on Wednesday against the Harwich Mariners who sit atop the Eastern Division.
