27 July, 2004

Mariners Try for Traction

     With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the 15-17 Mariners find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. If the season ended today the Mariners would be tied for third in the division with Chatham (15-16), and eight points behind wild card leader Y-D (19-14). Brewster leads the division with a 20-13 mark. 

     The problem for Harwich has been the inability to string together multiple victories. The Mariners have not had a winning streak of more than two games since the end of July when they ran off four. 

     Of their final 10 games, six are against Eastern Division foes, including three battles with Chatham and two with Y-D. The Y-D games are basically a home and home with the Red Sox coming to Whitehouse Field Aug. 2, and the Mariners traveling to Yarmouth Aug. 4. They close out the season Aug. 8, at current league leader Brewster. 

     The one constant for the Mariners this season has been starting pitching and that continued this week. 

     "We have a good staff and I think they could carry us into the playoffs," said catcher John Slone. 

     Dan Brauer (of Northwestern) has been the ace of the staff all season and he continued his dominance over Cape League bats holding Brewster to one run over six innings July 22. The Mariners won 3-2 and Brauer picked up his league-leading fifth win to up his record to 5-1. He also tossed seven more strikeouts upping his season total to 50, third in the league. On the season he has an ERA of 1.72, and has only surrendered 20 hits over 36.2 innings. 

     In this game he was boosted by the three hits of All-Star second baseman Jon Aughey (Citadel), and a three-run homer by Drew Davidson. 

     On July 23 the Mariners got strong pitching from Zach Ward and Zach Kroenke but were blanked 2-0 by Chatham. 

     On Sunday, July 25, the Harwich All-Stars carried over their strong performances to upend Orleans 5-4. The Mariners got a three spot in the home half of the ninth off Orleans reliever Dan Touchet.. A Clete Thomas single and sacrifice flies by Slone and James Holder provided the RBIs. 

     Scoring runs again proved to be the big problem for the Mariners on Monday as Anthony Varvaro kept them in the game but the bats were again quiet in the 2-0 loss. Varvaro pitched seven innings of on- run ball but Harwich could only muster one hit. 

     All-Star outfielder Ben Copeland of Pittsburgh knows what it will take for Harwich to make a run at the playoffs. 

     "We definitely need to score runs; this is a pitchers league and if you score runs you win. We have to score runs and be hot offensively," said Copeland.