17 August 2006

Pickler's prediction proves prophetic

He hadn't throught of it as a prediction, but when Scott Pickler was reminded what he'd said prior to Sunday's deciding game, he smiled.

"You're right, I did say that."

Pickler's Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox had just won their second Cape Cod Baseball League championship in three years. They won it with pitching. And they won it with defense, just as Pickler had prophesized. "The keys will be pitching and defense. Don't give them four outs," he had said earlier.

And that's exactly how the game played out.

The pitching of Terry Doyle and David Robertson was nearly flawless. Doyle, the Boston College junior from Warwick, R.I., went six strong innings, striking out nine and giving up just two hits - a fifth-inning laser home run by Wareham's Brad Suttle and an infield hit by Dominic de la Osa in the sixth.

Doyle was the league's Pitcher of the Year. But Robertson, the freshman all-American from Alabama, was perfect in the playoffs, saving all four Y-D victories while not allowing a baserunner.

But Sunday, he was overwhelmingly perfect, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced, including the last six to end the game and clinch playoff MVP honors, hands down.

The Cape League is known as a pitcher's league, and Doyle and Robertson proved that in spades Sunday.

But the other half of that equation was equally as evident.

Gatemen pitcher Jeremy Bleich was victimized not once, but twice in the first inning when first baseman Luke Murton lost Evan McArthur's popup in the sun and it dropped safely. Brad Emaus then grounded to second baseman Jason Ogata, whose throw to second was late and off the mark. Emaus would have been an easy out at first on the fielder's choice. After cleanup hitter Steve Strasbaugh struck out, Buster Posey and Michael Taylor walked and the Red Sox had a gift-wrapped 1-0 lead. Technically, the run was earned, but Bleich could have sued for non-support.

Y-D had been given the equivalent of five outs in the inning - a Pickler no-no.

The Red Sox again took advantage of sloppy fielding by the Gatemen in the fourth inning. Posey's routine grounder was booted by shortstop Beamer Weems, Taylor singled to right and Danny Lehmann advanced the runners before Luke Sommer's squeeze bunt fell safely over Bleich's head for a 2-0 lead.

What's termed "Pickler-ball" wasn't finished as Jordan Pacheco executed a perfect squeeze bunt to make it 3-0.

This time the Red Sox were given four outs; they had one earned run, but a 3-0 lead. They added two more unearned runs - four in all - in the seventh.

The one chink in the Red Sox defense came in the fifth inning. Brad Suttle's home run to right ended Doyle's no-hitter and made it 3-1. Then Murten reached when third baseman McArthur pulled Pacheco off the base and Doyle wild-pitched him to second. But after a walk to Joel Collins, Doyle struck out Steffan Wilson and Weams to end the threat.

A four-out inning for Wareham, but no damage from the error.

Wareham had one more shot in the sixth, but once again defense, Pickler's second key to victory, saved the day. Posey ranged behind second base to rob Ryan Gotcher of a hit, then Emaus made a diving stop behind third and threw out Diallo Fon. Those plays were crucial at the time since Dominic de la Osa followed with an infield hit. But Doyle made Suttle his ninth strikeout victim to end the inning and Doyle's season.

Enter Robertson and exit Wareham.

Pickler had rallied his team time and again during the season. July 4, the Red Sox were 7-10 and in last place in the Eastern Division. They finished with a 21-6 blitz for a 28-16 record, best in the league.

After losing the opener to Brewster, they rallied for back-to-back victories to advance to the championship series. They lost the opener, 4-2 at home, rebounded for a 5-4 win at Wareham Saturday night, before closing out the season with a decisive 5-1 victory.

And what made it happen?

Pitching and defense, just as Pickler said it would.