CHATHAM — Nothing makes Grant Green laugh harder or hit better than the sight of streakers.

The Chatham slugger hit a towering and game-tying two-run home run the first pitch after three unclothed fans ran through the outfield in the eighth inning of Saturday’s 46th annual Cape League All-Star game 

Two batters later, Harwich’s Mark Fleury connected on a two-run shot of his own, and the East came away with an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over the West before a crowd of 8,629 in the mid-summer classic at Chatham’s Veterans Field.

“I thought that was the funniest thing, I just busted up,” said Green, who was 0-for-3 in his previous appearances at the plate. “I actually think that helped more than it hurt me. It calmed me down a little bit. I just thought it was hilarious.”

Green’s souvenir shot to deep center came off a 1-0 pitch from Seth Blair (Cotuit) and earned him the East MVP. 

“The MVP award is great because I got it here, in front of the hometown crowd,” said Green, the fourth A’s player to win the award, which is selected by the scouts. “I’m just happy I was able to represent the Chatham A’s well at home and show the fans and everyone in the league that great players come from Chatham.”

They also come from Harwich, as Fleury showed with a memorable and most unexpected moon shot. 

“I didn’t go up there thinking I was going to hit a home run,” said Fleury, who’s only put two out of the park this year. “I really just wanted to get a hit. He [Blair] threw me two other change ups, one I swung through, but he left that one up and the wind got under it and carried it out.”

Green and Fleury’s fireworks bookended a seven-run eighth inning that gave the East squad its sixth straight all-star game victory.

“They’re the best players in the best league in the best game in the country, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have been able to come back,” Chatham Field Manager John Schiffner said. “These batters are going to do the best they can and they obviously did.”

The 14 combined runs made the mid-summer classic the highest scoring in the history of the Cape League since the two divisions began playing each other in 1988. No one could have predicted that after pitching dominated the early innings.

The West’s pitching staff carried a perfect game into the fifth until Rich Poythress (Orleans) hit a solo home run to match a third-inning blast by A.J. Pollack (Falmouth) and knot the game at one. 

That’s the way it stayed until the West cobbled together five runs to take a commanding lead in the top of the sixth.

West MVP Ben Paulsen (Hyannis) padded his team’s 2-1 advantage with a two-run gapper to right-center. Dusty Coleman (Bourne) followed with an RBI single in the same direction. A sacrifice fly from Trent Ashcraft (Hyannis) then put the visitor’s ahead 6-1 and chased Martin Viramontes (Orleans) off the mound with only one out recorded. 

The West couldn’t add to their total, however, as Harwich Chris Manno, who came in with the bases loaded, put out the fire with back-to-back strikeouts. Manno fanned four batters – the most of any of the 18 pitchers used – over an inning and two-thirds. 

That left just enough room for the East to rally, and the home team cut the deficit in half when Tim Wheeler (Orleans) doubled down the right field line, scoring Brewster’s Ty Kelly and Brent Milleville. 

Nick Liles (Y-D) kept the momentum going with an RBI ground out, setting the stage for Green, whose sixth home run of the year was also his most special. 

“He [Blair] left the ball up and I did what I needed to do with it. I finally got a ball up that didn’t miss,” said Green, who couldn’t take all the credit. “We felt like we had the Orleans luck factor with us today. They never seem to lose and I think that rubbed off on us today.” 

Harwich’s D.J. Lemahieu followed with a single to center, and Fleury’s game-winning HR ensured the Cape League of not repeating its only other tie game in 1996. 

“I was the most relaxed person in the world after Grant hit that home run,” said Fleury. “The past couple of weeks have been kind of slow for me. I think I’ve only had one hit in my last 20 at-bats, but I guess this kind of makes up for it.”

Brad Boxberger, who has eight saves, did for the East All-Stars what he’s done for Chatham all season long, closing out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth.