Sleep is the cousin of death, and the Wareham Gatemen (20-11-1) are more than awake right now.
After a second consecutive win for Wareham in its 8-1 triumph at Brewster, the Gatemen have hit the 20-win mark for the first time since 2019. Against one of the best offenses in the league, the Gatemen collected a staple win as they continue to write off the history behind them.
Brewster offered its best pitcher, too. Jake Clemente (Florida) entered his fifth start of the season with the league’s sixth-best ERA (1.96). He left with a 3.68 ERA. The Gatemen offense was in full form after tagging the Brewster ace with five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.
After a slow start to the second half, the Gatemen are now 6-6 beyond the midpoint of the season. In the fog-shortened contest, Wareham collected 10 hits in seven innings, going 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position — a situation it has struggled in. In their six second-half losses they’ve gone a combined 8-for-62 (.129) with runners in scoring position. In their current two-game winning streak they’re now 7-for-23 (.309). An improvement to say the least.
While Wareham looks for a three-game winning streak for the first time since the first half of the season, it will be matched up with another top-five offense: the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (19-9-4).
At first place in the East and the third-best record overall, the Y-D Red Sox may be the most well-rounded team in the CCBL. They sit fourth in the league in runs produced (159) and lead it all in home runs (36). Their pitching is no joke either. They have the league’s best staff ERA (3.66) and hold hitters to a league-best .228 BAA.
Yet, Wareham owns the season-series over Y-D, 2-1, outscoring the Red Sox, 13-10, in a contentious trio of meetings thus far. With Y-D standing as a favorite to come out of the East in the postseason, this is a chance to make a statement while Wareham looks to climb back to the top of the West division as it stands a game behind first-place Cotuit.
Starting pitchers
While Wareham has allowed just five earned runs in its past two victories, manager Ryan Smyth believes Heath Andrews (North Carolina State) can do the job.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander will take the mound Thursday in preparation for his fourth start and sixth appearance overall this summer. For a pitching staff with the league’s fifth-best ERA (4.35), Andrews has been reliable. With a 2-1 record, Andrews has a 3.07 ERA in 14 2/3 innings pitched. Andrews is more of a pitch-to-contact guy with just five walks allowed, keen to produce ground balls with a pair of double plays under his belt as well.
But this start does come as an opportunity to right the ship for Andrews. His last start was his worst. He allowed three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings six days ago in a loss at Cotuit. In rare form, Andrews got hit hard after allowing seven knocks and three walks in the rough outing. He’ll look to rediscover the five-inning scoreless outing he had the start before when shutting out Falmouth in his second win of the season back on July 12.
Y-D manager Scott Pickler is in his 26th season and knows how to pick a pitching matchup. He gives the nod to Micah Buckman (Louisiana State) for his fourth start and sixth appearance.
A New Zealand native, Buckman was a high school standout in 2021 before getting drafted by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft. Electing to come to the states for college ball, the 6-foot-2 right-hander has shown some adjustments in the college ranks.
Buckman is 1-0 in his six appearances, with a 4.15 ERA in 17 2/3 innings this summer. The kiwi is a high-velocity, low-command thrower. With that, he has 19 strikeouts this summer but has allowed at least a run in all his appearances. Buckman looks for a second consecutive quality appearance after allowing one earned run in 3 1/3 innings of work a week ago versus Harwich.
While Wareham is last in the league in walks drawn (113), patience may be a virtue for its offense Thursday night.
Players to watch
Antonio Jimenez (Central Florida) can walk. Leading the Wareham Gatemen with five home runs this summer, Jimenez’s power is respected by pitchers as he’s drawn a team-leading 17 walks this summer.
Slashing .233/.363/.447, Jimenez is more of a power threat as opposed to being a high-contact hitter. But he changed that notion in the two-game winning stretch. After going 2-for-4 in Wednesday’s win, Jimenez is now 5-for-9 in his last two games. Despite being tied for sixth in the CCBL in homers, Jimenez hasn’t gone deep since July 12 — one could say he is due.
The Red Sox know a thing or two about power. While Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas) led the team with eight homers, he departed from the roster at the midpoint of the season. Since his exit, Ethan Petry (South Carolina) has stepped up in his replacement.
Petry’s tied for fourth in the league with seven homers this summer and has the league’s fourth-best batting average (.355). Petry’s second half of the season has been impressive, hitting five of his seven home runs in his last 10 games. In that stretch, he’s batting 11-for-30 (.366), which marks him as the hottest hitter in Y-D's offense.
Perhaps that is why Y-D leads the East by three games over Chatham.
While Y-D runs away with a possible regular-season East Division title, Wareham’s offense can power it back within reach of Cotuit at the top of the West Division. A true battle of high-octane offenses and reliable pitching staffs awaits us at Red Wilson Field on Thursday night for a 5 p.m. first pitch.
For the live broadcast and other Wareham Gatemen content, check out our YouTube channel HERE.
The Gatemen Baseball Network pregame show will air at 4:45 p.m. for the interdivisional contest Thursday night.
Top photo caption: Antonio Jimenez "guards the gate" after a double in Wareham's win over Brewster on Wednesday, July 25, 2024. Photo by Keegan Maloney
