After a scheduled off-day and a rainout of Wareham’s long trip to Chatham, CCBL baseball resumes at Spillane Field.

The Gatemen come in with wins in their last two outings. The Red Sox lead the West Division by seven points. The two teams meet for the third time of the summer and final time in Wareham. The Gatemen’s recent hot streak could gain some serious validity with a victory over the league leaders.

Wareham has adjusted to its opponents, making the necessary in-game decisions to turn competitive losses into wins. Team defense has been cleaner and the offense has manufactured runs against top Cape League arms.

Starting Pitchers: Russell vs. Sampson

Y-D: Zach Russell (Mississippi State) made his last appearance against Wareham, earning the win at Red Wilson Field after tossing five strikeouts without allowing a run. He has only thrown a total of 9.2 innings over five relief appearances, but will rely on his 4.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio to produce efficient frames and save other Red Sox arms now that the July 9 off-day has been scratched. Russell has a 0.93 ERA on the summer, but how will he perform in his first start?

Wareham: Colton Sampson (Transfer Portal) made a brief 1.1-inning appearance last Wednesday, and now makes his first start with the Gatemen after allowing just one earned run over three relief appearances. He made three summer baseball starts last summer, and now looks to make a strong impression to stay in the rotation for the rest of the Cape League season. College coaches looking for arms, particularly strong fastballs, will certainly be tuned in to watch Sampson pitch against the CCBL’s top team.

Players To Watch

Red Sox: Although Kevin Takeuchi’s (USC) three-game hit streak came to an end on Saturday, he notched one the very next day with an RBI single to extend the lead over the Firebirds. He can become one of seven Y-D batters with double-digit base knocks if he extends that hit streak to consecutive games.

Gatemen: Wareham has tallied double-digit hits in its last three games, one of those coming against an East Division team. RJ Hamilton (Duke) has contributed in each contest, with a season-high three hits in the Gatemen’s recent game. He is Wareham’s stolen base leader (5) and runs leader (10) and will continue to be a threat on the base path.

First pitch from Spillane Field is set for 6:00 p.m. Fans can attend free of charge or watch from anywhere on Cape League TV.