(Photo Courtesy of Zach Foley)
By Kieran Wilson
Welcome back to Gary’s Roundup! On today’s edition, we’ll take a look at the upcoming playoffs, favorite players some favorite memories from postseasons past with Gary Wilson.
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Y-D had been in first place for most of the season, fighting off both Harwich and Orleans to keep the spot until Tuesday, August 1st, when they played Orleans. The Firebirds came into the game on a three-game win streak and just one point behind the Red Sox. After Orleans beat Y-D, 11-4, they took first place in the East with a one-point lead. While Wilson was hopeful that Y-D would beat Orleans, he still remains optimistic about their chances once the playoffs start.
He remarked, “I think our pitching is going to hold up. The key for me will be the offense, which has been hot and cold. This year, more than any other year has been an up and down year. Winning streaks, losing streaks, good wins, bad losses. Back and forth, up and down. We need to be consistent. This is a time of year where you can’t afford to regress…They got to protect themselves at the plate, and the offense has to perform. If they do that, I am confident that our pitching will hold up.”
Wilson’s analysis is correct. At times, Y-D’s offense has fired on all cylinders, which has allowed them to put together a few different win streaks over the course of the season. But they have only scored 219 runs this summer, which ranks 6th out of 10 teams. On the flip side, their pitching staff has only allowed 201 runs, which is second best in the league. Their pitching has certainly kept them afloat this season, and their playoff hopes will hinge on the pitching staff’s ability to throw zeros up on the scoreboard.
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The Y-D team, like all Cape League teams, has seen a lot of roster turnover throughout the season. Players come and go so often that it’s hard to keep track of. Here are a few of the players that have left their mark on Wilson this summer.
“I really have enjoyed RJ Austin. He’s a sophomore, he’s got another year of school, and I could absolutely see him as a high first round pick in two years. I absolutely enjoyed Braden [Montgomery], who also played on last year’s team], even though he’s been here for a short amount of time. One of my favorites this whole year is Smith Pinson. Smith is a very different kind of young man. He’s very cerebral, he’s a thinker. He’s a wonderful young man to talk to, and he has pitched really, really well for us. Finn [Wall] has done really well for us and Jackson [Kent].”
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Continuing Wilson’s emphasis on pitching, when asked what his favorite memories from the season have been, he responded with, “Probably some of the pitching performances actually. I think we’ve had four shutouts this year, and that’s as many as we’ve had, and I enjoy that. Different pitchers have come up on different nights…the pitching has been consistent.”
“We’ve also had a couple of walk-offs this year in the 10th inning, very enjoyable. And a couple of other 9th inning comebacks, that stuff is always enjoyable.”
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This concludes Volume II of Gary’s Roundup! As Wilson pointed out, pitching will be key as Y-D enters the playoffs starting on Friday. If their starting pitchers can limit runs, and the offense can perk back up, the Red Sox will be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason.
