All-Star Aaron Blair picked up his sixth win of the summer, allowing one run in five innings Friday night.
By: Andrew Constant / @andrew_constant
Behind five solid innings from newly named All-Star starter Aaron Blair, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox won their seventh straight game, sweeping a home-and-home series from the Brewster Whitecaps, 6-1, Friday night at Stony Brook Elementary School.
Aaron Blair scattered five hits in five sharp innings, improving his record to a perfect 6-0. He walked two and struck out five, while allowing just a first inning run. Blair?s ERA bumped up to 1.27 for the summer, still the lowest in the league and he threw 52 of his 86 pitches for strikes in his outing. The five innings pitched were the fewest in a start for Blair since his season-opening effort against Falmouth on June 14, when he also went five frames. In 35.1 innings this summer, Blair has struck out 40 batters and only allowed 36 runners to reach base.
Andrew Bowen, recently signed to the Red Sox roster, came on in relief and allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings, striking out two and earning the save. Bowen, who?s only appearance for Y-D came last week in Harwich, faced the minimum on Friday, getting a double play to end the sixth inning after Trevor Mistui reached on an error and a twin-killing in the seventh inning to erase Kevin Williams? leadoff single.
Y-D got RBIs from five different players, as All-Stars Zak Blair and Alex Blandino each knocked in a run. Mason Katz, Sean McHugh and Justin Shafer all batted in a run as well.
In the fifth inning, the Red Sox broke the game open by putting up a three-spot against Brewster starter Austin Voth. Carlos Asuaje led off the inning with a walk and stole second with Sam Travis at the plate. Travis and Robert Pehl each struck out, but Zak Blair and Blandino each walked to load the bases. Katz became the third straight Red Sox to walk, pushing across a run and ending Voth?s outing. Niko Spezial came out of the Brewster bullpen and didn?t do any better, walking McHugh to up the Y-D lead to 4-1 and then giving up an RBI single to Shafer.
Blandino knocked in his second run of the night in the sixth inning when he hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Asuaje, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
The top six hitters in the Red Sox lineup, from leadoff hitter Tanner Mathis down to Blandino, were all named to the Cape Cod League Eastern Division All-Star Team earlier Friday. Aaron Blair will be the starting pitcher for the East at next Saturday?s All-Star Game, to be played at Whitehouse Field in Harwich.
Y-D looks to stretch their winning streak to eight when they travel to Bourne Saturday night. Ben Lively will look to bounce back from two consecutive no-decisions as he toes the rubber for the Red Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
