Robert Pehl went 3-6 and knocked in 6 runs in Y-D?s 16-10 victory over Harwich Monday night.
By: Andrew Constant / @andrew_constant
The Red Sox moved into a first place tie in the Eastern Division by outlasting Harwich 16-10 Monday night at Whitehouse Field. The teams combined for 26 runs and 30 hits and the Yarmouth-Dennis bullpen teamed to throw 8.1 innings of relief in the contest.
Zak Blair reached base all six times he came to the plate and Robert Pehl had six RBI to take over the league lead for the Red Sox, who stretched their season-high winning streak to five games. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit, led by Blair, who went 4-4 with two walks and one RBI. Blair?s average now sits at .402, moving him into the Cape League lead.
Sam Travis knocked in three runs and had two hits in five at-bats and Tanner Mathis had three singles and led off the ballgame with a hit by pitch.
But the Red Sox needed every run they got on this night, because their starting pitcher failed to make it out of the first inning. Spenser Linney threw 32 pitches and only got two outs in the opening frame, walking four and allowing one hit. He was saved by a nifty double play turned by Blair and Alex Blandino, but walked the next two hitters to end his evening. Jonny Hoffman relieved Linney out of the Y-D bullpen and was greeted by Phil Ervin?s two-run single to center. Before the Red Sox had come to bat for a second time, they were faced with a three-run deficit.
But Y-D got the bats going in the next half inning, putting up a six-spot and getting Linney off the hook. After Mason Katz grounded out to short to begin the inning against Mariners? starter Brandon Woodruff, Blair kicked off his big night with a single to left. With Blandino at the plate, Blair moved up to second base on a passed ball. Later in the at-bat, Blandino was hit by a pitch, which would prove to be a common occurrence on this night. Pehl reached on an error by third baseman Sam Dove, allowing Blair to score and get the Red Sox on the board. Sean McHugh laid down a perfect safety squeeze with Blandino charging down the third baseline to keep the inning going.
Justin Shafer was next and hit a groundball to third, but Dove committed his second error of the inning, throwing the ball way over the head of first baseman Ben Ragira, allowing Pehl to score from second base. Mathis singled down the third baseline and Carlos Asuaje singled to score Shafer. Travis capped off the inning with a two-run double into the left field corner.
But the Red Sox weren?t done with the bats after getting their starter off the hook. Pehl hit a two-run double of his own in the third inning, a line drive off the base of the wall in left-center, after Blair singled and a pitch hit Blandino for the second time in as many at-bats. In the sixth, three consecutive singles with one out pushed across another run and Pehl capped off the inning with a two-run single to right.
The Mariners pitchers kept Y-D off the board until the top of the ninth, when the Red Sox began the frame with three straight singles, two of them of the bunt variety, loading the bases for Travis. The first baseman grounded into a double play, but Shafer scored from third. Pinch hitter Matt McGovern reached on an error by Dove, his third of the game, as Mathis scored from third and Blair singled for the fourth time on the night to put two on with two out. Blandino was hit for the third time in the game, loading the bases for Pehl, who slapped a two-run single to center, putting an exclamation point on his big night and a statement victory for the Red Sox.
With the victory, Y-D pulled into a first place tie with Orleans and the Mariners at 16-11, one game clear of fourth place Chatham. The Red Sox have Tuesday off before returning to action on Wednesday night at Red Wilson Field against Cotuit. Chris Anderson is scheduled to take the hill for Y-D against Jordan Ramsey.
