Josh Pearson (LSU) went 2-for-4 and stole two bases, but the Whitecaps couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position. Photo credit Sadie Parker.
by Eamonn Ryan
BREWSTER—It appears the offensive problems the Brewster Whitecaps have faced all season might not have disappeared with home cooking.
A 5-4 loss to the Bourne Braves (14-10-1) meant Brewster (9-14-2) dropped a third-straight game—for the third time this season—after squandering an early 3-0 lead. After three runs in the first inning, it took seven more innings before the Whitecaps could muster a fourth.
“We’re a much better offensive team than we’re showing,” manager Jamie Shevchik said. “The strikeouts with runners in scoring position are absolutely killing us.”
Brewster struck out five times with runners in scoring position Sunday evening, including a game-ending strikeout in the bottom of the eighth. After Will Turner (South Alabama) was punched out, the game was called due to darkness.
The Whitecaps used station-to-station baseball rather than extra-base hits and the long ball in the first inning, as Brock Tibbitts (Indiana) picked up the first RBI off a single and Jaime Ferrer (Florida State) singled two runners home with a weak pop up that dropped in shallow center.
Whitecaps righty Josh Timmerman (Ohio State), who has been nothing short of stellar so far this season, lacked control in his fourth start this summer. He still limited damage, as he walked three batters in the second inning before a strikeout and a groundout kept the game scoreless.
In the third, he wasn’t as lucky. After walking Bourne leadoff man Josh Kuroda-Grauer (Rutgers), Jonathan Vastine (Vanderbilt) singled him home, cutting Brewster’s lead to 3-1. That run was the only one Timmerman would have the chance to allow, as he finished the day with 2.1 innings pitched, three punchouts, one hit allowed and four walks surrendered.
Right-handed pitcher Fisher Jameson (Florida) came in to navigate the middle innings. Jameson did not need the North Star to find his way, as he came in and allowed just one hit, one earned run and struck out three batters in his 3.1 innings of work.
“He had a really good outing,” Shevchik said. “Slider and changeup were really good, he held it together for us through those couple innings.”
Jameson has always been more focused on getting weak contact and it showed Sunday, as he only gave up one hard hit.
“I mean last outing wasn’t what I really needed or what I really didn’t want because I definitely sprayed the ball,” Jameson said. “Today was a lot more under control, a lot more relaxed.”
After Jameson exited the game with a 3-2 lead, the Braves pounced with three more runs, with two off wild pitches by reliever Joey DeChiaro (Rutgers). He too was unusually wild, giving up a walk and hitting a batter.
The light did not fully dim in the Brewster dugout, however, as James Tibbs (Florida State) picked up an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Tibbitts.
Tibbitts had one of the better days for Brewster, but Josh Pearson (LSU) once again stole the show, stealing two bags amid a 2-for-4 day at the plate. His batting average—full of plenty of hard contact—remains consistent at .500 through 14 at-bats.
“Everybody’s kind of just sitting back and watching Josh Pearson play, which isn’t the way that we want to do it,” Shevchik said. “We can’t be just a one-guy offense, like everybody’s got to contribute a little bit.”
Brewster has been middle-of-the-pack offensively with a .243 average this summer, which is good for sixth in the Cape League. But with six runners once again left on base, they’ve struggled to push runs across.
The Whitecaps don’t have to wait long for another chance to snap their three-game losing streak, as they take a ride to Falmouth for a matchup with the Commodores at 6 p.m. at Guv Fuller Field.