By Jon Mettus
Syracuse University
June 14, 2016
COTUIT — The Kettleers rallied late, making up a four-run deficit in the seventh inning, but lost to Bourne, 7-5, at Lowell Park on Tuesday. Cotuit scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh, which was more than the four it had scored through the first three games of the season. However, the Braves scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to ultimately win the game.
Here are three things we learned from the game.
Jake Bivens is “most likely” done for the summer
Starting third baseman Jake Bivens (Michigan) is “most likely, probably” out for the summer, after injuring his right elbow in the loss to Bourne on Monday, head coach Mike Roberts said.
Jake Bivens on the play he got hurt. Photo by Brigitte Rec.
Bivens tweaked his arm throwing to first in the third inning and did not play the rest of the game or in Tuesday’s game. He will likely have an MRI done either with Cotuit or at home in the next day or two, Roberts said.
“I don’t think you’ll see him in the lineup any time soon and most likely, probably not the rest of the summer,” Roberts said. “So we’ll have to figure out where we’re going there because he was the person we recruited to play third the whole summer.”
Cotuit has just one other third baseman on the roster in Spencer Gaa (Bradley), who played third and second with the Kettleers last season. Gaa is only a temporary player this year, though.
“We’ll have to revamp a little bit because Spencer is a temp and he wanted to be drafted and again, you got to talk to each individual player when you get to this stage,” Roberts said.
Quinn Brodey is being too indecisive in left field
Quinn Brodey (Stanford) slid to the ground to make a play in the left field, but instead watched the ball bounce by and up against the fence several feet behind him. What would have been a single or an out, turned into a run-scoring triple. It was the top of the ninth and the run was the eventual game winner for the Braves.
That scene has become all too familiar for Brodey early this season. He got an error earlier in the game when a ball bounced past him in the outfield. The result was the batter reaching third and three runs crossing the plate.
“It really boils down to indecision,” Roberts said. “Real big time indecision on those plays.
“I think any outfielder is taught that you have to keep the ball in front of you. I don’t think any outfielder is taught that you have to be aggressive, conservative. … He just has not kept the ball in front of him and I can’t say I’ve seen an outfielder do that in a while.”
Jack Klein will play outfield for the Kettleers
Jack Klein fielding in 2015. Photo by Brigitte Rec.
Jack Klein (Stanford) arrived in Cotuit on Tuesday and will play outfield for the Kettleers, Roberts said.
Klein is an outfielder for Stanford, but was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Phillies as a pitcher. Klein threw a bullpen session his first day in Cotuit when he played for the Kettleers last season and even pitched in one game.
Some scouts remarked during that game that he should be a pitcher.
“Jack is, in my opinion, a high-level outfielder,” Roberts said. “He’s way up there in regards to his defense. And Jack has always played good defense. … I don’t know when you’ll see him in the outfield, but you’ll see Jack out there.”