A slightly different batting practice will ensue before the Chatham Anglers (18-13) face Orleans Firebirds (22-9) 7 p.m. at Veterans Field tonight. Rather than only the 14 Chatham position players taking pregame swings, pitchers will have the opportunity to step into the cage too.   

“We hit 22 home runs as a staff last time we had batting practice,” grinned Chatham pitcher Andre Scrubb (High Point). “You can watch it on YouTube.”

While the Anglers have used pitchers like Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) to pinch run in the past, the reason for pitchers’ batting practice has nothing to do with the possibility of inserting any of them into the game in an unconventional way. Rather, it is a reward for putting together a staff shutout—something eight different Chatham pitchers have combined to do twice in the last week.

In the first staff shutout on July 12 against Harwich (13-17), Garrett Williams (Oklahoma State) started the clinic with five scoreless frames. That effort set up two more zeros from Brandon Miller (Millersville), and one more apiece from Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech).

In the more recent affair July 17 against Wareham (12-18), Daniel Castano (Baylor) put the shutout in motion with five scoreless of his own. In the same pattern, C.J Burdick (San Diego) followed with two blank frames, and James Mulry (Northeastern) and Andre Scrubb (High Point) each hung one zero to ice the accomplishment.

“The pitchers did another great job,” said Manager John Schiffner after the second shutout of the week. “They’ve been throwing strikes and changing speeds well.”

Tonight the Angler pitching staff will face the Orleans Firebirds, who average a Cape League-leading 4.87 runs per game. The starter who the Anglers will likely call on to slow down the Firebird offense is Ty Damron (Texas Tech). The left-hander is 2-0 and has recorded 12 strikeouts to five walks through his first four outings this summer.

He will likely be met by breakout Orleans star Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who leads the league in wins (5), strikeouts (40), and ERA (0.00). Opponents have mustered a mere 11 hits and five walks against Jordan through his first 33 innings.

Dominic Cotroneo and Jonny Wincott will have the call live, starting with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. on TRZ Teamline and at 1-800-846-4700, code 3841.