Chatham, Mass. — After falling to the Wareham Gatemen on Thursday, the Chatham Anglers return to action tonight against the Brewster Whitecaps at Stony Brook Field. A mere half a point separates the two teams, both of which are battling for the final playoff spot in the East.

Last time out, Chatham (13-20-1) defeated the Whitecaps 4-3 after rallying from a one-run deficit in the ninth inning and walking off the victors on Orlando Garcia’s RBI single to deep right field. The win brought the Anglers record against Brewster to 2-3 on the season, making tonight’s pivotal matchup more significant due to the potential head-to-head tiebreaker at the end of the season.

Since Tuesday's game, Brewster (13-19-2) has blown two straight contests after leading by two or more runs. On Wednesday night in Orleans, the Firebirds rallied down 4-1 to move past the Whitecaps before the Hyannis Harbor Hawks scored five straight runs to best Brewster 5-2 on Thursday.

The Anglers have gone in the opposite direction of their divisional foes, winning another close battle on Wednesday before exploding for five runs in Thursday night’s loss.

At the Plate: DJ Artis reached base four times in five plate appearances last night, reaching on two walks, a double, and a single. The Liberty outfielder also scored a run while driving in two more. 

In the last seven days for the Anglers, Artis leads the team in batting average at .438. In that span, the Freshman All-American scored a team-high five runs while also reaching base 11 times.

Sean Bouchard continued his offensive explosion by going 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs in Thursday night’s loss.

North Carolina’s Zack Gahagan has crafted a .450 average in the last six games for Brewster, reaching base 17 times thanks to nine hits and eight walks. The infielder has also scored a team-high six runs in the last week while driving in six more.  

On the Rubber: Simon Mathews (1-2) takes the ball today for Chatham, looking to replicate his first outing against the Whitecaps back on June 25. In that win at Veterans Field, Mathews tossed four innings of three-hit, shutout baseball, earning the win as a reliever. The Georgetown right-hander struck out three of the 14 Whitecaps he faced.

Mathews has been one of Chatham’s most consistent pitchers, though his record may not show it. In his hard luck loss against Brewster at Stony Brook Field on July 8, Mathews shined, allowing one earned run and striking out three. 

The Whitecaps will send Mississippi State freshman phenom Konnor Pilkington (2-1) to the mound today for the crucial contest. In four starts for Brewster, the southpaw has allowed a total of four earned runs while striking out 21. Pilkington has gone seven full innings in his last three outings, conceding a combined 15 hits while issuing four walks.

Down the Road: Representatives from all 10 CCBL teams will head to Chatham tomorrow for the 2016 Friendly’s Cape League All-Star Game held at Veterans Field. Anglers Isaac Mattson and Gunnar Troutwine will take the field as part of the league’s best while Patrick Mathis will swing for the fences in the Home Run Hitting Contest.    

Broadcast Information

Make sure to tune in at 6:10 p.m. today for the Anglers Extra Pregame Show on the Cape Cod Baseball Network. Evan Stockton will introduce you to his Catch of the Day while Jake Eisenberg sits down with manager John Schiffner. 

The full broadcast of today’s game is available online and over the phone at 1-800-846-4700, code 3481. Visit Broadcast Central for more details.