Chatham faced Bourne on Wednesday in its first game since former manager Tom Holliday stepped down. Holliday, who was midway through his fifth year with the Anglers, cited personal health reasons in his resignation on Tuesday.

In place of Holliday, then-assistant coach Marty Lees was named acting manager for the remainder of the 2023 season. Yet, in Lees’ opening contest at the helm, Chatham fell 7–5 to the Braves at Doran Park.

The A’s will return home on Thursday when they host Yarmouth-Dennis. The Red Sox enter Veterans Field as winners in four of their last six games despite recently falling to Hyannis 4–3 last time out.

Here’s everything you need to know before Chatham (6–15–1 East) takes on East Division leaders Yarmouth Dennis (15–10–1 East).

Probable Starters

Ben Peterson (North Carolina): Though Peterson struggled through his first three appearances on the mound for Chatham, he enjoyed a breakout performance on July 3. Peterson tallied four strikeouts in three innings against Harwich to help the Anglers beat the Mariners 10–6. Thursday’s contest against Y-D will mark Peterson’s second start this season.

Finnegan Wall (California Irvine): Wall started against the Anglers on June 20 in an eventual 2–1 loss for the Red Sox but has turned his performances around since then. In Wall’s last nine innings pitched, he’s recorded 10 strikeouts while only giving up two earned runs.

Chatham Players To Watch

Zach MacDonald (Miami Ohio): MacDonald finally made his Chatham debut on Tuesday at Bourne, notching a two-run homer in the process. This past season at Miami Ohio, MacDonald started in 55 of the RedHawks’ 56 games and totaled a career-best 35 RBIs.

Kaeden Kent (Texas A&M): An ever-reliable presence at the plate, Kent’s .317 batting average is second on Chatham only to Florida’s Deric Fabian. In 20 games this summer, Kent has tallied 20 hits and four RBIs.

Yarmouth-Dennis Players To Watch

Hunter Hines (Mississippi State): An offensive juggernaut, Hines currently leads the CCBL in home runs (9) and RBIs (30). With the Bulldogs in 2023, Hines was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, given annually to the top player in college baseball, and garnered 61 RBIs along with 22 homers.

Paxton Kling (Louisiana State): A reserve outfielder for LSU’s 2023 College World Series Champions roster, Kling has recorded three hits in 10 at-bats so far in the Cape League. On Wednesday, against Hyannis, Kling registered a two-run moonshot in the top of the fourth inning to give Y-D a 2–1 lead.

Number To Know: 2,165

The last time Chatham played in a home game under a manager who wasn’t Holliday was 2,165 days ago. Then-Anglers skipper John Schiffner coached Chatham to a 3–1 win over Orleans in the East Division Series on August 8, 2017.

On Thursday, Lees will undergo his first contest at Veterans Field as acting manager following Holliday’s five-year tenure.

Last Time They Played

Chatham lost 11–5 to Yarmouth-Dennis on June 26 at Veterans Field.

After the Anglers jumped out to an early 3–0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, Y-D stomped back in the second, tacking on seven runs off a Connor Dykstra single and a Hines grand slam.

From there, Chatham enjoyed a two-score fifth frame but couldn’t find the answer to a well-rounded Red Sox offense.