"Offensive Explosion" Powers Whitecaps to 9-3 Victory Over Anglers

Chandler Taylor was getting on base every way possible on Wednesday night, finishing 2-3 with two runs and two RBI including his fifth home run of the season (c) Marielle McLoughlin 2017

By: Carter Woodiel

CHATHAM, MA- Brewster Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik knew his offense was slumping. Brewster had only scored 2 runs in its previous three games, two of them losses. 

But Wednesday night in Chatham, the bats woke up -- in a big way.

Chandler Taylor (Alabama) and Justin Kunz (Gardner-Webb) both homered, every player in the starting lineup reached base safely and the Whitecaps (13-12-1) cruised to a 9-3 victory over the Anglers (12-14) at Veterans Field. 

"We've been struggling to score runs; we've had trouble getting the big hit -- that was totally different today," Shevchik said. "So I give a lot of credit to our position players."

Brewster's onslaught started in the first inning, where an error by Chatham third baseman Ashton McGee (North Carolina) allowed Taylor to score. Nick Dunn (Maryland) would follow up with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. 

The Whitecaps broke the game open in the second inning, starting with Taylor's home run. The two-run shot to right-center was his fifth of the season, putting him in sole possession of the team lead. 

"I just thought [the pitcher] made a mistake over the middle of the plate, and just put a good swing on it," Taylor said of the homer.

Brewster would add two more runs in the inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) and Dunn. It was Dunn's third RBI in four plate appearances going back to Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Wareham. 

Shevchik said consistent showings from players like Dunn were important for the Whitecaps looking ahead.

"This team is only going to be good if guys like Nick Dunn and Chandler Taylor and a couple of these guys are going to produce," Shevchik said.

Chatham manager Jon Schiffner pulled starter Dan Hammer (Pittsburgh) after Brewster's five-run second inning. Hammer gave up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in two innings of work. He walked two and struck out one.

Bishop would hit another RBI single in the fourth, making it 8-0 Brewster. 

Shevchik admitted Whitecaps starter Tony Locey "didn't have his best stuff" in his fourth start of the year. Still, the Georgia Bulldog managed 5 innings earn the win for Brewster, giving up one run on an RBI double from Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest) in the fifth. Locey gave up five hits, walking two and striking out three.

From there, Shevchik turned to Matthew Beck (LSU) for the final four innings of the game. Beck gave up two ninth-inning runs en route to his first save of his Cape League career. 

"That was something that we really needed." Shevchik said of Beck's outing. "The last thing that we wanted to do was go to the bullpen and burn another arm."

Brewster's last home run of the game came on Kunz's home run in the ninth inning, his second of the year. 

"I had some pretty poor at-bats earlier in the night, so I was just trying to slow the game down a little bit, see the ball up, and just put a good swing on the ball," Kunz said.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Whitecaps are back in action Thursday at Falmouth, their fourth road game in as many days. Fans can tune in live on the team's YouTube channel.