By: Alec Henden

YARMOUTH, Mass. – A common turn-of-phrase in the game of baseball is that there are two types of ballplayers. There are those who are humbled, and those who are about to be.

After 10 games of their 17-straight days without an off day the Orleans Firebirds have experienced both extremes of the spectrum. It began with five straight victories as the team looked unbeatable in just about every phase of the game, then it all came apart. None more so then in another heartbreaking battle at the hands of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Orleans fell in a darkness shortened affair 5-2 in eight innings against Y-D in a game they led 2-1 in the seventh inning and appeared poised to return to their winning ways.

The Birds’ offense was held in check through the majority of the game but they were able to break through in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI-double off the bat of Zach Britton (Louisville).

Following Britton’s hit the sun was setting quickly and the ability to finish the game became in question at Red Wilson Field. Orleans hoped to get three quick outs to secure the win, but another rough outing from the bullpen and two umpire delays led to the eight-inning shortened loss.

“The umpires said that ‘we weren’t going to be able to finish the ninth,’” Orleans manager Kelly Nicholson said. “When they met they basically said the ‘game was over,’ because we weren’t going to be able to finish the ninth and we were losing.”

In the bottom of the inning that’s when things went south for Orleans. Reliever Nick Garcia (Chapman) was touched up by the Y-D offense that’s among the highest scoring teams in the league as he allowed three total runs in only 2/3 of an inning pitched.

A key problem for Garcia was pitch selection that came back to bite Orleans leading to a fifth consecutive defeat.

“Nick Garcia tried to throw too many fastballs to a fastball hitting team,” Nicholson said. “And that’s what going to happen.”

The Firebirds received another tremendous outing from starting pitcher Noah Skirrow (Liberty). Skirrow threw 4 2/3 innings of one run ball and was having his way with the Red Sox bats in a hitter-friendly environment at Red Wilson Field.

“My changeup was working really well,” Skirrow said. “I was able to mix speeds and throw in both spins. I was a little shaky at the beginning with the slider and curveball but they showed up for me in the fourth and fifth.”

Orleans had a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fourth inning, but struck out in back-to-back at-bat’s to strand the bases loaded ending the threat.

Y-D responded with three straight hits in the bottom half of the fourth to take the early lead on an RBI-single from pinch hitter Erik Tolman (Arizona State). Skirrow was able to work out of that jam by striking out the next three batters he faced with runners on the corners.

While the offensive results weren’t positive for the majority of the contest, the Birds kept fighting for opportunities to break through. With runners on the corners and two down in the Orleans seventh, Nicholson turned to Zach Kokoska (Kansas State) looking for a big pinch-hit.

Kokoska one-handed a base hit into the 5.5-hole on the left side of the infield for the Firebirds first run in 18 2/3 innings of play.

With the season now at the halfway point sitting at 11-9-2 the Firebirds now what they’re capable of. Sitting in the middle of the pack in the east division the schedule will lighten up this coming week and it begins with four straight at Eldredge Park.

“It sucks that we’re on this little losing skid but you can’t count us out ever,” Orleans infielder Eddie McCabe said. “We’re a good team, we have a lot of talent and we’re going to be alright.”

The Firebirds now return home for the start of a four-game home stand beginning with the Chatham Anglers on Monday night. The meeting will be a makeup for the previously scheduled game that was rained out on June 25. Orleans dropped both previous matchups to Chatham by final scores of 8-7.

Short Hops:

Sunday’s loss marks the ninth consecutive loss for the Birds against Y-D, dating back to the third game of the 2018 regular season.

Orleans will send right-hander Austin Love (North Carolina) to the mound for Monday night’s game against Chatham. Love most recently threw a shutout inning in the blowout loss to Wareham.

Sunday’s game marked the final appearance of the season for infielder Danny Serretti (North Carolina). Serretti will spend the remainder of his summer healing up ahead of fall baseball in Chapel Hill.