Article By: Joseph McLaughlin

It’s the final two weeks of the Cape Cod Baseball League regular season, and every team is looking to make the most of its last twelve games in pursuit of a playoff berth. With the All-Star break behind them, each game from now until August 3 carries heightened significance.

The Wareham Gatemen enter the stretch run atop the West Division with a 14–14 record. Friday’s 9–8 loss to the Bourne Braves dropped them back to .500, but Wareham still holds a slight edge over Bourne in the standings.

That loss nearly became a storybook comeback. The Gatemen trailed 9–0 after four innings before clawing back and nearly tying the game in the ninth. The rally ultimately fell short, but it encapsulated the team’s resilience and refusal to quit. Before that, Wareham had won seven straight games, the second-longest streak in the league this season, behind only Y-D’s nine-game run earlier this summer.

Fittingly, the Gatemen now head back to Red Wilson Field to face those very Red Sox for the final time this season. Wareham is 1–2 against Y-D, taking the first meeting on June 17 before dropping the next two. Their most recent matchup, a 6–3 Y-D win on June 28, saw the Red Sox break a 3–3 tie in the ninth.

With the division race tightening, the Gatemen will look to even the season series against the East Division-leading Red Sox and create some breathing room atop the West.

Starting Pitchers

The Gatemen give the starting privileges to Righ-Hander Josh Butler (Arizona State). The 2025 CCBL All-Star just pitched at Red Wilson Field on Saturday. He pitched 0.2 innings and delivered only 4 pitches after grabbing two quick outs to end the eighth and start the ninth. 

Butler will make his third start of the season. He has a 1.47 ERA over six appearances, pitching 18 1/3 innings with 15 hits, seven runs (three earned), 10 walks and 19 strikeouts. He has been a reliable arm for the Gatemen all summer, and will look to set the tone early tonight.

The Red Sox respond with Starting Pitcher Chris Downs (Cal Poly). Downs has appeared in five games, starting one. This summer, he has pitched nine innings with 12 hits, three earned runs, four walks, and nine strikeouts.

His last start was on July 12 against the Falmouth Commodores. In that game, he pitched three innings with five hits and one earned run. He will look to shut down the Gatemen’s lineup early. 

Players to Watch

For Wareham:

• Chase Krewson (Rutgers), one of seven Gatemen at the All-Star game on Saturday, had a great showing as an All-Star. He hit his first home run of the summer in the top of the eighth. With him returning to that same ballpark, look for his bat to shine tonight.
• Chris Ramirez (California Baptist) has also been a great hitter for the Gatemen. He went two-for-four against the Bourne Braves on Friday, and is batting .556 since he was activated on July 10.

For Y-D:

• Brayden Dowd (Southern California) had a good night at the plate during Y-D’s 5-4 loss to Orleans on Friday. He went two-for-four with one run and one RBI.
• Jack Bell (Texas Christian) also had a good night against Orleans on Friday. He went two-for-three with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored.

First pitch for tonight’s game will be at 5:00 p.m. at Red Wilson Field in Yarmouth. You can attend the game for free, but if you are unable to, the Gatemen have you covered. You can tune into the Gatemen’s radio broadcast with Cory Miller, Josh Richardson, and Rayna Maggelet on the call by clicking HERE.