Article By: Joseph McLaughlin

A baseball season is filled with many peaks and valleys, and the Wareham Gatemen have seen both sides of the coin. They have seen the lows of starting the season 0-3 and losing five consecutive games to start July, but they have also seen the highs of winning seven straight and taking over the top spot in the West Division. 

Friday night for the Gatemen was a return to Earth after soaring on a stretch where they won 11 of their previous 13 games. They fell to the Cotuit Kettleers 2-1 after an intense pitcher’s duel where both teams mustered only two hits each on the night. 

It is a tough loss against a division opponent in a crucial part of the season, but the Gatemen’s recent successes make the loss not much to worry about. They will look to bounce back, however, on the road against the Falmouth Commodores. 

Falmouth, lately, has been on a rough stretch. They have lost three straight games and have fallen into fifth place in the West after a 5-2 loss to the Brewster Whitecaps on Friday. The team, which missed the playoffs last season, is looking to avoid the same fate under the leadership of first-year manager Jarrod Saltalamacchia. 

Both teams are itching for a win tonight as a victory will have positive impacts on their postseason dreams. 

Starting Pitchers

The Gatemen will give the starting privileges to right-hander Josh Butler (Arizona State). Butler will make his third start of the season after six appearances and two starts. He posts a 1.47 ERA in 18 ⅓ innings, with 15 hits, seven runs (three earned), 10 walks, and 19 strikeouts. 

His last start was against the Hyannis Harbor Hawks on July 12. He pitched four innings with two hits, one earned run, three walks, and three strikeouts. With the departures of impactful starting pitchers like Tate McGuire (Arkansas) and Cooper Consiglio (NC State), Butler will need to step up to be one of the Gatemen’s top arms going into the postseason.

The Commodores will start right-hander Toran O’Harran (Stanford). O’Harran was activated by the Commodores on July 21 shortly after he was assigned to the team. He will be making his 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League season debut tonight.

He pitched with the Y-D Red Sox in 2024, appearing in six games and posting a 9.53 ERA. He posted a 7.27 ERA in 22 appearances with the Cardinal this past spring, pitching 26 innings with 29 hits, 21 earned runs, 18 walks, and 20 strikeouts. How he settles into his start will be a key factor in this game.

Players to Watch

For Wareham:

• Hayden Yost (Florida) stepped into Friday as a pinch hitter and delivered a clutch leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Gatemen a runner in scoring position when they had been struggling to hit all night. Look for him to be in the lineup tonight as a catalyst for an offensive rally.
• Chris Ramirez (California Baptist) grabbed the other hit for Wareham in their 2-1 loss to Cotuit on Friday. He has been impactful at the plate, batting .500 since he was activated on July 10. His balance of contact hitting and speed on the bases makes him a threat in the Gatemen’s lineup. 

For Falmouth: 

• Bear Harrison (Texas A&M) had a good night against the Whitecaps on Friday, going two-for-four. He has been a good hitter for them this summer, batting .278 on the season.
• Ryan Zuckerman (Pittsburgh) also got a hit on Friday, going one-for-four on the night. He is batting .342 this summer and has been a reliable source of offense for Falmouth.

First pitch for tonight’s game will be at 6:00 p.m. at Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth. You can attend the game for free, or you can tune in to the Gatemen’s radio broadcast with Cory Miller, Josh Richardson, and Rayna Maggelet on the call by clicking HERE.