‘Some pretty good baseball’
Solid pitching, lively bats have Panthers poised for pennant as playoffs loom
KITCHENER — With just a handful of games left in the 2016 regular season, the Kitchener Panthers sit alone atop the Intercounty Baseball League standings and look poised to clinch their first pennant in two decades.
But manager Dave teBoekhorst still sees plenty of room for improvement as his team readies for the playoffs in the first week of August.
“I think we’re playing some pretty good baseball,” he said. “But I’d just like our offence and defence to come together on the same day. I’d like to be firing on all cylinders going into the playoffs. But maybe that’s just my perfectionist mentality.”
The skipper spoke ahead of Thursday’s 20-12 win against the Hamilton Cardinals at home, on the heels of a 4-0 win over Guelph — which can be considered a minislump for this potent lineup.
After Friday night’s game in Brantford, the Panthers have only four games left in the regular season — including a threeinning suspended game this Sunday against Burlington. If they can hold onto the top spot, it’ll be the first time since 1996 Kitchener has won the league pennant.
The Panthers sit two games up on defending champion Barrie Baycats, who’ve been playing some good baseball lately and have leapfrogged London in the standings. Last month, the Baycats added reinforcements in Dominican pitcher Emilis Guerrero and slugger Connor Morro, and have been riding a five-game winning streak.
The Panthers bats, led by Sean Reilly, Tanner Nivins and Justin Interisano, have thumped opposing pitchers all year long. They’ve also had reliable starting pitching. Cuban imports Noelvis Entenza and Ian Rendon have been piling up strikeouts and wins, while others have pitched in as needed.
One of the biggest revelations on the mound lately has been Matt McGovern, all but forgotten at the start of the season as an extra arm in the bullpen. The Ottawa-area native has been keeping his pitches down in the strike zone and quietly strung together a run of great starts, with five wins including a complete-game shutout Sunday.
Not that you’d ever hear him brag about it.
“Is there anybody more quiet in this league with a 5-0 record right now?” asked teBoekhorst. “In the past, he hasn’t always had great success in our park. But I just kind off went to him, and said ‘I need you.’ He’s pitched really, really well and he’s going to be huge for us in the playoffs.”
He’s also a versatile option for the Panthers, able to play the infield and even hop behind the plate to catch, if needed. That’s extra insurance, considering everyday catcher Frank Camilo Morejon is nursing an injured hand and backup Mike Gordner has an abdominal strain.
With only four games left, the manager also needs to find more work for Mitch Clarke, the lefty reliever who is still a few innings shy of playoff eligibility. Mike Schnurr, another valuable arm out of the bullpen, is being rested with elbow soreness.
The Panthers insist they’re not watching the standings, and say they’re only focused on what comes after the regular season. But finishing first has its perks, including home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a favourable first-round matchup.
“It’s nice to have a first-place finish, but our goal all season has been to get ourselves back to the finals to give us a good shot at winning this thing,” teBoekhorst said.
I’d like to be firing on all cylinders going into the playoffs. DAVE TEBOEKHORST