Blue Sox Rotation is Full of Aces

The Lexington Blue Sox have not dropped an Intercity League Playoff series since 2006. And this year the team is heavy favorites for a five-peat, on the strength of a deep pitching staff that has dominated hitters all season.

The Blue Sox lead the league in team ERA with a gaudy 1.81. Their top four starters all have ERAs below 2.00, and their fifth starter, Sam Ginn, is not far behind, at 2.07. 

Beating this team, which can send a shutdown starter to the mound in each game of a best-of-five series, is going to be an extremely tall order.

"We basically have five No.1s," Blue Sox manager Rick DeAngelis said. "We know that every night we have a first-rate pitcher going. I know it's cliche but I feel we have our best pitcher going every night."

After some deliberation, DeAngelis has hammered down a rotation for the playoffs, which start this week, though the Blue Sox as the No. 1 seed have a first-round bye and won't play until at least Sunday.

Pitching game one will be tough Matt Karis, who calls Southboro home and pitched at Gettysburg College. It's Karis' third summer with the team, and he's been dominant since he got here, including racking up sub-1.00 ERA in his first two seasons, including a no-hitter last season.

This season is actually Karis' worst with the team, at least statistically. Still he's compiled a 5-1 record and 40 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings, and the respect of hitters around the league.

"Out of anyone on our staff, really any pitcher in the league, Matt is the most competitive and focused on the mound," said Lexington pitching coach Tim Bryant, who doubles as a relief pitcher whenever these stellar starters run into trouble.

Pitching game two will be Carlisle's Steve Bodnar, who pitched at St. Lawrence University and is in his seventh season with the Blue Sox. Bodnar had the pitching highlight of Lexington's season on June 20, when he pitched the first no-hitter of his career. 

"Steve has great stuff. When his fastball's on he's almost unhittable," Bryant said.

Rounding out the terrific trio at the top is Concord's Drew Brzozowski, who pitched at Brandeis. Brzozowski has been the most statistically dominant pitcher of the bunch this season, leading the team with a 0.97 ERA and 41 strikeouts.

"Drew's the most even-keeled of the top three," Bryant said. "I've never seen him get flustered during a game."

If all goes as planned for the four-time defending champs, the Blue Sox won't need to use their fourth or fifth starters in the postseason --they'll have swept all of their opponents. But if a series does stretch a bit, the team has some diamonds in the rough to throw on the mound.

Southpaw Kevin Scanlan is 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA, and Finn is 5-0, including one seven-inning, three-hit performance in a relief appearance against the Arlington Trojans three weeks ago after the Lexington starter was knocked out in the top of the first inning.

Add it all together, and any challenger -- the toughest of which could be the second place Wakefield Merchants -- is going to have to hope that these prodigious pitchers have an off night for them to have any chance.