Unsung Heroes Help Blue Sox to Game 2 Victory

On a team studded with star-caliber talent, it’s the bottom half of the Blue Sox’s lineup that has the organization within a single victory of its fifth straight Intercity League championship.

Lexington defeated the Andre Chiefs 8-1 in Game 2 of the ICL championship series at on Thursday night. Most of the praise for the victory has to go to the hitters in the 6-9 spots, generally some of the less heralded in the lineup.

That certainly wasn’t the case on this night, as the Blue Sox took a 2-0 series lead behind Matt McEvoy, Ross Curley, Tommy Haugh and Dan Capra. They combined to go an astounding 7-for-11 with four RBIs and six runs scored. They also recorded a walk and a sacrifice.

“A lot of teams, when you get down (that far in the lineup), you’re in the weaker part of their order,” Lexington manager Rick DeAngelis said of his deep lineup. “I know that my 6, 7, 8 and 9 guys are going to battle, and more often than not, they’re going to succeed, because they’re baseball players.”

By comparison, the bulk of the Blue Sox’s lineup, hitters 2-5, were 3-for-14 with four strikeouts. Two of that group’s hits belonged to cleanup man Steve Gath. Leadoff man Pete Frates turned in three hits and an RBI.

In all, the Blue Sox recorded 13 hits against Andre pitching.

“There’s not really much to say,” Chiefs manager Chuck Andre said. “They out-played us all around. We just have to come ready to play (Friday) night. They’re a tough team 1-9.”

On Friday night, the Blue Sox have a chance to become the first team in ICL history to win five straight league titles. Four teams besides Lexington have won four straight. The Chiefs accomplished the feat in 1968-71 when they were known as the Hosmer Chiefs.

First pitch for Game 3 is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. at Pine Banks Park in Malden. If necessary, Game 4 will also be played in Malden on Saturday, weather permitting.

“That’s been our goal,” DeAngelis said, of the unprecedented five-peat. “We haven’t achieved it yet, but we plan to do it.”

The bottom half of the Lexington lineup was 6-for-6 through four innings of Game 2. Haugh and Capra recorded RBI base hits in the second inning and an RBI single and RBI triple, respectively in the fourth. In that span, McEvoy had two singles and two runs scored, while Curley was 1-for-1 with a single, a run scored and a sacrifice.

Also in the fourth inning, Andre broke a 10-inning scoreless drought to start the championship series. Shortstop Mike Baillargeon singled and later scored on first baseman Mike DiCato’s single.

Overall, the Chiefs recorded eight hits off Lexington starter Drew Brzozowski, who pitched a complete game for the victory. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

Andre said it was encouraging to see some signs of life from an offense that went silent in Game 1.

“It absolutely is (a good sign),” he said, of the offense, “and we’ll come ready to play tomorrow.”

Lexington, however, broke the game wide open with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The shortstop Gath forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk and catcher Jeff Vigurs drove in two runs with a single to provide all the cushion the Blue Sox’s needed for a hit at history.