East Division Teams Battle For Playoff Spots

by Brad Joyal

The scramble in the standings is heating up.

With just under a week remaining in the regular season, the Lower Cape’s four Cape Cod Baseball League teams are jockeying for position as they look to earn a spot in the East Division playoffs. The top four teams in the standings qualify for the postseason.

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have been among the Cape’s best teams throughout the summer, and they hold a firm grasp on first place in the East with a 21-10 record.

Chatham (16-18) was in second place at the time of The Chronicle’s deadline, followed by Harwich (13-22) in third place and a tie between Brewster and Orleans, who have matching 12-21 records, in fourth.

The regular season is scheduled to end Sunday before the postseason begins with a single-elimination Division Series on Aug. 6. The opening-round matchups pit the top seeds against the No. 4 seeds, with the second and third seeds battling in the other Division Series matchups.

The winners of the single-elimination Division Series will meet in best-of-three Division Championship series to determine who will advance to the Cape League championship series, which will also feature a best-of-three format.

The remaining East Division schedule is listed below.

Wednesday, July 30

Cotuit at Orleans, 6:30 p.m.

Hyannis at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 1

Orleans at Brewster, 4 p.m.

Y-D at Harwich, 6:30 p.m.

Wareham at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 2

Chatham at Y-D, 4:30 p.m.

Brewster at Falmouth, 6 p.m.

Harwich at Orleans, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 3

Y-D at Brewster, 4 p.m.

Orleans at Bourne, 6 p.m.

Harwich at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 4

Hyannis at Y-D, 4:30 p.m.

Brewster at Harwich, 5:30 p.m.

Chatham at Orleans, 6:30 p.m.