Cape League Notes: Whitecaps Reliever Rides Zero Earned Runs Streak

BREWSTER – Kyle Kipp has been with the Brewster Whitecaps all summer, rostered since day one of the Cape League season. The Boston College right-hander has pitched 13-and-a-third innings across 12 games, all in relief, and not allowed a single earned run (as of Tuesday).

It’s a lot of scoreless innings. In fact, among all pitchers in the league with a 0.00 earned run average (some of whom have pitched as little as one inning), Kipp’s 13-and-a-third are by far the most.

An All-Star this summer (he threw a scoreless sixth inning in the game), Kipp attributes the success to an adjustment made with his changeup, his go-to pitch. He’s been setting his sights lower with the pitch, setting it more at the knees than at the catcher’s mitt in the middle of the strike zone, he said. That’s led to the dominant season on the Cape that Kipp has posted after a collegiate year in which he pitched to an 8.48 ERA.

“I was mainly leaving [my offspeed] up in the zone, but out here, I feel like I really worked on hammering it low in the zone, and it plays off my fastball better, so that’s why I feel like I’m getting a lot more weak contact, less hard hit balls,” Kipp said.

The 0.00 ERA streak, as it grows, was in the back of Kipp’s mind, he said. And one goal of his this summer was to stack appearances, which he’s also done. His 12 games pitched are the most in the league, tied with two other players.

“Just keeping it going, just stacking an inning at a time, it seems like, and just not giving up a run, which is kind of what my goal was out here, so I just want to continue to do that,” Kipp said.

A six-game winning streak (still alive as of Tuesday, after press time) vaulted Harwich into sole possession of first place in the East Division, with less than a week remaining in the regular season. 

That string included three consecutive one-run victories for the Mariners, who have the best run differential in the league. The middle win of that stretch was an absolute mess of a game last Saturday in Brewster as the Mariners and Whitecaps combined for 16 runs, 17 hits, seven errors, nine steals, seven pitchers and five wild pitches…all by the fourth inning. Harwich trailed 5-1 and 7-3 at points, then hung on to win 9-8. 

The Cape League’s on-base-plus-slugging leader is Harwich All-Star outfielder Aiden Robbins. A Texas transfer from Seton Hall, Robbins’ .947 OPS is 35 points higher than the next closest qualified hitter. He hit a two-run home run in the top of the first against Orleans last Friday, a game the Mariners won 2-1.

Before the barnburner loss against Harwich, the Whitecaps recognized the team’s several host families in pre-game festivities. Assistant general manager and housing coordinator Jane Sullivan was also recognized.

As the families were announced, the players they currently hosted gave them gifts and stood next to them on the field. One family had hosted eight players throughout the season.

On Sunday, former Whitecap Billy Wagner was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2025. A left-handed closer in Major League Baseball, Wagner pitched for Brewster in 1992. He is the first Brewster Whitecap and the seventh Cape alum elected to the Hall of Fame.

Orleans held its first-ever “Pack the Hill Night” on Sunday, at which fans were encouraged to wear red and bring donations for the Cape Cod Foster Closet as the Firebirds hosted the Falmouth Commodores. Orleans won 8-1.

Before the game, the state-title winning Nauset Regional High School boys hockey team stood on the field holding the championship trophy. Logan Poulin threw out the first pitch. 

The league’s walks leader (as of Tuesday) is All-Star shortstop Elijah Ickes (Hawaii), who’s drawn 26 bases on balls. In second place is fellow Firebird first baseman Michael O'Shaughnessy (a Georgia transfer from Davidson), who last played on the Cape three weeks ago but managed to amass 22 walks in 21 games.

Chatham is the easternmost team geographically in the Cape League. This year, that’s unfortunate for the Anglers, who sit solidly in last place (and out of a playoff spot) in the East Division, but at 14-17-3 would be tied for third place in the West Division. 

Anglers hitters have struck out the most across the entire league (319 times as of Tuesday). They’ve also stolen the fewest bases (33). No other Cape team has fewer than 45 steals. Chatham All-Star catcher and designated hitter Daniel Jackson (Georgia), who’s also seen time at first base and the corner outfield positions, leads the league in runs scored with 26.