So Texas tries to not be swept by TCU, by winning the third game of the series. The Horns find themselves closer to last place, than first place. They better start winning some conference games, just not to have to worry about making the Big 12 Tournament. Since that is the only avenue left to a regional, you would like to get the best seed possible, that means winning as many games as possible. You can add another injury today, Hinojosa is out with a bad hand. Hollingsworth will get the start, but who knows how long he can go, with his tender shoulder. The is game is being televised on Fox Sports Southwest+ which can be on different channels, depending on your tv carrier. It's on channel 447 on Dish today. The audio is as always free at texas.leanplayer.com. Lineups coming.
Alex Young, with sparkling numbers, shown above, starts on the mound for TCU. He is a left hander. Johnson leads off for the Horns, batting righty handed. A ground ball to short is a 6-3 first out. Gurwitz is batting in the second slot today, from the right side. He walks for the first runner today. Barrera up righty, with one on and one down. A fly ball to right down the line, is run down by the right fielder, two away. Cantu bats also righty, with one on and now two gone. He K's swinging on a low and outside fast ball, to retire the side. Nothing for Texas and TCU to the plate.
Chad Hollingsworth, the veteran right hander, will start for Texas today. What he can do is unknown, with his still injured shoulder. Cody Jones, the center fielder, leads off, batting lefty, he's a switch hitter. He is hit by a pitch on big change up, for a lead runner. The third baseman is Derek Odell, batting lefty also, with one on. The runner goes, on a delayed steal and there is no throw, as Cantu didn't see him go. A fly ball to shallow center is squeezed by Gurwitz, for one down. Connor Wanhanen, the DH, bats lefty, with a runner on second and one out. He is also hit by a pitch and that puts two aboard. Evan Skoug, the catcher, bats lefty, with two on and one down. A long drive to right and it's off the fence, as Shaw hits the wall hard and goes down and stays down. Two runs score on the play. TCU leads 2-0. Shaw is up and stays in the game. Hollingsworth is a shell of himself, right now. Dane Steinhagen,the left fielder, bats righty, with one on and one out. He lines a single to right, to put runners on the corners. The right fielder, Nolan Brown, bats lefty, with two on and one down. A fly ball to center is deep enough for the SF. TCU leads 3-0. Elliot Barzilli, plays first base and bats righty, with one on and two gone. A wild pick off throw to first moves the runner to second, on the E-1. A walk puts two on again. The second baseman Garrett Crain, bats lefty, with two on and two on. A fly ball to right will retire the side. I know arms are in short supply, but I would have started Mayes or Sawyer today, Hollingsworth is just not effective with his shoulder injury. TCU leads 3-0, after one.
Young pitches the second for TCU. Marlow leads off, from the left side of the box. A fly ball to deep center is caught, by the center fielder, for one out. Boswell bats lefty, with one away. He walks and it puts a runner on. Baker plays short for the injured Hinojosa today. He bats righty, with Boswell at first and one out. He K's swinging on a fast ball, on the outside half of the plate, for two away. Taylor Stell gets a start at DH, in this game, batting righty. He bats with one on and two away. A foul pop is caught by the first baseman along the side fence, to end the frame. Bottom of two and TCU leads 3-0.
Connor Mays does come in to pitch the second. Hollingsworth had nothing in velocity or movement in the first, he had no business starting or pitching. Keaton Jones, the shortstop, the nine hole hitter, bats righty and leads off. A bunt is fielded by Mayes and it's a 1-3 first out. Cody Jones, at the top of the order, bat righty, with one out. He K's swinging and it's two away. Odell bats lefty, with two down. A fly ball to left will retire the side in order. Mayes should have started, but didn't, so it's TCU in the lead 3-0, after two.
Young back out for the Frogs, as the third starts. Shaw batting lefty, in the nine hole, leads off. A fly ball to left is a can of corn and one away. Johnson, back to the top of the order, bats righty, with one down. A ground ball goes off the third baseman and into left, for a single. Gurwitz bats righty, as one is aboard and one out. Johnson is picked off first, the 3-6 put out is two down. Another bad base running error, down by three runs, it's happened for a few seasons now. Gurwitz back in with now two outs. A full count and a fly ball to center, will end the frame. Texas makes more mistakes and that's why the record is what it is, also why they trail 3-0.
Mayes stays in to pitch the TCU third. Lefty hitting DH, Wanhanen, leads off for the Frogs. A hard slider in the dirt is swung on and missed, the 2-3 put out completes the K, one out. Skoug bats lefty, with one away. A ground ball to Barrera is a 3U second out. Steinhagen bat righty, with two down. A fly ball to right and the side is down in order again. Mayes looks good, but TCU leads 3-0, after three in the books.
Young works in the fourth, for the Frogs Barrera leads off batting righty. A drive to deep left, is way out and over the left field fence, for a homer. TCU leads 3-1. Cantu bats now right handed. A full count and he walks, the third walk for Texas. Pitching coach out to settle Young, he hopes. Marlow bats lefty, with one on. On a 2-0 count, Marlow bunts a low pitch, then Young throws wide of first and it's not handled by the first baseman, the E-1, puts two on. TCU has done their part to try to help Texas out, with the walks and errors, in this series. Boswell bats lefty, with two on. A full count and he makes a half hearted attempt to bunt and fouls it off, for what is recorded as a K. That was strange and bad. Baker bats righty, with two on and one out. A ground ball goes to third and the 5-4-3 double play will retire the side. Texas gets one on the Barrera bomb, but it should have been more. How often have we said that this season. TCU leads 3-1, bottom of four.
Mayes comes back for the TCU half of the fourth. Brown leads off batting left handed. His bunt is popped up and Mayes has it, for one away. Barzilli bats righty, with one out. A lightning alarm goes off and that means a delay. Well for those out there and probably not many, you may now amuse yourselves, in what ever manner you see fit. I'll keep you advised of when we get back to action.
Starting an injured Hollingsworth today instead of Mayes is unfathomable to me. I've wanted Mayes to start a weekend game ever since he pitched lights-out against W. Virginia in the second game of that series.
The game resumes suddenly. Barzilli back in the box, right handed A ground ball up the middle is not handled by Marlow, and it's an infield hit. Crain bats lefty with one on and one down. A ground ball to third and the 5-3 is out two, runner goes to second. Keaton Jones bats righty, with one on and two outs. A little liner back to Mayes and his catch will retire the side. TCU leads 3-1, after four played.
Young has stayed in and will pitch the fifth, for TCU. Stell leads off, batting righty. A little hopper to the right of the pitching mound, Young has it and whirls and throws just late, as the speedy Stell, legs it out for an infield hit. Shaw bats lefty, with one on. After a failed sac bunt, he flies to center, for one away. Johnson brings back the top of the order, batting righty, with one on and one out. A liner to right center is his second hit of the game, that puts two on. Gurwitz bats righty, with runners at second and first, one out. Runners go and a bloop to the shortstop, on top of the bag at second, becomes an easy 6U double play, as he tags the bag. Texas has had plenty of traffic, but just one run, on the Barrera homer. TCU leads 3-1, halfway through the finale of the series.
Mayes still pitching, as the fifth frame for the Frogs starts. Cody Jones, the top of the order, leads off, left handed. A full count and after many pitches are fouled off, he K's swinging on tight slider, that dipped low. Odell bats lefty, with one out. Another full count and a routine ground ball to second is a 4-3 out two. The TCU DH, is Wanhanen, batting lefty, with two away. A one hopper back to Mayes goes 1-3 and the side is down in order yet again. Mayes is dealing, but TCU is leading, as in 3-1, after five.
Young keeps going as the sixth starts, he keeps getting in and then out of trouble, with the Horn's help. Barrera leads off batting righty, he represents the only run for Texas today, with his homer, in his last trip. A foul fly, on the right side, the right fielder is there, then drops it, for an E-9. A long drive to left again and this one is held up, by the wind, which has shifted. It's caught on the track, for one down. Would have been another homer earlier. Cantu bats righty, with one away. A liner to left is a single, to put him on. Marlow bats lefty, with one on and one out. A little liner to right center and it drops, to put two on. Boswell bats lefty, with two on and one out. He K's swinging on the the sharp curve, for two down. Baker bats righty, with two on and now two away. He needs a big hit or the Horns will come up empty again. A fly ball to right and that does retire the side. Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink, it's like that for Texas scoring runs. So TCU still leads 3-1, bottom of six.
Mayes continues on the bump for Texas, in the sixth, pitching well. The catcher, Skoug, bats lefty, leading off. He lines a pitch down the line in right and off the wall, for a lead double. Steinhagen bats righty, with one on at second. A fly ball to fairly deep center, allows the runner to tag and go to third. Skip comes out to discuss something, to cut off this run. He returns and play resumes. Brown bats lefty, with a man at third and one out. He flies a ball to Johnson in left center, deep enough for the SF. TCU leads 4-1. Barzilli bats righty, with two gone. A long drive to left and it's gone for a dinger. He flipped the bat after the swing, and I hope that Texas notices that TCU leads 5-1. Crain bats lefty, with two outs. He K's swinging, to end the inning. TCU plays add on as good teams do, to lead now 5-1, after six.
Trey Teakell, comes in to pitch the seventh, the closer Ferrell will be right behind him if needed, you would think. Teakell is a right hander. Stell leads off batting right handed, as the DH. A slow roller to third and after a bobble, he completes the 5-3 first out. Shaw bats lefty, with one out, in the nine hole. A ground ball to first and the 3U is two down. Johnson bats righty, at the top of the order. He hits with two down and is 2 of 3 today. A sky high pop up and the second baseman, goes to the right field foul line, to grab it and retire the side in order. They stretch and think of a sweep in Fort Worth, as TCU leads 5-1.
Mayes will stay in and pitches the seventh. Keaton Jones leads off, righty, in the nine hole. He walks on four pitches, a lead runner. Cody Jones, the lead off man, bats at the top of the order, lefty, with one on. A ground ball to short is a 6-4 force, the relay was late, on the slow grounder. Skip is out and he wants a lefty, Mayes pitched well, but is done. Pitching change.
The lefty coming in for Texas is Travis Duke, who pitched yesterday also in relief. Odell will face him batting lefty, with one on and one down. A one hopper back to Duke is an easy 1-6-3 double play, to retire the side. Seven played and TCU leads 5-1.
A very tall and lanky right hander comes in to pitch the eighth, for the Frogs, in Brian Howard, at 6' 9." Gurwitz leads off batting righty. He flies to right, for one down. Barrera bats righty, with one away. He lines a single to right center, for another runner. Cantu bats righty, with one on and one out. A full count and a liner to right, is right to the right fielder, for two down. Marlow bats, from the lefty side, with one on and two away. He K's swinging on a shoulder high fast ball, to end the frame. Bottom of the eighth and TCU leads 5-1.
Duke remains in the game and pitches the eighth, for the Horns. Wanhanen, the TCU DH, leads off, batting left handed. A sharply hit ground ball, up the middle scoots through, for a leads single. Skoug bats lefty also, with one on. A ground ball, on the right side and it goes through, for another hit. The runner goes to third and on Shaw's throw to third, the batter goes to second. Skip out and another change is made.
This team is as impotent as any I have seen at UT. I did not know that Hollingsworth was injured. Why start an injured player? 2 HBP, followed by a double off the wall, in the 1st inning At least, Johnson did not stay with him like he did Bellow yesterday. Today, runner caught off base. Runners on 1st and 2d, 0 out, 3-0 count, takes 2 strikes, then pops up 3d strike. Yesterday was as bad. Has anyone heard of a dustup between coaches (their tramps and our coaches) yesterday after Black HBP? No details, just a rumor in the stands today.
Andy McGuire, the right hander is in, to face a righty batter. Steinhagen, is that righty hitter, with runners at second and third. Infield is in, as any more runs, will put the game out of reach, if it's not already. He K's swinging, on the big bender, for one out. Brown bats lefty, with one out and runners at second and third still. A ground ball to Marlow and his throw home is nowhere close to Cantu, and to the backstop, the E-4 will plate two more. The batter goes to second. TCU leads 7-1. The horses and all the animals have left the barn now. Barzilli bats righty, with a man on second and one out. A fly ball to right is out two. Crain bats lefty, with one on and two down. A full count and a overhand curve ball, falls in the zone and it rings him up and retires the side. TCU adds two more and barring some unforeseen miracle, is three outs from a sweep, leading 7-1, to the ninth.
Howard pitches the ninth and looks to close things out. Boswell leads off batting lefty. A liner to first is one away. Baker bats righty, with one out. He lines a ball, to the gap, in right center, for a double. Stell bats as the DH, from the right side, with one on and one gone. He K's swinging and that's two outs. Shaw bats lefty, in the nine hole, with one on and two outs. He is all that stands between TCU and the sweep now. A fly ball to fairly deep left, is the final out of the game and the series. TCU wins the game 7-1 and sweeps the series. That was some bad baseball today by the Horns. Going to talk some more about it in a bit.
This is why whenever coaches, players and writers on Orangebloods say "This was a turning point" after losing to Kansas on a walk-off home run, I usually take that to mean "we're in serious crap."
Texas gets swept in a series that they had to win. TCU is just a better team, in nearly every aspect of the game. Actually they didn't play all that well, with all the walks and errors. They play a smarter and more disciplined brand of baseball. That is why they are ranked and could make some noise in the post season, which will most likely be all at home, till they either go to Omaha or are eliminated before then. The Horns are injured and just make too many mistakes, to be a good team, they also make timely mistakes to kill rallies or give up extra outs and runs to opposing teams. It's really frustrating to watch and I have watched nearly every inning of it. They really have to pick it up or they may be battling, to just make the Big 12 Tournament. Tech is a good team coming in next and then Baylor on the road. Baylor is not good, but on the road, is never easy for this team, against anybody. I wish I could be more positive, but this is just the reality of the situation, at present.
'Tis what it is, and any reasonable person would not have been surprised that TCU swept. It's still hard to watch/listen to, though, especially after all the seasons that Augie has had going strongly into the post-season and often doing well there. We're not used to Texas baseball having such a poor showing, although this season is starting to resemble 2013 with its overall record of 27 - 24 and Big XII record 7 - 17. Disappointing to say the least.
