Texas tries to get back in the series today after dropping the first two games. The Horns still look for offense and play better defensively. This Cal team has some quality hitters who are aggressive, yet still seem to have a good idea of the strike zone. The games as most home games is telecast on LHN and the audio is always on texassports.com. Line-ups coming.
The Cal starting nine: Aaron Knapp-----CF Mitchell Kranson-3B Devin Pearson----DH Brenden Farney---1B Brett Cumberland-C Nick Halamandaris-LF Brian Celsi----------RF Robbie Tenerowicz-2B Preston Grand Pre--SS Ryan Mason----------P Texas line-up
Clear skies in Austin for the third game of the series, but it's been mostly cloudy for Texas, losing the first two games of the series. Today left handed senior Ty Culbreth will get the baseball, as the Horn starter. He has looked good in his starts so far this season and mixes his pitches well, with good command. This will be key because Cal is a good hitting team, that will jump all over a fast ball, so mixing in other pitches is a must, to be successful against them. Leading off for Cal, as he has all series is Aaron Knapp, the centerfielder, batting from the left side of the fresh batter's box. A fly ball to left and McKenzie goes back, but doesn't track it well, he gets a glove on it and then drops it. Another fly ball that could have been caught but wasn't played well It's a lead triple. Mitchell Kranson bats lefty, playing third base, man on third. A fly ball to left and the throw home is way wide and the SF will score the first run of the day. Cal leads 1-0. Devin Pearson is the righty hitting DH today, with one down. He is hit by a pitch on the foot to reach. Lefty hitter Brenden Farney, plays first, with one on and one down. A flair to left and Boswell on the run has it over the shoulder, for a nice play and two gone. The Cal catcher is Brett Cumberland, batting righty, with one on and two away. He lines a single up the middle, to put two on. The left feilder Nick Halamandaris bats lefty, with two on and two down. He lines a high curve ball to the right field corner, the double scores another run. Cal leads 2-0. Brian Celsi bats lefty and plays right field, two on, two in, and two down. He swings through a heater and that will end the frame. Cal uses another misplayed fly ball and some more hitting to plate two. Texas comes to bat, for their first hacks.
Right hander and senior for Cal is Ryan Mason, as the Bear starting pitcher. He has an early lead to work with. Zane Gurwitz leads off for the Horns, playing centerfield. A ground ball to short and the 6-3 is one away. The shortstop is Brett Boswell batting lefty, one away. He swings over a low sinker and the K is two gone. Joe Baker is the Texas second sacker and bats righty, with two down. A shot to the gap in left center is down and cut off by the lefty feilder, but Baker keeps going and slides safely into second, for a double. Tres Barrera bats righty, he is behind the play today for the Horns. He bats with one on and two down, needing a hit for Texas to answer back, with a run. He swings through a big change up and that the inning. A double, but nothing more and after one inning, it's Cal leading 2-0.
Culbreth looks to right the ship in the second inning. The lead triple on the fly ball that should have been caught, didn't help. The second baseman is Robbie Tenerowicz, batting righty, to lead off for the Bears. A one hopper back to Culbreth is a better start as the 1-3 is a lead out. Preston Grand Pre plays short and bats righty handed, one down. A sky high pop to shallow center and Boswell ranges out for the catch, two gone. Top of the order is Knapp, batting lefty, with two down. His triple on the fly ball that carried over McKenzie in left, helped Cal take the early lead. A ground ball to second and the 4-3 will retire the side in order. Better inning for Ty and we go to the bottom of two, Cal in the lead 2-0.
Mason goes back to the hill for Cal for his second inning of work. Michael Cantu leads off batting right handed, as the DH today. Another ground ball to short and the 6-3 is a first out. Third baseman Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one down. A ground ball goes to second and the 4-3 is two away. Jake McKenzie bats righty and plays left field, with gone. A check swing sends a roller back to the mound and the 1-3 retires the side again in order. Two completed and Cal leads 2-0.
Culbreth back to the hill for the Cal third frame. Kranson will lead off for the Bears, batting lefty. Another pop up to shallow right, Baker has this one and a lead out. Pearson bats righty, with one away. A high fast ball and as Cal does, it's ripped to center on a line for a single. Farney bats lefty with one out and one on. A fly ball to left and this one is caught, two away. Cumberland steps in from the right side, with two outs and one on. The runner is picke off first by Culbreth and the play goes 1-3-6, for the third out and it retires the side. To the bottom of the third and Cal leads still 2-0.
Mason comes back out for the Bears in the third at for the Horns. Lefty hitting Kacy Clemens, at first in the game, leads off for Texas. A fly ball to right and it's one away. Brady Harlan bats also lefty, as the Horn right fielder, one out. He K's swinging on the change that falls out of the zone, two away. Gurwitz back again, at the top of the order, batting righty, with two outs. A ground ball to short and the 6-3 play sends the Horns down in order yet again. Three have been played and Cal leads 2-0.
Culbreth will stay around as the fourth begins. Cal leads off with Cumberland the switch hitting catcher, batting righty against the lefty pitcher. He was left standing when the runner was picked off last inning. He walks on a high breaker, a lead runner. Lefty hitter Halamandaris steps in, with a runner on. He has a single in the game. The count runs full and he walks on the low outside pitch, to put two on. Skip out for a visit. He hopes to settle down Culbreth and set the defense for the expected bunt coming. Celsi bats lefty, with two aboard. He does square and lays it down and Culbreth fields and the 1-3 sac is good. Righty hitter Tenerowicz has two on and one down. Infield comes in to try and cut off another run. The safety squeeze is fouled off. He chases a head high fast ball and it's a big second out. Nine hole hitter is rightt Preston Grand Pre. One more big out needed to keep Texas close. A ground ball to short and the 6-3 is that third out. Culbreth pitches out of the jam. Bottom of four and Cal leads 2-0.
Mason will enter his fourth inning of work, having looked dominant as the Cal starting hurlers all have. Boswell leads off batting lefty for Texas. A ground ball in the hole on the right side, the second baseman has it and whirls and throws and nips him, for one away. Baker bats righty, with one down. He has a double today and has been a good bat for the Horns. A slow change gets him this time swinging, two gone. Barrera bats righty, with two gone. A liner to second and the side goes down in order once more. Four in the books and Cal continues to lead 2-0.
Culbreth will stay for the fifth, as Cal bats. The top of the order Knapp, batting lefty. He takes a fast ball on the lower part of the zone and he doesn't like the call, but it's a K, one out. Kranson bats also left handed, one away. A scooter to Boswell and the 6-3, is two down quickly. Pearson bats righty, as the DH, with two gone. He rips that same high fast ball to right center in the gap, cut off by Harlan, but it's a stand up double. Farney bats lefty, with one on and two away. He K's swinging on the low fast ball and the 2-3 put out makes it official. Halfway through this third game of the series and Cal leads 2-0.
Mason, as the two Cal starters before him looks to qualify for the win, by completing his fifth inning of work. Cantu leads off batting righty, he has been struggling mightily lately at the dish. He will continue to do that, but his ground ball to short is booted, and then can't be picked up, the E-6 is a lead runner. That breaks up the long out string for Mason. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one on. He squares to bunt and fouls it off. A pop fly to shallow lefty and the shortstop goes out on the run and make a running ove the shoulder catch, one away. McKenzie bats from the right side, one on and one down. A fly ball to center is two away. Kacy Clemens bats lefty with one on and two outs. A full count and Cantu will be off and running. He fouls off several pitches and Cantu looks winded. Some of these have been ball four. He finally does walk on a low fast ball and it puts two on. Nine hole hitter Harlan, bats lefty, with two on. Need something here to get back into the game, seems we say that a lot lately. He swings through the high heat and that retires the side. Two runners left stranded and Cal leads 2-0, after five.
Culbreth works on, in the sixth inning. The Cal catcher Cumberland leads off, batting righty. A hanging change and this one is not coming back, it's way out over both fences in left field. Cal leads 3-0. Halamandaris bats righty, one in. He grounds to second, the 4-3 is one out. Lefty hitter Celsi bats with one down. Grounder to short and the 6-3 is two gone. Tenerowicz bats righty with two outs. He grounds to second and another 4-3 sets down the side. Three ground outs, but the one fly ball went way out of the yard. Cal adds a run and leads 3-0, bottom of the sixth.
It's like the Horns are trying to strike out with the game on the line. Texas: 6 strikeouts with runners in scoring position
Mason toils on in the Texas sixth, the Cal coach says his bull pen is short today, but you have to get into it, if your Texas. Top of the order is Gurwitz, batting righty. A ground ball goes through the hole, on the right side, for a lead runner, the second hit for Texas. Boswell bats lefty, with one on. He walks on four pitches, to put two on, maybe Mason is tiring. Baker will bat righty, with two aboard. The pitching coach is out, but leaves Mason in. So Baker has been your best hitter, what do you do here? Cal thinks bunt and Baker squares and lays it down, the sac goes 1-3. Barrera bats righty, with two on and one down. Have to score here. The infied in at the corners and back up the middle. Putting the ball in play is a must. He doesn't, as he swings through a low heater, the K's is two away. This brings up the righty hitting Cantu, with two on and two outs. He has been really struggling and I can't think of a better time to break out of it. But a grounder goes to short and the 6-3 will end the scoring hope. Two more stranded and this is the story of the Texas season so far. Cal leads still 3-0, after six complete.
Culbreth will return again for the seventh. The leadoff hitter for Cal is nine hole hitter Grand Pre, hitting from the right side. Grounder to second and Baker makes the play for one down. Knapp bats again lefty, as the top side of the order is back, one down. A tight slider will set him down, he swings through it and the K is two gone. Kranson will bat righty, with two outs. He grounds a ball toward the hole on the right side, Baker has it on a slide and completes the nifty 4-3 third out to retire the side in order. Stretch time and Cal leads on 3-0.
Mason will try and go at least one more in the seventh, after getting out of a jam last inning. Kody Clemens leads off batting left handed. A full count is reached and a little chopper back to Mason and the 1-3 is one away. Righty hitting McKenzie bats with one down. A liner to second and it's two away. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two gone. A liner to second again, the second baseman was basically playing in shallow right field, but that is good placement of your fielders. Texas down in order and after seven it's still Cal 3-0.
Culbreth will just keep going, as the Cal eighth starts. It looks like Mason is done, as he is being congratulated in the dugout. The DH in righty hitter Pearson, leads off for Cal. Culbreth gets him swinging on the outside breaker, one away. Farney bats lefty, with one gone. A ground ball to second and the 4-3 is two outs. Righty hitting Cumberland hits with two gone. He of the long homer his last at bat. Grounded to third and the 5-3 will retire the side in order. Probably all for Culbreth and he pitched well, but not good enough to win when you have no runs on the board. Cal leads 3-0, bottom of eight.
As we thought Mason day is done and the new pitcher is righty hander Tanner Dodson. Texas leads off with lefty hitter is nine hole hitter Harlan, batting lefty. The bullpen might be vulnerable. He lines a single the opposite way to left center, a lead runner. Gurwitz bats righty, with a man on. On a 3-1 pitch he grounds to first and its a 3-6 force, as the relay to first was late, one down. Boswell bats lefty with one on and one down. A grounder to second and the 4-6 force is out two, the relay again is just late. Baker bats righty with one on and two down. A shallow fly to center and the charging centerfielder has it, to end the frame. A lead base runner is stranded and as I have typed all series Cal is leading, at the moment 3-0, after eight innings played.
Culbreth is gone as expected and the new pitcher is freshman right hander Blake Wellman, in the ninth. Another fine outing by Ty. Leading off for Cal is the new left fielder for Cal, Jeffery Mitchell, batting righty. He walks on a low fast ball, a lead runner. Celsi bats lefty, with one aboard. He squares to bunt and lays it down and the sac goes 1-3. One down and one on for Tenerowicz, baPtting righty. A full count and he swings over the big curve ball, the K is two gone. Bottom of the order is Grand Pre, with one on and two outs. A ground ball to second and Baker has it and he throws it two feet wide of Clemens at first, the E-4 will cost Texas another run. Cal leads 4-0. Skip out and Wellman is pulled. Pitching change.
Senior lefty Travis Duke is in to face a lefty hitter and try to get Texas out of the inning. He faces the top of the order, in lefty hitter Knapp, two down. The runner moved to second on the error, the throw to second was wild too, but the runner couldn't move any farther. Knapp steps back in. He lines a single in front of the diving McKenzie in left, that scores another unearned run. Cal leads 5-0. Kranson bats lefty, with a man on and still two away. The runner goes and on a slow curve he steals the bag without a throw made. A fly ball over Harlan, in right and it's off the wall, another run scores. Cal leads 6-0. Pearson bats righty, with one aboard, two outs. He K's swinging on a change up, to mercifully retire the side. The defense again leads to a big Cal inning, they have what would seem an unsurmountable 6-0 lead, as we go to the bottom of the ninth.
Dodson tries to finish the game in the ninth and preserve the shutout. Barrera leads off batting right handed. A comebacker back to the mound, the 1-3 is the lead out. Cantu, who can't buy a hit lately, bats righty, with one gone. Another weak grounder back to Dodson and he makes the 1U play, two away. Kody Clemens tries to keep the game alive, batting lefty. He doesn't, sending a fly ball to left to end the game. Cal wins the game 6-0 and the series 3-0. This was just a terrible game from the start and it just kept getting worse. Back to discuss and maybe cuss about it in a bit.
Didnt get a chance to see any of game, thanks for the updates but wow has this been a lost series with just Sunday to go. Early season returns are not promising for this team.
So guess what Augie talked about today in the post game. The hitting is bad and so is the defense. Bad at bats are being taken and not taking walks and too many strikeouts. I couldn't have said it better myself. The defense is hurting the pitching and it leads them to maybe hang their heads a bit and get down. I talked about losing a lot of defense from last year. No Stell, Shaw, or Johnson in the outfield anymore has really cost the Horns dearly. No Hinojosa and Marlow in the infield. He also said the pitching has been outstanding for Texas. It has, but you can't win many games without support in the field and at the plate. When the Horns get chances to score, they don't or the rallies are cut short. So Texas tries to find some offense somewhere, maybe hope Cal is out of starting pitchers. Also try and cut down on the mental and physical errors in the field. Back tomorrow.
I would say the pitching this series has been good--not outstanding. There haven't been many 1-2-3 innings and that hasn't all been because of poor defense. That said, I don't know when we've had so much trouble in the outfield. And does anyone know what was going on with Skip and the Cal dugout? I can't remember which inning, but I believe it was right after Barrera struck out to end the inning.
You don't have to retire the side in order, just not give up runs. That would be the case and certainly as good as the Cal pitching, if not for errors and fly balls that fall and can't be scored as errors. This against a good hitting Cal team. I wish Texas pitching could face our line-up, there would be a lot more innings where they would retire the side in order. The Cal pitching would not be so dominant, if they had to face their line-up. Take today, without that misplayed fly ball, Culbreth gives up one earned run in eight innings. I believe most teams would take that. Instead he gives up three earned runs, which isn't exactly bad either. Two earned runs should have been the result today, one of those given up by Duke, after the third out should have been recorded earlier, on Baker's error. That error resulted in two more unearned runs All these misplayed fly ball have been scored hits and they have resulted in earned runs being held against the pitching staff. Fly balls have already cost us two games. Today the first batter of the game hits a fly ball that should have been caught, instead it's a triple and then another fly ball, scores the run, on a throw that goes half way up the first base line, from not that deep in left field. This kind of leaves a bad feeling for a pitcher to start the game.
Watched a great deal of this one... gosh a lot of runners left on base. Little to no bat life and the pitchers simply gave up too many hits / runs. Gotta take game 4 and stop the bleeding in this series.
