SPORTS MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KANSAS VS. BAYLOR
BASEBALLREWIND
Bochy pitches eight scoreless innings in victory
ANDREW HAMMOND
ahammond@kansan.com
Entering the Baylor series, talk focused on Tony Thompson's return to the lineup. But Thompson's return was overshadowed by Brett Bochy in a matter of eight innings.
Bochy needed to be at his best in order for the Jayhawks to grab a 12-6 victory Sunday in 14 innings. After Kansas tied the game at six in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bochy entered the game anticipating only one or two innings of work.
Instead, Bochy, Kansas' closer,
turned in six hit less innings.
"I figured I would only be pitching one or two innings but then I knew I would have to get the win for us." Bochy said.
Bochy has been solid all season, especially in the last few weeks. He entered this weekend's series with a 0.66 ERA, one win and three saves to lead the team.
"I figured I would only be pitching one or two innings but then I knew I would have to get the win for us."
His stellar week end against the Bears started Friday with Bochy heading into the game in the 8th inning and the Jayhawks nursing a two-
run lead. When the last out was recorded, Bochy had pitched two innings, given up one run,
BRETT BOCHY Junior relief pitcher
two bits while
recording
three strike-
outs.
"Really my goal was to just go in there and throw strikes and help protect the lead," Bochy said.
On Sunday he was at his best late in the a high powered Bochy appeared
to get stronger as the game went on. He faced the minimum three batters in each inning.
Because of that, Bochy picked up his second victory of the season. With Baylor attempting to take two out of three games from the layhawks this season. Bochy struck out four and allowed zero hits.
"It was a difference for us to win today," Bochy said. "Wither we go back home 2-1 or 1-2 in conference. I would rather have the first one."
Edited by Jesse Rangel
Series to remember
Senior second baseman Robby Price
The lone senior starter teed off on Baylor pitching all weekend to lead Kansas' offensive attack. Price went 6-for-13 with two walks, five runs scored, and nine RBI - including a career-high six RBI performance on Sunday. He was also sharp at second base, where he has been a vacuum on the year - with only one error in 109 chances.
Price
Series to forget
Kansas' starting pitchers
In the three ballgames, the three Jayhawk starters allowed 19 total runs. That's not going to get it done in the Big 12. Walz was able to recover from a rough inning and give Kansas a shot to win, but both Selik and Bollman were ineffective in their short outings; each was unable to make it through four innings.
In perspective
Walz
Twenty-nine runs on 42 hits in the series is evidence enough that the Jayhawks have little issue swinging the bats. But without solid pitching to support the offense, victories will be tough to earn for Kansas. Averaging over eight runs per contest is a great statistic, but it means nothing if the Jayhawks can't limit the opposition from the mound. With all three starters failing to produce a quality start, the bullpen was taxed heavily – and did an admirable job in relief. But the Jayhawks can't expect their offense to carry the load every game; the starting pitching needs to improve.
Series notes
Stat of the weekend
Hot from the nine-spot
Junior shortstop Brandon Macias continued his torrid pace at the plate, collecting five hits in the series to boost his average to .260. Macias had been mired in a slump to begin the season, but is in the middle of a seven-game hitting streak in which he's gone 10-for-24 with six RBI and three runs scored.
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Even with all the runs scored, Kansas had many chances to plate many more. The Jayhawks stranded 32 total runners on base in the series.
Setting the table
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Junior outfielder Casey Lytle has excelled in his role as Kansas' lead-off batter, reaching base at a gaudy .513 clip when he leads off an inning. On the whole Lytle has been a steady offensive force out of the top slot in the lineup, hitting .318 with six steals and 25 runs scored.
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Hats off to
The Jayhawks received a scare when junior third baseman left the game in the second inning on Sunday. But it wasn't an injury to his left knee that caused him to miss the first month of the season, nor was it a new alineum. Thompson suffered a severe bloody nose, a minor condition that has plagued him since childhood. He's expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday.
Kansas' bullpen
Just a little blood
Freshman Tanner Poppe threw three and a third scoreless innings and junior closer Brett Bochy tossed six scoreless frames to headline the tremendous effort from the bullpen on Sunday. Sophomore Colton Murray and senior Wally Marciel also chipped in to round out the 11 scoreless innings thrown by the Jayhawk relievers.
"That might be the greatest performance by one of my bullpins in my entire coaching career," coach Price said after Sunday's effort.
Poppe
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one-third innings of shutout ball.
"I couldn't be more pleased with his performance," coach Price said. "He set the tone for the rest of the bullpen."
While Poppe was busy shutting down the Bears from the mound, the Jayhawks were preparing for a third comeback in as many days. Junior shortstop Brandon Macias, who had two hits on the afternoon, said after Kansas' previous two rallies he and his teammates expected to do it again.
"I feel like we knew we were going to come back." Macias said.
Senior second baseman Robby Price tied the score in the sixth with a clutch two-out, two RBI single to tie the score 6-6.
With the game still tied in the ninth, coach Pizza handed the ball to his closer, junior Brett Bochy. Because the lajayhawk relievers had been forced to work more
than usual due to the ineffective starting pitching. Price said he was unsure of how long hed have Bochy available for.
"We really didn't know if we could get more than two innings out of him today." coach Price said.
Kansas' closer was perfect, throwing the final six innings without allowing a base runner. Bochy made quick work of the Baylor batters, which Price said was why he was able to keep him in the game.
"He did a really good job minimizing the amount of pitches he threw per hitter", Price said.
But the offense which had been so prolific over the weekend still had to reappear for Kansas to eke out a victory. And when it did, it again came with a flourish.
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After being held in check since Price's single in the sixth, the
Jayhawks teed off for six runs in the top half of the 14th to break the game open and all but seal the victory.
Bochy troted back out in the bottom half of the inning and retired the Bears to earn his second win of the season.
Kansas gutted out the 14-inning marathon, which Robby Price said provided a huge boost in confidence for the club.
Macias agreed, saying the road victories over the Bears will provide the Jayhawks with momentum.
"Obviously it turned out alright," Robby Price said. "So we'll take it."
Edited by Becky Howlett
"Hopetfully we can just keep rolling and everything will fall into place." Macias said.
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NBA
Portland improves standing with win
OKLAHOMA CITY — Andre Miller scored 26 points, Brandon Roy added 20 and the Portland Trail Blazers beat Oklahoma City 92-87 on Sunday night to move into a tie with the Thunder for sixth place in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City trailed by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but had a chance to tie in the final seconds. Kevin Durant's 3-pointer with about 7 seconds left came up short off the front rim, and Miller hit two free throws with 4.6 remaining to ice it.
The Blazers have won 11 of their last 13 games to strengthen their position in the West playoff race. Portland can clinch a spot in the postseason with three wins in its last eight games.
Durant finished with 29 points for Oklahoma City, which was coming off an impressive blowout win against the West-leading Los Angeles Lakers only two nights earlier.
The Thunder charged back to tie it at 84 following Serge Ibaka's two-handed, alley-oop dunk with 3:55 to play. After a Portland timeout, Roy got fouled and hit two free throws, then Marcus Camby came away with a steal against Russell Westbrook and hit two foul shots of his own.
Durant, who had hit 97 of his last 100 free throws entering the game, had a rare miss with 2:57 to play and missed all three of his field goal attempts in the fourth quarter — including a pair of 3-pointers in the final $ 2 \frac{1}{2} $ minutes.
The Thunder need only four wins in their last 10 games to sew up a playoff spot.
Portland improved to 14-3 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season and has won its last eight in a row, dating to a loss on Jan. 5 against Memphis.
Associated Press