The numbers can be misleading when you're working out of the bullpen. Relievers sometimes take cheap wins and losses they didn't deserve and maybe it all balances out. It depends on whether or not the next pitcher bails you out.
Colin Bates - profiled here in a Sunday column - faced only two Arizona State batters on Sunday in the 10th inning of North Carolina's opening game in the College World Series. The Naperville Central graduate got the first to pop out and then gave up a single down the right-field line before giving way to Brian Moran, who entered with an 88-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Then the Tar Heels unraveled in what became a 5-2 loss. Lee Barfknecht picks up the action in the Omaha World-Herald:
Moran got Arizona State's Jason Kipnis, the Pac-10 player of the year, to fly to right. But North Carolina's Garrett Gore, fighting the sun, dropped it for an error.
ASU catcher Carlos Ramirez followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-1 lead. Then came (Kole) Calhoun, with his first home run in 10 games and his first contribution of the day. ...
Calhoun was 0 for 4 through nine innings, with three grounders back to the pitcher and a strikeout.
But this time, he lifted a pitch to left center that the 15-mph breeze grabbed and slung into the fourth row of the bleachers.
So in the final accounting Bates (4-3) is charged with the loss, and North Carolina is one more loss away from elimination. Throughout the tournament, Adam Lucas of TarHeelBlue.com is providing daily links to College World Series coverage.
Leave a comment