Web dirtbagsbaseball.blogspot.com

Offense Sputters Again

Dirtbags dig hole they can't escape

Ramos gives up hits, LBSU strands runners.

By Bob Keisser
Staff writer

There wasn't much about the Dirtbags' play Friday night at Blair Field that their fans haven't already seen.

No. 1 starter Cesar Ramos struggled, as he did a week ago against USC, and the lineup again left the basepaths crowded with runners. Cal (4-4) built up a 3-0 lead after four innings and held on for a 3-2 win before 953.

Ramos (2-2), the left-hander who won 12 games last season and inherited the No. 1 spot in the rotation from Jered Weaver, allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter in four of his first five innings and finished the night allowing six hits and three runs. It was almost a duplicate effort from the week before, when he gave up six hits and three runs in a 4-3 loss to USC.

Meanwhile, the Dirtbags (5-4) stranded six runners in the first five innings and finished the night with seven. That makes 86 runners left on base in nine games.

"It was like last week, although we had fewer opportunities tonight," coach Mike Weathers said. "That's the alarming thing, that we're talking about the same things."

Cal's Adam Gold, who was 6-7 last season with one of the wins over the Dirtbags, allowed five hits and two unearned runs in seven innings, and closer Travis Talbott struck out four of six in the last two innings.

The Dirtbags came into the game with a .326 average, but their slugging percentage is under .400. The early season reality for the No. 14 Dirtbags is that they miss the two returning starters who were expected to be in the middle of the lineup shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is out for around five weeks after surgery for a broken bone in his left hand, and center fielder Sean Boatright, who has been idle since straining a hamstring in the season opener.

First baseman Brandon Godfrey and infielder Evan Longoria have impressed in their first season, but right now, they're being asked to hit in the 3-4 slots in the lineup a bit much for a redshirt freshman and JC transfer.

"You always look to the go-to guy in the lineup and we have to be aware that we don't have them right now," Weathers said.

"Godfrey and Longoria would be hitting elsewhere if we had Troy and Sean. It's a lot to ask a freshman to hit third."

Cal's Allen Craig led off the second with a double off the third-base bag and came around to score on a single by Jason Corder.

An error was the pivotal play in Cal's two-run fourth. James Holder singled to deep to short. Brennan Boesch's sacrifice bunt was right in front of catcher Tito Cruz, who went to second looking for the force, but his low, one-hop throw pulled shortstop Longoria off the bag.

A sacrifice moved the runners up, a groundout to short scored Holder and a single by Matt Einspahr scored Boesch.

The Dirtbags benefited from an error in the fifth to cut their deficit to 3-2. With two on and two out, Cal first baseman Holder booted an inning-ending grounder by Godfrey to load the bases, and Longoria capitalized with a full-count two-run single to left.

The Dirtbags stranded a runner at third in the first, left two in to finish the fifth and had a runner thrown out stealing in the sixth.

DIRTBALLS: Except for some soggy conditions in the outfield, Blair was in great shape considering the rain Thursday night and Friday morning. … Boatright may be held out of the series because of the damp, wet weather. … The Dirtbags have booked a series at Texas and former Fullerton coach Augie Garrido for 2006 and will also play in a tournament at 2003 national champ Rice. … Game 2 today (2 p.m.) will match the Dirtbags' Marco Estrada (1-0, 1.80) against Cal's Brandon Morrow (0-0, 8.38), and Game 3 Sunday (1 p.m.) will match Jared Hughes (0-0, 0.00) and Eric Dworkis (0-1, 10.00).