Kornacki: Bullpen a Bright Spot against Illini
4/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 9, 2017
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The bullpen did the job for the Wolverines this weekend.
The University of Michigan's relief pitchers threw 15 2/3 innings over three games against Illinois, allowing only two runs on nine hits with 13 strikeouts and two walks.
"They did it all week," said head coach Erik Bakich, whose team lost, 7-5, Sunday (April 9) after falling behind by six runs. "It's the third game out of four this week that we had to dig ourselves out of an early hole, and they did a nice job. They put zeroes up yesterday, too, in the shutout.
"So, the bullpen was definitely a bright spot. But it's not a recipe for success to have to play out of a deficit and work out of a hole. It didn't happen (Sunday), but our bullpen kept it close the final six innings and was pretty good all week. That's definitely a positive to take away."
The Wolverines were down, 3-0, to Notre Dame on Tuesday night (April 4) before coming back for a 4-3 victory. And they did it again Friday, coming back from being down, 7-0, to win, 9-8, over Illinois.
Oliver Jaskie and Michael Hendrickson, who started Friday and Sunday, respectively, both brought quality earned-run averages into the series with the Fighting Illini. Hendrickson (2.94) and Jaskie (3.38) had the lowest earned-run averages among the four Michigan pitchers with at least five starts this season.
However, neither pitched past the third inning against Illinois. Only Ryan Nutof -- who gave up no runs on one hit in six innings to get the win Saturday -- was sharp among the three weekend starters.
Junior Alec Rennard, who often starts weekday non-conference games, entered Sunday's game with Michigan down, 6-0. He gave up one run on four hits over 3 2/3 innings to keep his team in the game.
"You know he's going to throw strikes and work fast," said Bakich. "You know he's going to change speeds and let your defense work. So, he put up some pretty important zeroes there in the fourth and fifth innings and was a little out of gas. He'd thrown 80-some pitches five days ago.
"But he's a strike-thrower with a relentless attack on the strike zone. So, he keeps our defense engaged and gives us a chance every time he's out there."
Rennard has struck out 33 while allowing a meager four walks in 34 1/3 innings. He's 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA.
Bakich recruited Rennard out of Santa Rosa Junior College, where he was the Co-MVP of the school's California Community College state championship team and earned All-America honors.
Rennard said: "I came in from the bullpen and said, 'Okay, what can I do to help the team get through the next half of the game?' I think I did a better job of keeping the fastball down today. I left my off-speed (pitches) up and had a continual adjustment each inning, but I really felt my fastball moving in and out on both sides of the plate.
"I just love playing. It doesn't matter what situation -- a spot start here, a couple innings here -- I want to get in the game and help my team."
Senior right-hander Mac Lozer and freshman left-hander Tommy Henry got Rennard out of the only jam he got into. Illinois scored its only run off Rennard in the seventh inning and had runners on second and third with nobody out when Lozer got the ball.
Lozer got Mark Skonieczny to go down swinging and then Doran Turchin on a called third strike. He struck out the two right-handed hitters to do his job, and Henry entered to face Dan Rowbottom, the left-handed hitter who had ended Hendrickson's day with a three-run homer.
Henry got him to ground out to third base and end the threat.
"They had a chance to separate the game right there," said Bakich, "and Lozer getting two big strikeouts and Tommy getting a soft groundball I thought was a huge momentum switch.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to capitalize on what we needed to do offensively. But they did exactly what we needed done and held that situation down to pitch out of a pressure situation."
Henry got the first two outs of the eighth, and closer Jackson Lamb was summoned after Pat McInerney singled. Lamb, who has yet to allow an earned run in 14 outings covering 15 innings, struck out cleanup hitter Casey Dodge and had a one-two-three ninth inning.
"We knew we were going to come back," said Bakich, "and so we wanted our closer in down two. We were sure of it. It just didn't work out that way. If the winds blowing the other direction, we do. But just not today."
Strong winds blowing in from left and center at Fisher Stadium affected deep balls hit to those areas all game long, and slugging Drew Lugbauer's opposite-field shot in the ninth could've been a three-run, walk-off homer. But the ball instead landed foul on the warning track in the left-field corner, and Lugbauer, who has 21 RBI in his last nine games, ended up striking out swinging.
"Everybody has a job to do on our team," said Lamb, who is 2-0 with eight saves, "and whatever you can do to bring energy to a game is what you have to do. That's what this team does really well. Everyone knows their role and tries to execute their best.
"I was up and down in my first three years here, but I'm happy to finally get an opportunity to help the guys out who have supported me throughout the three years I've been hurt. You go through a couple injuries, and that wears on you. But I knew my best friends were in the locker room, and it's nice to pay it back a little bit and show them I could play."
Lamb, who also played outfield as a freshman, was sidelined with a back injury in his first college season. He required Tommy John surgery as a sophomore and suffered three broken ribs just when he got rolling and had seven saves as a junior.
The lanky senior was drafted by the Texas Rangers out of Temperance (Michigan) Bedford High and again by the St. Louis Cardinals after his junior season in 2016. However, he was set on returning to the Wolverines.
"I wanted to come back to school," said Lamb, "and hadn't had the college experience I wanted or desired."
Lamb combined with fellow relievers William Tribucher (who got Friday's win), Karl Kauffmann, Jayce Vancena, Jack Bredeson, Rennard, Lozer and Henry to all but shut down the Illini in relief and provide victory opportunities.
