ASU Baseball: Late-inning pitching issues cost the Sun Devils in 4-2 defeat

(Photo: Dominic Cotroneo/WCSN)

It is no secret that the Sun Devils have had pitching issues late in the game, and those troubles plagued them in a 4-2 loss to the Long Beach State Dirtbags on Saturday night.

After Ryan Kellogg ran on cruise-control through seven innings, Jordan Aboites served up a game-winning three-run home run with one out in the eighth inning to Zack Rivera.

Even though he gave up the designated hitter position in the lineup by doing so, head coach Tracy Smith did not regret the move to summon Aboites from the bullpen, saying that the consequent lineup changes were not even part of his mindset in making the change, considering his team had a two-run lead so late in the game.

The Dirtbags proceeded to add an insurance run against Hever Bueno in the ninth. It was just the second run allowed by Bueno on the season.

A Friday night rotation shake-up had resulted in Seth Martinez getting the start the previous night, but the Sun Devils rotation returned to their normal order, with Kellogg staying in his normal Saturday starter role.

The Canadian left-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he shined on the mound on Saturday night, as he struck out eight hitters over seven innings. In addition, Kellogg allowed just five hits and two runs. He lowered his ERA to 3.63, an improvement from the 4.35 mark he was at to start the game.

“He was getting multiple pitches in the strike zone, pitching down and pitching aggressively,” Tracy Smith said in regards to Kellogg’s performance. “It was Kellogg being Kellogg really. I thought he did his job and gave us a chance to win, it just didn’t happen.”

The Sun Devils offense did not give Kellogg the ideal run support, as they struggled for hits despite being just one night removed from a 13-hit trouncing of Dirtbags’ Friday starter Kyle Friedrichs.

ASU wasn’t overly aggressive on the base paths, but Johnny Sewald did steal his sixth base of the season. After being aggressive to a fault on Friday night, it was a welcoming sign to see the absence of any base running errors on Saturday.

R.J. Ybarra and Trever Allen were responsible for the Sun Devils’ two runs, as each produced RBI singles. Other than that, the Sun Devils offense was miniscule, producing eight hits, but zero for extra bases off of Dirtbags starter Tanner Brown. The junior Brown scattered just two runs and five hits over 6 and 2/3 innings.

“We only put up two runs today, so it wasn’t our best offensive performance,” Smith said. “I don’t think it was a lack of focus…It was one of those nights where the guys was keeping the ball down and did a pretty good job of locating his stuff.”

Sunday’s matchup will be a rubber game between the two teams. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30. Brett Lilek will get the start for ASU and Chris Mathewson will take the mound for Long Beach State. Mathewson is fresh off throwing seven hitless innings as part of the first ever no-hitter in Dirtbags history a week ago.

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