John Savage’s ability to develop pitchers is arguably what gave him a career in collegiate baseball.
His first job with a Power Five program was as a pitching coach at USC from 1997 to 2000, developing future Big League arms like Barry Zito and Mark Prior.
And amid his 21st year at the helm of UCLA, Savage’s most recognizable Westwood products remain as right-handers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.
But that Bruin pitching staff seemed all out of sorts for much of their crosstown rivalry series over the weekend.
After a 7-6 win opened the weekend Friday, No. 18 UCLA baseball (34-13, 17-7 Big Ten) would drop Saturday 7-5 and Sunday 11-5 to No. 25 USC (32-15, 16-8) at Great Park in Irvine, California. USC’s 24 runs is the most UCLA has allowed in a single series since March 7 to March 9 against Maryland. However, this time the Bruin offense couldn’t make up for a lackluster performance on the mound.
“Pitching was poor,” Savage said. “We made mistakes, and we clearly paid for it.”
After winning their first nine weekend series to open the campaign, the Bruins have now lost two of their last three.
Poor starting pitching proved a theme for UCLA over the weekend. Redshirt junior left-hander Ian May allowed four runs over just 3.2 innings pitched Friday. Saturday, junior right-hander Michael Barnett was charged with six runs over his 4.1 frames. And in Sunday’s rubber match, sophomore right-hander Landon Stump allowed three across his 3.1 innings of work.
On the other hand, USC’s Saturday starter, right-hander Caden Aoki, flourished, tossing seven shutout innings and facing just five over the minimum. And Sunday, bulk reliever right-hander Andrew Johnson allowed just two unearned runs across 6.1 frames.
The Bruin bullpen didn’t fare much better, particularly on Sunday, when redshirt sophomore southpaw Chris Grothues, sophomore right-hander Cal Randall and graduate student right-hander August Souza allowed a combined seven runs in 3.1 innings of work. And Souza’s earned run Friday ended his streak of 7.1 scoreless innings.
However, there were a few bright spots on the mound. Freshman right-hander Wylan Moss made his first appearance since April 18 on Friday, allowing just one run on two hits through 2.1 innings pitched. Graduate student left-hander Ryan Rissas put a zero on the board, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames Saturday – and has only allowed runs in two of his 15 outings this season. And freshman right-hander Easton Hawk recorded the save Friday, stranding the bases loaded in the ninth.
“Being able to close was a dream come true,” Hawk said. “For him (Savage) to have that trust in me is something big.”
Trojan left fielder Andrew Lamb was a thorn in the Bruins’ side all weekend, going 5-for-14 with two doubles, a home run and an RBI. Additionally, designated hitter Augie Lopez went 5-for-8 with three doubles and a homer Saturday and Sunday.
But that’s not to say the Bruin offense remained silent.
“Our team’s really never out of a game,” Salgado said. “No matter how much we’re losing by.”
Sophomore third baseman Roman Martin’s Saturday grand slam cut the Trojans’ lead to 7-4 in the eighth, and would allow the Bruins to bring the go-ahead run to the plate – in the form of Roch Cholowsky – before the sophomore shortstop grounded out to end the ballgame. But Martin got UCLA on the scoreboard again Sunday, with his three-run shot in the first giving his team a short-lived 3-0 lead.
On Friday, Mulivai Levu went 3-for-4 with two doubles. The sophomore first baseman’s 4-RBI night marked his most contributions in a single game since April 1. And redshirt senior right fielder AJ Salgado had a 2-for-4 night of his own Friday – launching his fourth homer in his last five games – and a 3-for-4 performance Sunday to mark his third three-hit performance of the season.
Cholowsky and sophomore catcher Cashel Dugger were the only Bruins to record a hit in every contest, going a combined 7-for-22.
With first-place Iowa losing its series against fifth-place Washington, UCLA retains second place in the Big Ten standings, 2.5 games back of the Hawkeyes. However, with just six conference games left to play in the regular season, time is winding down on UCLA’s chances to usurp Iowa.
“Getting back to playing Bruin baseball is an important way of being able to bounce back from tough losses,” Salgado said. “And I think that we can do that again this week.”
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