Baseball: Fordham & Mets Review

Runs on 3, more runs on 4, photo by Mike James, Four Seam Images

This weekend saw Michigan play one close game on Friday with a final score of 8-6, but the other two games this weekend were Michigan overpowering a team without quality depth. Both games on Saturday were decided by over ten runs, 13-2 and 20-0. That's not even fun. Quick recaps after the jump.

Game One

W-Sinnery (2-0)… Sv-Burgoon(1)

On Friday, Matt Miller got the starting nod, but he struggled a bit. In his 4.2 innings, he allowed 7 hits and 5 runs while walking two and striking out 3. Luckily the Rams aren't that good and our bullpen and offense pulled us out of the jam. Brandon Sinnery got the win in the game with 3 innings of work, allowing 1 unearned run and 7 hits while walking 2 and striking 2 batters out. Tyler Burgoon, still in his relief role, earned his first save of the season. Burgoon looked sharp, striking out 2 of the 4 batters he faced – not allowing a baserunner.

Michigan's overall numbers on offense looked good. The team pounded out 13 hits including 3 each by Anthony Toth and Coley Crank. Despite that, Michigan only really threatened in two innings, the third and seventh. In the third, Michigan scored four runs to take the lead on 4 hits, 2 walks, and an error. The offense went silent after that inning until Ram starter Mack became tired in the 7th. Toth singled to start the inning, followed by a Berset double, a Crank triple, and a Dufek RBI single to chase the starter. Lorenz would add a RBI double for another run later in the inning.

Notable Stars:

• The Bullpen – The win and the save
• Coley Crank – 3/5 3RBI, R, 2B, 3B (That's a HR from a cycle)
• Kevin Krantz – 1st career HR

Notable Goats:

• Lorenz – throwing error for unearned run
• Miller – short start isn't the way to use the bullpen early in a series. This isn't that bad, but he's about as close as you can get to one.

Game Two

W-Oaks (2-3)

And then the offense exploded. Of the starters, only Biondi didn't get a hit, but he still managed to score twice. Crank and Mike Dufek both had 3 hits a piece. Berset had 3 RBI and 2 runs. Berset and Stephens both had homers, oh, life was good.

On the mound, Alan Oaks went 7.1 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and striking out 10. And that was with me thinking Oaks was having an off day. Freshman Kyle Clark got some work in in relief of Oaks, finishing the last 1.2 innings giving up only one hit and walking none.

This game was more or less over in the 3rd inning, definitely over in the 4th. We'll skip the minute details.

Notable Stars:

• The whole offense giving Oaks run support. Oaks has had treasonous run support of late, and it's good to see him get a some offensive help.
• Chris Berset- 2/4 3RBI, 2R, 2B, 3B (another player a homer from a cycle)
• Coley Crank – 3/5, 2RBI, 2R,

Game Three

W-Brosnahan (1-2)

This game was over even quicker than the first game of the doubleheader. Michigan took the 6 run lead in the 1st and the floodgates spilled over from game one and into the second. Bobby Brosnahan threw 7 solid innings of scoreless baseball allowing 5 hits and walking only 2. Ben Ballantine gave up just one hit and a walk in the final 2 frames. Boom, first shut out [in our favor] of the season.

Offense? We had so much of it that freshman pitchers even got to swing the bat… and he, Ballantine, was the lone Michigan batter that didn't reach base.

Notable Stars:

• Brosnahan and Ballantine – 9IP, 6H, 3BB, 5K, 0R. Shutout.
• Anyone not named John Lorenz?

Notable Goats:

• John Lorenz – 0/6, although he did score a run via reaching on an error. He also committed an error.

The Mets

Michigan lost 8-1 in their exhibition. Michigan jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with Wood as the starter. He got his 3 innings of work in and looked good. He gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. Tyler Burgoon got a couple extra innings in relief. He threw 2 scoreless giving up a hit and a walk.

by Mike James, Four Seam Images

Then Travis Smith came in. Without getting an out, he gave up four straight hits, leading to 4 runs for the Mets. Eric Katzman stopped the bleeding giving up just a hit, but avoiding any further runs scored. Matt Gerbe also had a scoreless inning facing a minimal 3 batters. Jeff DeCarlo took the last inning, and he looked like Jeff DeCarlo circa 2009… lacking command.

Michigan only managed 5 hits against the big leaguers, one each from Toth, Berset, Urban, Kittle, and third string catcher Vinnie Sarafa.

Michigan alumnus Mike Cervenak made it into the game for the Mets. He's vying for a place on their major league roster after being a triple A all-star the last few seasons with Philadelphia's Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Rumor has it he may retire if he doesn't make the big club this year, but most of that is just speculation. Mike did get to do the lineup exchange with Rich Maloney during the pregame as an honor, which is pretty cool.

Also cool is the Mets getting the female umpires in these games. As an umpire, I can tell you that women are severely underrepresented in our trade. There are plenty of great ones out there, and it's good to see them get in at the minors and one day the big leagues.

What it All Means

If there's anything I can take out of this series with Fordham is that we're not half as terrible as we were last year. I'm not sure I would have picked Michigan to sweep an opponent like Fordham last season. This year, the team is coming together, and with LaMarre back, we should be considered a solid club nationally. Perhaps in the 45-70 range, which is still very good in the BigTen.

I'll have a post or two this week leading up to the home opener this Friday against IPFW. I think I'm going to do a basic stats post as well as a look at the pitching staff. Some of the comments in the preview thread brought up some things that I think need to hit the front page.