WSU vs UMass

[shocks02]

Shockers up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Kids day at Eck and it is loud!

[RoyalShock]

Watched one of the highlight vids on twitter and I feel kinda bad for UMass, or any other adult in attendance.


Oh yeah, and GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

[Shockshock]

The most Shocker thing ever…wasting one of their best arms in a 10-1 game…

[1972Shocker]

The most Shocker thing ever…wasting one of their best arms in a 10-1 game…

Not sure what they wasted. It's Friday. Our Friday starter pitched 6 innings. 97 pitches. A good amount but not excessive. He will be ready to pitch on his next scheduled start next Friday @ Cincinnati.

[Shockshock]

I was referring to using Favors in a 10-1 game in the 7th…

[1972Shocker]

I was referring to using Favors in a 10-1 game in the 7th…

Oh okay. I doubt if they burned him as he only threw 7 pitches. Favors, including his 1 inning today has only pitched 3.2 innings in the last 10 days so if anything he may need a little more work this weekend although they might one to hold him back for the OU game on Tuesday but wanted to give him a little low stress work this weekend to avoid getting too rusty.

Hopefully, this UMass series will provide some opportunity to get some guys some work with the OU game downtown and the opening of AAC play in Cincinnati on the dock for next week.

This series with UMass appears like one where there is not a lot to gain as expectations should be for a sweep. But if the Shocks drop a game in this serious that would not be a good result. Perhaps a bit of positive vibe from winning will be gained.

[Kung Wu]

I missed the game. Not even radio.

But I can see from the score we are still our bipolar selves. We either win by a lot or lose by a lot. Seems like that should be fixable?

[shocks02]

I was referring to using Favors in a 10-1 game in the 7th…

I’ve thought the same thing on a few occasions. Sounds like maybe they promised Caden he’d pitch a certain number of innings.

[1972Shocker]

I missed the game. Not even radio.

But I can see from the score we are still our bipolar selves. We either win by a lot or lose by a lot. Seems like that should be fixable?

Replay is available on ESPN+ if you subscribe.

Statistically your observation is valid. The Shockers are now 11-10 on the season. In the eleven wins the average score was 9.7-2.7. In the 10 losses the average score was 3.1-7.3. Now exactly what that means is perhaps arguable.

Sometimes that has as much to do with the guys in the other dugout as anything the Shocks are doing.

The Shocks are 3-7 against Long Beach, Oral Roberts, KU, OU, Creighton & OSU and 8-3 against Utah Tech, Oakland, Stetson and UMass.

UMass was 3-9 on the season coming into the WSU series against Navy, UNC-Asheville, Gardner-Webb, Penn, Holy Cross and UConn. They did give UConn, by far the best team on their schedule so far, a decent game in their 1 meeting losing 3-7 in Storrs.

No doubt the Shocks have probably lost 2 or 3 games they should have won. On the positive side wins over Long Beach, OU and Creighton were good wins.

So I think I generally agree with you that it has been a mixed bag this season but perhaps below expectations (or at least hopes) for this season so far.

[WuDrWu]

Some people just want to complain I think.


2 on, 1 out in the top of the 5th with Candiotti deep into the 70s in his pitch count in a 3-1 game, so the tying runs were on. We're getting our most reliable bullpen guy loose and warm.

Seems reasonable to me.

Candiotti gets out of it and we score 3 to make it 6-1. Top 6 and Candiotti can't get the leadoff guy out (again). Caden is now hot and ready. Loren visits the mound and Clark says he's good and will finish. He does, and is at 95 pitches.

Somebody has to pitch the 7th. Caden Favors was already hot and basically "wasted" (your word) whether he came in or not. If there was anything to second guess, and I don't think there was, it was probably allowing Candiotti to come out for the 6th in the first place.

[1972Shocker]

I’ve thought the same thing on a few occasions. Sounds like maybe they promised Caden he’d pitch a certain number of innings.

Caden really wasn't all that sharp today. While he only threw 7 pitches today he gave up a double, a fly out moving the runner to 3rd, an RBI single and a double ground ball.

This past Tuesday he went 2.1 innings vs ORU giving up 3 hits and 2 runs while throwing 31 pitches.

Prior to the ORU game he saw action against Creighton last Saturday when he faced 2 batters in the 9th inning of that 14 inning game. He gave up a bunt single and then got a strikeout but it took him 16 pitches (12 to the guy he struck out).

So not terrible I guess but not great and not necessarily that big of a work load.

Since he pitched 5.0 strong innings against OU 10 days ago, prior to these last 3 outings, I am thinking he may well get the start, or at least some innings, against OU on Tuesday but they might like him to get a little bit of work this weekend. Whether they will give him anymore in the next two games is hard to say but I would not expect it to be much, if any.

[Kung Wu]

Now THIS is the way to start a baseball game!

[1972Shocker]

So apparently it was a Ground Hog Day moment for the Shockers as they win 12-2 in 7 innings for the 2nd consecutive day or did they just use a 3-D printer to recreate yesterday's game.

3 of the Shocker's last 5 games have been 12-2, 7-inning run rule games. Who had that on their bingo card.

6 Shockers had 2 hits in the game. Chuck, Brock, Garrett, Payton, Kyte and Seth. Chuck, Garrett and Payton homered and Brock homered twice. Maruicio and David chipped in the other 2 hits.

Payton did the honors on the mound going 6 innings while giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 and facing only 3 batters over the minimum. Payton only need 80 pitches. Robert Cranz closed out the game with a scoreless 7th.

Keep the pedal to the metal guys and produce another clone tomorrow.

[ShockerFever]

Too bad we can’t play A-10 teams every day.

[WuDrWu]

Today could be interesting with Grant on just 4 days rest. I'm guessing he won't go that far unless it's super easy.

Hopefully we'll get to see Mulhollon and Snead at some point. Nate was pretty warm yesterday so they may eschew using him today, I don't know. But I really would like to see those 2 freshmen get more and more work.

Kyte looked better at the plate yesterday, which is a very good thing. Jaden has a ton of upside but he's not there yet and we're just better with Kyte in center and Chuck in right. If Kyte continues to swing the bat like he did yesterday then that should make us substantially more consistent which is what is holding this team back more than anything else imho.

Shocks are still top 50 in ERA and WHIP. Take out Cam's numbers and we're 26 in ERA and 15 in WHIP.

Still have to learn how to win. Completing the sweep against a team you should sweep at least 8 of 10 times would be a start. Beating OU again on Tuesday would be better. Winning vs a Cincinnati team that frankly isn't very good but will absolutely believe they will kick our teeth in (because they have ever since we joined this league, 6-1 there, 5-1 here) would be best. It's way past time to have a 5-0 week from here.