Relief pitcher Paul Oseguera has been the great stabilizer for
the UCLA bullpen this season, leading the team in appearances and
posting the flimsiest ERA.
But Oseguera finally faltered on Thursday night, as he was
unable to hold a one-run lead against Arizona. Relieving junior
Hector Ambriz after six quality innings of work, Oseguera promptly
yielded three earned runs that would prove to be the winning runs
as the Wildcats notched a 4-3 comeback win over the visiting Bruins
in the first of a three-game series.
“It’s really the first time Oseguera hasn’t
come through the whole year,” UCLA coach John Savage said.
“But he was bound to have an off night at some
point.”
Freshman shortstop Brandon Crawford delivered the Bruins (18-15,
3-4 Pac-10) an early lead with a leadoff home run on a full count,
but Wildcat pitcher Daniel Schlereth (2-0) kept the Bruins at bay
just when it looked like the game would get out of hand almost
before it began.
After Crawford’s home run, UCLA had the bases loaded with
nobody out, but Schlereth induced a harmless infield pop up from
second baseman Sean Smith and then an inning ending double-play off
the bat of first baseman Brett McMillan.
“It was a case where he had them on the ropes and we just
couldn’t put them away,” Savage said. “It’s
something we need to a better job at. We let them hang around and
they got one big inning to beat us.”
The Wildcats (15-16, 3-4) tied the game in the bottom of the
second inning when designated hitter Derek Decater belted a two out
RBI single off Ambriz.
UCLA reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth inning when
Ambriz drove home Crawford with an RBI single.
Oseguera (2-1), making his team-leading 15th appearance,
relieved Ambriz to protect a 2-1 lead but suffered a series of
mental lapses. He walked the first two batters he faced and then
gave up the decisive two RBI single to centerfielder Jon Gaston. He
lasted on a third of an inning, yielding the three runs.