Monday, April 26, 2010

Hoosiers Take Game 2, Drop Game 3 at Gophers

Game 2 - Indiana 7, Minnesota 2
The Hoosiers picked up their lone victory of the series behind 5.2 strong innings of work from starter Jonny Hoffman and a pair of hits (including what was likely one of the longest home runs in IU history) and 3 runs batted in from Alex Dickerson. Micah Johnson, Josh Lyon and Dylan Swift each recorded 2 hits a piece as well, and Walker Stadler pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to notch his first career save as a Hoosier.

Click here for the box score and here for the recap from IUHoosiers.com.

Game 3 - Minnesota 10, Indiana 0
For the second time in three days, the Hoosier offense was silenced as the Golden Gophers drubbed the Hoosiers in the weekend finale to pick up a much-needed series victory. Unfortunately for IU, Michael Earley's triple was all the Hoosiers could muster at the plate on the day as the team finished with just that 1 hit, a season low, and 10 strikeouts. Even worse, the pitching was just as bad on Sunday. Although it was nice to see Matt Carr back on the mound for the first time all season, outside of his first 2 innings of work and Jerrud Sabourin's scoreless inning of relief in the 8th, the Hoosier hurlers struggled mightily on the mound. Carr took the loss, but it was Chris Squires' performance that really opened the flood gates and put this one out of reach. The normally reliable right-hander allowed 6 runs on 7 hits in 2.2 innings of work.

Click here for the box score and here for the recap from IUHoosiers.com.

Let's hope for a bounce back performance out of the team next weekend as the Hoosiers play host to rival Purdue. The conference race is still very much up in the air, and a series victory would obviously be huge for IU.

Go Hoosiers!

15 comments:

  1. Was anyone as stunned as I was to see Matt Carr toeing the rubber sunday?? I'm about as excited as I have been all year with him back but I can't imagine starting him on sunday in a crucial game against minnesota is the way to bring him back. He hasnt faced a batter in what, 10 months, and we just throw him into the fire like that. That's just not fair to him as well as someone like Igel. Igel has pitched well and to just take his start away and throw off his whole routine isnt fair to him either. Just seems like a very winnable game was kind of given away on sunday.

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  2. This is not a hit one way or the other against the pitchers, but it wouldn't of mattered as there was no run support regardless of who pitched.

    Now, one can blame that on a poor hitting team, or great pitching. I personally don't believe IU is a sub par hitting team and I definitely don't believe the pitching was overpowering. I do believe we could just as well have handed the bats to the umpire with a strike zone that grew to the size of Alaska as the game continued past about the 4th inning. Proof? Sabourin--top average in the conference--doesn't strike out three times in one game without some help from behind the plate.

    Lets hope the Big10 umps give our best hitters a reasonable hack at the ball during the rest of the conference.

    GO HOOSIERS!!

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  3. No problem with strikezone as we got the same one. The umps in games 2 and 3 gave the corners. It was obvious. The players should have known. We just can't stand there and let a guy that would probably be the 4th best lefthanded pitcher on our team 1 hit us!

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  4. ...And I thought Carr had a great start!

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  5. Carr did have a great start!

    The players did know. In game 1 they were reasonable. In game 3 they weren't even close. I'm not sure what you mean by "just stand there and let a guy that would probably be the 4th best ...pitcher on our team 1 hit us!" Is this in reference to their pitcher?

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  6. Pitching is a very mental game and I think that Coach Smith is playing games with Igel. I think that its Igels turn on the mound. Give him the bump and let him compete out there. Sure he will walk a few batters but if he is mentally ready, he will bring the heat.

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  7. Yes, it was in reference to their pitcher. I think he would only be 4th best lefty on IU.

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  8. As disappointing as the weekend was...we are a game out of first place...

    Need to win Purdue series.

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  9. Have to disagree. That kid was pretty good. Right now he'd be #2.

    I heard Matt and Jeremy say that part of the reason that they started Carr was so that he would have a structured timetable to warm up rather than getting loose, sitting down, getting back up, getting ready in a hurry, etc. That seems to make sense to me, and I thought Carr was good. Just made one bad pitch in his first outing in almost 11 months.

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  10. Well other Anonymous, I would take Leienger, Monar, and Igel over him. I just thought our hitters struggled this weekend. I liked the idea of starting Carr. Igel, like Stadler, has a good bullpen mentality. Hoffman was great again. Good move throwing him in the starting spot!

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  11. Well, I'm with Scott. Forget about that series. IU still has a great shot of climbing the Big10 ladder with a sweep or 2 of 3 from Purdue.

    GO HOOSIERS!!

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  12. Help is on the way...I will be able to attend the Purdue series...if we win series...we'll know for sure...it's me!

    Hooiser Fan no longer new - when are you coming to B-town? I owe you a dog and a coke!

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  13. ...I must have missed you. I was there for the Iowa series and away game at Miami Ohio, but work has got me chained at home for the foreseeable future...

    GO HOOSIERS!!

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  14. WORK??? Really hoossierfannolonger....such language!!!!

    Naw...I'm kinda hard to miss...really good looking...bevvy of hot women always in tow...you remember me now?

    Obviously, I couldn't make the IOWA weekend!

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