Game #16: Houston 8, Texas A&M 2
Records: Texas A&M (10-6, 0-0), Houston (11-6, 0-0)
WP: Ben Sears (3-0)
LP: Chris Cortez (1-2)
Box Score
Recurring shortcomings.
Texas A&M's bullpen excruciatingly coughed up seven runs in the final two innings as Houston took down the Aggies on Tuesday night, 8-2. Combined with their on-going struggles to find timely hitting, another rancid relief appearance doomed the Maroon & White yet again.
"I still believe in our team, but we have to play sound baseball. We're not going to out-physical you at the moment."
- A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle
"We haven't been consistent out of the bullpen on the mound, and we haven't played good situational baseball," Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said postgame.
With the score tied in the seventh, Austin Bost led off with a wind-aided triple that clanked off Alex Lopez's glove on the warning track in right field. On the very next pitch, Jack Moss lined out to a diving Malachi Lott in center, bringing Bost home and giving the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
However, the Coogs took the advantage right back. An Austin Stracener error opened the floodgates as Houston scored five unearned runs to take a 6-2 lead.
In search of an elusive solution, Schlossnagle made three pitching changes in the eighth inning alone. Chris Cortez, Joseph Menefee and Robert Hogan combined to get just one out before Will Johnston got the final two. However, Johnston surrendered a three-run triple that put the game out of reach.
"I don't want that to define him," Schlossnagle said of Johnston, who missed his location on an 0-2 fastball. "He's going to play a much bigger role, starting this weekend."
Houston tacked on two more in the ninth to run away with the midweek victory.
A&M stranded 11 runners on the evening. The Aggies loaded the bases with less than two outs twice — in the first and again in the seventh — and failed to cash in both times. A&M was just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
"On a club that doesn't score a ton of run, we need to execute better," Schlossnagle said.
Jamie Maury, TexAgs
Through 67 total pitches, Khristian Curtis earned two strikeouts while allowing just one run.
The late-inning collapse overshadowed a stellar start from Khristian Curtis, who seemed poised to win his third game of the year. The freshman right-hander held Houston scoreless through five innings and was removed following a Brandon Uhse double to begin the sixth. Reliever Brad Rudis failed to maintain what was a 1-0 lead, allowing the inherited Uhse to score.
More question marks than answers continue to surround Schlossnagle's squad with SEC play set to begin on Friday. The bullpen is very much a work-in-progress, and injuries to key infielders have prevented the Maroon & White from finding any continuity at the plate.
"It'd like to see our team healthy, and I'd like to see our team play when the wind is not blowing in," Schlossnagle said, admitting that those are not excuses.
Texas A&M ventures into hostile territory this weekend to face Jay Johnson's LSU Tigers in a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.
"I still believe in our team, but we have to play sound baseball," Schlossnalge said. "We're not going to out-physical you at the moment."