Stanford vs. Arizona: Errors ruin stellar start by Tyger Talley

The Arizona Wildcats dropped the final game of the Stanford series 5-3, resulting in yet another series loss.

And it all came down to one inning of defensive struggles by Tyler Krause.

"One inning ya know"

Wayne Taylor was at the plate after a Zach Hoffpauir triple, and lifted a ball into left-center field.  The wind was gusting all day, which made it more difficult, but the ball bounced off Krause's glove.

But it only got worse.  Trying to get the ball back into the infield, the ball ended up back behind home plate, allowing Taylor to advance to third.

"(Krause) said he was trying to get the ball to (Kevin) Newman," coach Lopez said after the game.  "But it just got away from him.  That's the one.  Dropping the ball, it doesn't happen very often at this level, but it happens.  But throwing the ball away is really what complicates it."

Stanford followed up that pair of miscues by bringing in four unearned runs, including a two-run homer by Alex Blandino over the fence in left.

"I would get it lower in the zone, it was too up in the zone," Tyger Talley said about that one pitch.

Talley ended up retiring 14 of the final 15 batters he faced after that crazy third inning.

"I can't let that affect me," the pitcher continued.  "So I just went out and did my job.  That's all I can do.  Not let a couple errors out there get to my head.  So I settled in, calmed down, and pitched the game out."

Talley finished the day with 7 1/3 innings, scattered four hits, and allowed just the one earned run on 110 pitches.

"There was no fatigue," he said of his day ending in the eighth.  "I just gotta come back next weekend and get a win against Cal."

The righty is definitely one of the few bright spots on the team this year.  Although his 1-3 record doesn't show it, Talley has been so consistent since becoming the Sunday guy.

"He's been very consistent," Lopez said.  "He's done a GOOD job on Sundays for us.  He's really grown into a starting pitcher."

"It'd have to be one of the top two or three (positive surprises)," coach continued.  "(Scott) Kingery's been a real pleasant surprise, but yeah Tyger's right there."

"I think the biggest thing at the beginning of the season was I was coming off injury and trying to figure out my release point," Talley added.  "It was just a process of trying to figure myself out again.  And I think I've done a pretty good job of practicing at that and proving it on the field."

Looking forward to next year, I would have to think Tyger Talley will be that Friday night guy unless there's a freshman or transfer that is just lights-out during fall ball.  Talley's got the mental makeup for it.  There's no nonsense out there on the mound when he's out there, even when people are dropping fly balls and throwing the ball around the infield.

But once again, the hitting came up short, and couldn't get Talley a win on a day where he only have up one earned run.

Baseball man.