We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

CS Fullerton Ousts Nebraska in NCAA Regional

husker baseballSTILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Taylor Bryant came home with the go-ahead run when Nebraska’s Bob Greco balked in the seventh inning and Cal State Fullerton eliminated the Cornhuskers 4-3 in the NCAA regionals Sunday.

Cal State Fullerton (34-23) advanced to Sunday night’s regional final against top-seeded Oklahoma State, for a rematch of the previous night’s 13-7 loss.

Down 3-2 in the seventh, Fullerton scored twice without registering a hit. Jared Deacon was hit by a pitch and moved to second when Bryant reached on an error by Nebraska starting pitcher Aaron Bummer. One out later, Cornhusker shortstop Steven Reveles could not come up with Keegan Dale’s sharp grounder, allowing Deacon to score and advancing Bryant to third.

Blake Headley’s RBI single in the sixth gave Nebraska (41-21) a 3-2 lead.

Bourn’s Walk-Off Homer Gives Indians 6-4 Win over Rockies

colorado-rockiesCLEVELAND (AP) — Michael Bourn’s two-run homer in the ninth inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 6-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday and a sweep of their three-game series.

Bourn hit an 0-1 pitch into the right-field seats off Adam Ottavino (0-2). Mike Aviles singled and took second on George Kottaras’ sacrifice before Bourn hit his second home run of the season.

Bourn raced around the bases and threw his helmet into the air as he was mobbed by his teammates at home plate. The walk-off win was Cleveland’s fourth of the season.

Scott Atchison (2-0) worked around a two-out double in the ninth by striking out Charlie Blackmon to end the inning.

Colorado completed a 2-7 road trip and has lost four straight for the first time since last September.

Buehrle Wins 10th, Encarnacion Hits HR, Toronto Tops KC

kc-royalsTORONTO (AP) — Mark Buehrle pitched eight sharp innings to become baseball’s first 10-game winner, Edwin Encarnacion homered again and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Sunday.

Buehrle (10-1) won his sixth straight decision. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three.

He lowered his ERA to 2.10, second-best in the AL to New York’s Masahiro Tanaka, and improved to 25-12 lifetime against the Royals.

Encarnacion, who matched Mickey Mantle’s AL record with 16 home runs in May, started off a new month with another drive. He hit a two-run shot off Aaron Crow in the eighth for his 19th homer of the season.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-5) lost his fifth straight decision.

Royals Recall 3B Moustakas, Activate LH Bueno

Mike Moustakas
Mike Moustakas

TORONTO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have recalled third baseman Mike Moustakas from Triple-A Omaha and activated left-hander Francisley Bueno from the 15-day disabled list.

Infielder Danny Valencia was placed on the 15-day DL with a sore left hand, and right-hander Aaron Brooks was optioned to Omaha.

Moustakas was at third base and batting eighth against the Blue Jays on Sunday. The four-year veteran and one-time top prospect was batting just .152 with four home runs and 17 RBIs when he was demoted to the minor leagues earlier this month. He appeared in eight games with Omaha, batting .355 with one homer and eight RBIs.

Valencia injured his hand on a swing on May 24, and missed five games before returning to the lineup Friday and going hitless in two games.

Aviles’ RBI Single Gives Indians 7-6 Win over Rockies

colorado-rockiesCLEVELAND (AP) — Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer in the second and added the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Saturday.

Pinch-hitter Jason Kipnis started the rally with a leadoff walk off Rex Brothers (2-3). After Lonnie Chisenhall’s sacrifice, Aviles lined a hit to right field and Kipnis slid home ahead of Charlie Blackmon’s throw. Chisenhall had a two-run homer in the sixth.

The Indians handed their bullpen a 6-2 lead through six innings, but Corey Dickerson’s solo homer and Blackmon’s three-run shot tied it in the seventh.

Bryan Shaw (2-1) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Cody Allen worked the ninth for his third save as the Rockies fell to 2-6 on their nine-game trip.

Blue Jays use Big 1st Inning to Rout Royals 12-2

kc-royalsTORONTO (AP) — Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs, Marcus Stroman won his first career start and the Toronto Blue Jays used a seven-run first inning to rout the Kansas City Royals 12-2 on Saturday.

Adam Lind went 3 for 5 with three RBIs as the AL East-leading Blue Jays snapped a two-game losing streak and finished May with a record of 21-9. Toronto has won 15 of its past 19.

Stroman (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked none and struck out six.

Todd Redmond worked the final three innings for his first save.

The Blue Jays gave Stroman all the support he would need with a 12-batter first inning against Royals right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was also making his first career start. Toronto set a team record when the first eight batters reached safely against Brooks. The Blue Jays had seven straight reach safely to begin a win over Baltimore on Sept. 15, 2007.

Nebraska Rallies in 9th to Beat Binghamton 8-6

husker baseballSTILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Steven Reveles laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt, bringing home Jake Placzek from third with the winning run, as Nebraska rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to escape with a 8-6 victory over Binghamton on Saturday in an elimination game in NCAA regional play.

Nebraska (41-20) squandered leads of 4-0 and 5-3 and entered the ninth down 6-5. With one out, Ben Miller walked and, after Placzek singled, came home on Ryan Boldt’s high-chopper ground ball that bounced over Binghamton second baseman Daniel Nevares into right field, to tie it.

Reveles, who already had two hits and an RBI, followed with the bunt to make it 7-6. Michael Pritchard then delivered another run-scoring single to score Boldt.

The Cornhuskers, who lost 5-1 to Cal State Fullerton on Friday, survived to play again Sunday, while Binghamton (25-27), which won four consecutive elimination games last week just to qualify for the NCAA tournament, was eliminated.

Down 5-3, Binghamton answered in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs to take its first lead of the contest, going ahead on Bill Bereszniewicz’s two-out single to left.

Kluber Strikes Out 12 as Indians Beat Rockies 5-2

colorado-rockiesCLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber began the season as one of the question marks in Cleveland’s rotation.

The right-hander ends May as one of the top pitchers in the American League.

Kluber struck out 12 in 7 1-3 innings to continue his dominant pitching in May and the Indians beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Friday night.

“It’s fun to write his name in the lineup every five days,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He continues to get better and better. He’s got power, movement and command. He’s pretty good.”

Kluber (6-3) has been a lot better than pretty good. Other than giving up a two-run homer in the fourth inning to Carlos Gonzalez, he was in complete control of the highest-scoring offense in the NL. He recorded his third double-figure strikeout game this season and ends the month with a 4-0 record and a 2.09 ERA in six starts.

Kluber, who struck out a career-high 13 on May 4 against the Chicago White Sox, finished the month with 60 strikeouts in 43 innings. The right-hander allowed five hits with one walk and was given a standing ovation by the crowd of 25,066 when he was pulled after retiring the first batter in the eighth.

“To do it against that lineup tonight — that’s a very difficult lineup to strike out,” Francona said. “That’s as much, or more impressive as anything, to do it against that team.”

Kluber, who rarely shows any emotion when he’s on the mound, downplayed his accomplishments and says he wasn’t aware that he leads the AL with 95 strikeouts.

“I had no idea, honestly,” he said. “I keep saying when you guys ask me that strikeouts are a by-product of making good pitches. I’m not going out there trying to strike guys out.”

Kluber was given several ovations as his strikeout totals rose, but he remained focused on the task at hand.

“I’m kind of locked in when I’m out there,” he said. “I don’t really notice.”

Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-run homer broke a fifth-inning tie. The Indians snapped a four-game losing streak while the Rockies fell to 2-5 on their nine-game trip.

Colorado didn’t have a hit through three innings, but Corey Dickerson led off the fourth with a double and Gonzalez homered to right-center on an 0-1 pitch with one out.

“It was a changeup, belt high down the middle, it wasn’t a good pitch,” Kluber said.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss, who was ejected in the sixth inning, was impressed.

“That nasty breaking ball, and we knew he did coming in, but he commanded it and it was a good one,” Weiss said. “It was hard and late and he’s on a good run. And he threw well again tonight.”

Cleveland chased Juan Nicasio (5-3) with a four-run fifth. Michael Bourn’s single tied the game before Cabrera’s homer put Cleveland ahead. Lonnie Chisenhall, who drove in two runs, added an RBI double.

Kluber struck out the side in the third. He took control after Gonzalez’s homer in the fourth. Seven of the next nine outs were strikeouts and he got Charlie Culberson to bounce into a double play to end the seventh.

Cody Allen pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Gonzalez returned to the lineup after not starting Wednesday because of a sore right calf. He fouled a pitch off his leg Tuesday and left the game, and was limited to pinch-hitting duties Wednesday. His home run snapped an 0-for-11 slump, but Colorado has 16 runs in the first seven games of the trip and is 5 for 51 with runners in scoring position.

The Rockies’ frustration boiled over in the sixth when Michael Cuddyer was called out on strikes by plate umpire John Tumpane. Cuddyer angrily argued the call before being pulled away. Weiss continued the argument and was ejected for the first time in his managerial career.

Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a fifth-inning double and has hit in 19 consecutive home games, a Progressive Field record.

Jason Kipnis’ second-inning single snapped an 0-for-15 slump. He returned Wednesday after missing 25 games with a strained right oblique.

NOTES: Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado (broken finger) visited doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, who confirmed the diagnosis of Colorado team doctors that he won’t need surgery. The plan is to let the finger heal on its own and there’s no timetable for his return. … Indians 3B/C Carlos Santana (concussion) said he’s feeling better, but doesn’t know when he’ll resume physical activities. He was placed on the 7-day DL Tuesday. … Cleveland RHP Zach McAllister (sore back) threw a simulated game Friday and is scheduled to throw on the side Sunday. … Rockies LHP Franklin Morales faces RHP Trevor Bauer on Saturday.

Cain and Gordon Homer as Royals Beat Blue Jays

kc-royalsTORONTO (AP) — When Jason Vargas snuffed out a Toronto rally in the first inning, it gave the Kansas City Royals an early lift, one they carried all the way to a second straight win over the Blue Jays.

Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain homered, Vargas won for the first time in three starts and the Royals beat the Blue Jays 6-1 on Friday night.

Vargas (5-2) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings, walked three and struck out seven. He is 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six road starts this season.

Vargas allowed a leadoff triple to Jose Reyes in the first, but Reyes had to hold at third on Melky Cabrera’s fly ball to right. Jose Bautista followed with a walk, but Vargas got out of it by getting Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie to fly out.

“I feel something like that hopefully sets the tone for the game and fires us up,” Vargas said. “We were able to get a run the next inning and keep it moving from there.”

Vargas kept on turning the Blue Jays away whenever they put men on base. Toronto finished 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14 runners.

“Vargas keeps you off balance,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “If you’re sitting on a pitch, you don’t get it. We had some shots but he was better.”

Cain went 3 for 4 and matched a career high with four RBIs, and Gordon reached base three times as the Royals handed Toronto its second consecutive loss following a season-best nine-game winning streak.

“This is more of the offense that we envisioned coming out of spring training,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We’re not going to be a club that’s going to lead the league in home runs but we’ve got home run power that we haven’t used.”

The home runs were the 23rd and 24th of the season for the Royals, whose total is the lowest in the majors.

Aaron Crow worked the seventh and Kevin Herrera pitched the final two innings, striking out Dioner Navarro for the final out and stranding runners at first and second.

Cain got the Royals on the board with an RBI single off left-hander J.A. Happ in the second, and Gordon followed Butler’s leadoff single by homering on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth.

Bautista replied with a two-out homer in the fifth, but the Royals restored their three-run lead in the sixth. Gordon drew a one-out walk and was almost caught stealing but ended up at second after first baseman Encarnacion dropped Happ’s pickoff throw. The mistake proved costly when Cain drove in Gordon with a two-out single.

Kansas City chased Happ and capped the scoring in the eighth on Cain’s two-out homer.

Happ (4-2) lost for the first time in four starts, allowing a season-worst six runs in 7 2-3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.

“They put some good swings on me,” Happ said. “They were aggressive and they definitely made me pay for my mistakes.”

For the second straight game, Bautista threw out a runner at first from right field. After getting Billy Butler on Thursday, Bautista slid to corral Infante’s shallow fly and gunned a throw to first in the seventh after Infante didn’t initially run out of the box.

“I don’t know if you’ll see a better play in baseball today than that play right there,” Yost said. “Omar hit the ball and lost it, he thought it was foul. For Bautista to come, smother the ball, one, and then still see that he had a play at first base, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play like that. Tremendous play.”

NOTES: 3B Danny Valencia returned to Kansas City’s lineup after missing the past five games with a sore left hand. … Toronto selected RHP Bobby Korecky from Triple-A Buffalo before the game and optioned LHP Rob Rasmussen to Triple-A. Korecky was designated for assignment following the game and RHP Marcus Stroman was recalled from Buffalo to start Saturday, with RHP Drew Hutchison pushed back to Tuesday for extra rest. … The Royals intend to recall RHP Aaron Brooks from Triple-A Omaha to start against the Blue Jays on Saturday. Brooks will pitch in place of RHP Yordano Ventura, who left his last start with a sore elbow. … Ventura played catch Friday and will throw a light bullpen Saturday.

Huskers Fall to Titans in NCAA Opener

husker baseballStillwater, Okla. – Playing in a NCAA Regional for the first time since 2008, the Nebraska baseball team (40-20) dropped a 5-1 decision to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (33-22)on Friday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The game was a pitcher’s duel for most of the day, with four of the game’s six runs coming in the eighth inning. With the game tied 1-1 and the bases empty with two outs in the top of the eighth, the Titans loaded the bases and their No. 3 hitter J.D. Davis smashed a grand slam well over the left-field fence to put the Titans on top 5-1.

Both starters went 6.1 innings and put together strong outings, but neither factored into the decision. NU’s Chance Sinclair allowed just one unearned run on two hits, a walk and four strikeouts, while CSF’s Thomas Eshelman gave up one run on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five.

After being tabbed as a third-team All-American on Thursday morning, Sinclair showed why he deserved the national honor. The junior took a no hitter into the seventh, when Davis broke it up with a line-drive single to left field. Sinclair retired the first 14 batters he faced before he issued a two-out walk in the fifth. On the day, Sinclair retired the Titans in order five times.

Nebraska entered the day 31-1 on the year when outhitting their opponent, with the only loss coming in the second game of the season against Oregon State. NU’s record dropped to 31-2 after outhitting the Titans, 9-5. Eight of Nebraska’s starters notched a hit on the afternoon, including a pair of hits by freshman Ryan Bolt.

Nebraska was in position to scores the game’s first run in the bottom of the third when Austin Christensen led off with a single and Steven Reveles laid down a sacrifice bunt that put Christensen in scoring position for the top of NU’s lineup with one out. Eshelman didn’t let Christensen advance any farther though, as the sophomore righty got Boldt and Austin Darby each to pop out to end the third.

Sinclair was perfect through 4.2 innings, as he retired the first 14 Titan batters he faced. The Titans got their first base runner of the game when Tanner Pinkston worked a four-pitch walk. Sinclair went right back to work and got Austin Diemer to pop out for the final out of the CSF fifth.

Boldt nearly untied the scoreless game with one swing to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but the fly ball hit the wall in right-center field and the freshman had to settle for a leadoff triple, his fifth of the season. Two pitches later Darby delivered a RBI groundout to second base that put the Huskers ahead 1-0. With one down, Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly notched consecutive line-drive singles, but Eshelman kept the damage to one run with a strikeout and a fly out.

The Titans evened the game, 1-1, in the top of the seventh on an unearned run. Keegan Dale led off the frame with a ground ball to Christensen at first, but Christensen bobbled the ball and Dale reached on the error that would prove costly. Davis then broke up Sinclair’s no hitter with a single to left that put Dale in scoring position. Sinclair got a pop out for the first out of the inning, but David Olemdo-Barrera came through with a RBI single up the middle that tied the game 1-1. With the go-ahead run at second base with one out, Nebraska went to senior Zach Hirsch. The lefty calmed the waters and kept the game tied 1-1, as he got pinch-hitter Greg Velazquez to bounce into a 5-3 inning-ending double play.

Nebraska was in business in the bottom of the seventh after Reveles executed a hit-and-run and put runners on the corners with one down. Boldt then worked a four-pitch walk that loaded the bases for NU’s 2-3-4 hitters. CSF reliever Koby Gauna was able to escape the jam by getting Darby to pop up and Pritchard to fly out.

The Titans then loaded the bases in the top of the eight with two outs and Nebraska’s pitching staff was unable to what CSF’s bullpen. After Hirsch gave up a full-count walk to Dale that loaded the bases, NU brought in Josh Roeder to face Davis, a right-handed batter. The CSF right fielder blew the game open for the Titans when he blasted a 1-1 offering from Roeder for a grand slam to left field.

The Huskers got one hit over their final two at-bats, and were unable to put together a late rally like they have done so many times this year.

The Huskers fall to the loser’s bracket and will play tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. (CT) against the loser of tonight’s game between Oklahoma State and Binghamton. TV coverage fortomorrow is yet to be announced.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File