May 9, 2005
Berkeley, Calif. - No. 21 Stanford (27-17, 8-7 Pac-10) fell by a score of 9-5 in the rubber game of a Pac-10 series at California (31-21, 11-10 Pac-10) on Monday at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears won the final two contests in the three-game series to snap a seven-series losing skid against the Cardinal that dated back to the last California series win over Stanford in 2001.
Allen Craig (4-5, 2 2B, SB) had four hits for the Golden Bears on Monday, while Chris Errecart (2-4, HR, 3 RBI) and Matt Einspahr (2-4, 3 RBI) drove in three runs each. Josh Satin (2-5, HR, 2 RBI) also homered and drove in a pair of runs, while Brennan Boesch (2-3, 2 2B) doubled twice.
Stanford's Adam Sorgi (3-5, 2B) continued his hot hitting for the Cardinal with his third consecutive multiple-hit game in the series, while Jed Lowrie blasted a three-run homer. Jim Rapoport (2-5, 2 RBI) had a pair of hits and also drove in two, while John Mayberry, Jr. (2-5) had two hits.
California relievers Matt Swanson (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 SO) and Travis Talbott (2.1 IP, 1 SO) turned in a terrific effort. Swanson (6-2) was credited with the win, coming into the game to get the final out of the second inning after Stanford had scored five unearned runs in the inning off starter Michael Cooper (1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0 ER). Talbott retired all seven batters he faced after entering the contest with two outs and a runner on second base in the top of the seventh.
Stanford starter Matt Leva (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on six hits with one strikeout in just 1.2 innings of work. Cardinal relievers Blake Holler (4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 SO), Greg Reynolds (0.2 IP, 1 BB) and Jeff Stimpson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) were able to keep the Cardinal within striking distance.
California jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a three-run homer by Errecart in the bottom of the first, Craig had doubled to lead off the inning and had Satin followed with a single to set the table for Errecart.
Stanford rallied back with five unearned runs after two were out in the top of the second to take a short-lived 5-3 lead. The rally started with two outs and nobody on base when Cooper hit Brendan Domaracki. The Golden Bears made two errors on the next play when Lewis grounded a ball that Einspahr failed to come up with at third. When Craig tried to pick up the rolling ball in left field, the ball also got by him and put Cardinal runners on second and third with two outs. Rapoport got the Cardinal on the scoreboard with a clutch two-out, two-RBI double before Sorgi singled and Lowrie capped the quick outburst with a three-run homer into a strong wind blowing in from right field.
California immediately regained the lead by adding three more runs in the bottom of the second, all after two were out. Van Winden singled to lead off the frame but Leva got the next two outs before Van Winden stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Cardinal catcher John Hester on the play. Craig followed with an RBI double and Satin gave the Golden Bears the lead for good with a two-run blast to left that chased Leva.
California added the first of three insurance runs in the third. Boesch was hit by a pitch to start the inning before Holder was credited with a single when his groundball to Cardinal first baseman John Mayberry, Jr. took a bad hop, giving the Golden Bears runners on first and second with no outs. The runners moved to second and third on a groundout by Garrett Bussiere. Holler got the second out of the inning by striking out Van Winden before surrendering an RBI single to Einspahr but the rally ended when Holder was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on the play on a beautiful throw from Cardinal rightfielder Michael Taylor.
The Golden Bears added two unearned runs in the fifth when Einspahr came through with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single. Boesch doubled to lead off the frame and Bussiere reached two batters later on a throwing error by Cardinal shortstop Chris Minaker. The Cardinal got the second out when Van Winden's groundball back to Holler turned into a fielders choice as the Cardinal retired Boesch in a rundown between home and third before Einspahr came through with a clutch hit in his second straight at bat.
Stanford's best chance to get back into the game came in the top of the sixth inning but Swanson induced Mayberry into a bases loaded groundout to end the threat. Stanford also had a pair of baserunners in fourth innings and Chris Minaker doubled with two outs in the seventh before Talbott came on to prevent a two-out rally by retiring pinch-hitter Ryan Seawell on a foul-out to Van Winden at first base.
Monday's loss kept the Cardinal in fifth-place in the Pac-10 race. Oregon State leads the conference with a 14-4 Pac-10 record, followed by Arizona (12-3, 0.5 GB), Arizona State (10-5, 2.5 GB), USC (9-6, 3.5 GB), Stanford (8-7, 4.5 GB), California (11-10, 4.5 GB), Washington (7-8, 5.5 GB), UCLA (1-14, 11.5 GB) and Washington State (0-15, 12.5 GB).
Stanford concludes its current season-long six-game swing away from Sunken Diamond with a non-conference contest at Santa Clara on Tuesday, May 10 (6 pm, PT) in the recently opened Stephen Schott Stadium. Neither team has announced a probable starter for the contest.
The Cardinal next returns home to Sunken Diamond for a three-game Pac-10 series against UCLA from Friday-Sunday, May 13-15 (6, 1, 1 pm, PT). The UCLA series begins a seven-game homestand that will conclude the Stanford's 2005 regular season home schedule. The Cardinal will also host Saint Mary's (Tuesday, May 17, 6 pm, PT) and Arizona (Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, 6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PT) on the homestand.
Stanford will host several promotions during its upcoming seven-game homestand, beginning with Youth Baseball Day and a post-game Poster-Autograph Session on Sunday, May 15. The club's final home series versus Arizona will have a promotional event each day, starting with the popular Town & Country Fireworks Show after the series-opener on Friday, May 20. The annual Team Appreciation BBQ will take place after Saturday's contest with Fan Appreciation/Senior Day slated for Sunday.
STANFORD NOTES
Stanford has now dropped two in a row after winning seven of its previous eight contests
Stanford had a seven-game series win streak against California snapped by dropping two-of-three to the Golden Bears
Stanford did manage to split the six-game season series between the team, running its streak of splitting or winning a series against California to 27 consecutive seasons since the Golden Bears took four-of-six in 1978
Stanford's team ERA sits at 3.88 after the Cardinal allowed seven earned runs on Monday as the Cardinal is attempting to record a team ERA under 4.00 for the fifth time in the last seven seasons
Stanford's fielding percentage, which led the nation at .979 heading when the most recent report was released on May 3, dropped a percentage point to .977 after two errors on Monday and is now tied with the school record posted by the 2001 club
Adam Sorgi extended his career-high hit streak to 11 games (April 17 - May 9) with his third consecutive multiple-hit contest (3-5, 2B) ... Sorgi's streak is the second longest by a Stanford player this season behind Jim Rapoport's 13-game run (March 26 - April 17)
John Hester (0-5) had his seven-game hit streak snapped one shy of his career-high
Stanford dropped back under .500 on the road this season after Monday's loss with a 9-10 mark away from Sunken Diamond