May 12, 2006
Seattle, Wash. - Greg Reynolds pitched his first career complete game shutout to lift Stanford (25-21, 8-11 Pac-10) to a season-high-tying fourth straight victory with a 5-0 win over Washington (32-21, 9-10 Pac-10) in the opener of a Pac-10 series at Husky Ballpark on Friday. Reynolds struck out nine while scattering eight hits and walking just one batter to out pitch Washington's Tim Lincecum (11-3) in the highly anticipated matchup between two of the nation's top pitchers. The complete game effort was the third in a row for Reynolds, who won his fourth consecutive start and for the fifth time in his last six outings.
"It was exciting to pitch in this type of a game," said Reynolds, who tossed Stanford's first complete game shutout since Mark Romanzcuk blanked USC, 6-0, on February 25. "I was very happy with the way I pitched and the outcome for both myself and more importantly our team."
"This was billed as a great pitching duel," added Stanford head coach Mark Marques. "We are obviously very pleased with the way Greg Reynolds represented both himself and his team."
Stanford came up with four runs (three earned) on 10 hits and two walks during Lincecum's 7.0 innings and struck out just five times against the nation's strikeout leader.
Michael Taylor (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) had a pair of hits and two RBI for the Cardinal, while Jim Rapport (2-4, RBI) and Chris Minaker (2-5, 2B) each added a pair of hits. Randy Molina and Chris Lewis drove in the other two Stanford runs.
Four Washington players - Jake Rife (2-3), Matt Hague (2-4), Cory Rickard (2-4) and Curt Randall (2-4) - had two hits each.
The game was scoreless for the first three innings before Stanford got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Minaker led off with a double to left center, moved to third on a fly ball from Taylor and scored on a clutch single up the middle by Molina.
The Cardinal gave Reynolds some breathing room in the top of the fifth, scoring three more runs with a two-RBI single up the middle by Taylor the key blow. Rapoport started the rally with a leadoff single before Ryan Seawall singled to put Cardinal runners on first and second with no outs. Grant Escue failed to move the runners over on a sacrifice bunt attempt when Lincecum fielded his bunt and threw Rapoport out at third, but Minaker followed with a bloop single to right field to load the bases and set the stage for Taylor. The inning was extended on an error by Washington third baseman Matt Stevens before Lewis' sacrifice fly brought in Minaker with the final run of the frame.
Stanford added an insurance run in the top of the eighth when Jason Castro drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brian Juhl and scored on an RBI single up the middle from Rapoport.
Washington had several opportunities to score in the contest, putting at least one runner on base in seven of its nine trips to the plate. The Huskies had runners on first and second with no outs for three consecutive innings from the fifth to seventh frames but failed to score. Reynolds stranded runners at second and third in the fifth when he struck out Bradley Boyer to end the threat. In the sixth, he rolled up a double play after the first two runners had reached and then caught a high pop up on the mound to finish the inning. He allowed the first batter of the seventh to reach on his own fielding error and then gave up a single to Rickard before striking out back-to-back batters and retiring pinch-hitter Andy Lentz on a grounder to Lewis at second base.
Reynolds would not allow another hit after Rickard's seventh inning single, striking out five of the last 10 hitters he faced. He struck out three batters in the bottom of the ninth. Rickard actually reached on Juhl's two-out passed ball after striking out but Reynolds came right back and struck out Stevens to end the game.
Stanford and Washington continue the series Saturday (2 pm, PT) and Sunday (1 pm, PT). Washington is scheduled to pitch RHP Kyle Parker (3-1, 5.81) on Saturday, while Stanford has not announced a probable starter. Stanford has won five of its last seven Pac-10 games in the second half of the conference schedule after posting a 3-9 record in the first half of the league slate. Stanford got out of last place in the league standings with Friday's victory by moving percentage points ahead of Arizona.