Pitching woes plague Kansas

Thursday, April 5, 2007

MANHATTAN — For a Kansas team slated to play eight games over a nine-day span, Tuesday’s game was the last thing the Jayhawks needed.

In addition to the 10-6 loss, Kansas spent nearly four hours at Kansas State’s Tointon Stadium on Tuesday night, using four of its seven available pitchers to complete nine innings.

Entering Tuesday, coach Ritch Price had planned on using only junior starting pitcher Andres Esquibel and relieving him with junior Hiarali Garcia and sophomore closer Paul Smyth.

“That’s what we came into the game expecting to happen,” Price said. “We thought Esquibel would give us his normal five-to-six innings, then we’d use Hiarali for two and finish off with Smyth. That was our plan but we obviously didn’t make it out of the first inning.”

Esquibel set the tone for the Kansas pitching staff by failing to make it out of the first inning. In fact, he didn’t even record an out. He was charged with five earned runs for his efforts and his ERA ballooned from 4.93 to 6.10.

Esquibel seemed to take an eternity earning his infinite ERA, walking four of the six batters he faced. Junior right-hander Matt Lane managed to stop the bleeding. Forty-eight minutes after the first pitch, the first Wildcat batter was retired.

Junior Hiarali Garcia had the longest and most effective outing of any Jayhawk. He lasted 4 2/3 innings — more than doubling his previous season-long outing of two innings — and the only two runs he allowed came in his last inning of work when fatigue set in.

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It kind of came second nature because I’ve always been a starter at other levels. I just let the adrenaline and want to win take over.

-junior Hiarali Garcia

Garcia pitched effectively, striking out four while allowing only four hits and no walks. Despite being his first long outing, throwing 70 pitches, he welcomed the challenge.

“It kind of came second nature because I’ve always been a starter at other levels,” Garcia said. “I just let the adrenaline and want to win take over.”

As a result of tight scheduling, Kansas’ only off day between last Friday and this Saturday was on Monday, but Price isn’t worried about his staff.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Price said. “Obviously we didn’t use Smyth tonight and Esquibel and Hiarali will be able to bounce back on Friday without any problems at all.”

Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com.

— Edited by James Pinick

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