Bullpen, timely homers propel ASU to 16th win in last 18 games
Isaiah Jackson took a couple of steps up the line, skipped, and softly tossed his bat. He broke into an easy home run trot, admiring the journey of his fourth bomb of the year, a majestic blast to dead center field that tied the game at 2-2 in the home half of the fifth. It had to feel good for Jackson, especially after early season struggles and an almost walk-off homer on Friday night.
This home run left no doubt, catalyzing a previously dormant ASU lineup that would come alive to take control on its way to a 6-2 series-clinching victory over visiting Washington State. ASU has now won each of its first four Pac-12 series and 16 of 18 games overall.
“Last night, I let the moment get too big a little bit,” Jackson explained. “Tonight, I stuck with my plan of hitting the ball right over shortstop. I got a heater there and took it to center. It felt good.”
Jackson struggled much more than most people anticipated to start the season. A bona fide five-tool prospect, he carried the weight of those expectations with him in the early days of his collegiate baseball career.
“I had an adjustment; something (Mike Goff) noticed a lot was my head moving a ton in my swing,” Jackson said. “I was working on staying in my legs, and now I’m seeing the ball a lot better, putting a lot more barrels on the ball.”
The game-tying homer swung the momentum from the Washington State dugout where it had been for much of the ballgame prior to that point. The Cougars threatened to score on several occasions in the early innings before finally pushing two across off of starter Ross Dunn in the top of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Washington State threatened to take the lead right back after Jackson’s homer knotted things up. A leadoff single was followed by a walk issued by reliever Matt Tieding. Tieding, who started Tuesday’s game, was lifted with two outs in favor of Blake Pivaroff. The right-hander Pivaroff needed just two pitches to escape the jam with the tying run 90 feet away. He retired former Sun Devil Cam Magee on a bouncing ball to second base.
This type of bullpen flexibility is a luxury that Willie Bloomquist couldn’t enjoy in 2022. All too often during his first season at the helm, the ASU skipper had to ride out an outing where a reliever didn’t have his best stuff. He had to plan for the rest of a series, sometimes at the expense of the current moment. He’s much quicker to the top step in 2023, and Arizona State is better for it.
“I do,” Bloomquist agreed when asked if he thinks he has a better grasp on how to handle a bullpen in his second season as head coach. “Those guys have stepped up and done a great job which gives me that comfort. When those guys come in, they compete with really good stuff, and they pound the zone; when they do that, we are tough to beat.
That comfort Bloomquist referenced largely concerns a solidified path to the ninth inning. More often than not, in a close game, it involves Blake Pivaroff and Owen Stevenson. Tonight Pivaroff finished the sixth and tossed a scoreless seventh before Stevenson posted two nearly flawless frames to slam the door in the eighth and ninth.
“I’ve been a starter most of my life,” Stevenson said. “But being at the back end has been fun. I’ve had an uptick in velocity over the last year, so out of the bullpen, I’m able to just let it eat a little bit.” Dunn and Jackson agreed immediately, saying they both enjoy peaking at the stadium radar gun after each Stevenson fastball.
Bloomquist won’t name Stevenson as his closer because he still has value in long relief and could start here and there, but he took time to acknowledge the unique value a versatile arm like Stevenson’s provides.
“He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. He understands the importance he brings to our team, and he has been outstanding,” Bloomquist praised the transfer right-hander. “Having guys to count on late like him, Piv, Wainscott, and Brock is very nice.”
Ryan Campos has been in a massive slump since *checks notes* Yesterday. After going hitless in the Thursday series opener (he still walked) and flying out and grounding out in his first two appearances on Friday, he returned to form in his third at-bat. He turned on the first pitch he saw in the sixth, cranking a go-ahead solo bomb to put ASU in the lead for good.
His impact wasn’t just felt at the dish; it was felt behind it. For the second consecutive night, Campos turned in a dazzling defensive play. With a runner on third and two outs, he blocked a Ross Dunn breaking ball off his chest protector. The ball didn’t trickle too far, but it was far enough for an overzealous Cougar baserunner to make the mad dash for home. Campos retrieved the ball and, without Dunn having time to cover, took it himself. He dove back to the plate and met the runner in plenty of time for the out.
“It’s always defense first,” Campos said when asked about how he values that aspect of his game. “These guys work their tail off, so I have to work hard for them back there. Defense is going to win a lot more games for us than offense.”
ASU clung to the 3-2 advantage Campos provided until the bottom of the eighth. A fierce two-out rally afforded them three insurance runs in that frame, sparing them and their fans a stressful ninth. Stevenson shut the door, and the very familiar handshake line ensued at midfield. Arizona State will play for the sweep tomorrow afternoon, first pitch at 12:30.
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