After Clemson meltdown, some members of USC’s bullpen could have shorter leash
South Carolina held off Clemson for an 8-5 victory in the middle contest of the three-game rivalry series Saturday afternoon, but in Mark Kingston’s eyes, that’s when Sunday’s series finale was lost.
USC relievers T.J. Shook and Daniel Lloyd each walked a batter on Saturday with the Gamecocks comfortably ahead, and the two combined to allow three runs in 3 1/3 innings of work as South Carolina’s five-run lead suddenly got dicey. Closer Brett Kerry was called upon to finish out the game in the ninth, and he did. Kerry walked a pair of batters but did not allow an earned run in 2/3 of an inning of work.
But the fact that he had to come into the game at all meant that he was only available to pitch two innings on Sunday. That proved costly as the Gamecocks blew a one-run lead, allowing four runs in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Clemson.
“Some of what happened (Saturday) affected the game (Sunday), because Brett Kerry had to come into the game (Saturday) with a five-run lead, it didn’t allow him to be able to go in the seventh inning (Sunday) to get us nine outs,” Kingston said. “So our team needs to understand that everything that happens affects things in the future.”
South Carolina walked 14 batters overall in the series and hit a pair as well. USC’s bullpen issued seven of those walks and wound up allowing eight earned runs in 10 innings.
Kingston indicated following Sunday’s loss that he is going to shorten the leash on South Carolina’s bullpen arms moving forward.
“Guys that are getting opportunities out of the bullpen, if they want to get a long leash, you’ve got to earn it. I told our guys if you’ve cost us something because you didn’t throw strikes, we’ll give you a mulligan. We’ll have your back,” Kingston said. “But after that you’ve gotta earn it. You’ve got to earn our trust. At the end of the day we lost today because we gave up four runs in the seventh inning when if we’d have done our job yesterday Brett Kerry’s in the game in the seventh inning.”
Kingston insisted that he trusts “all of” his bullpen arms, but he was also clearly frustrated.
“You recruit them and you emphasize it and you let them know that if you don’t, you’re going to have to pitch other guys,” Kingston said of how you get pitchers to throw strikes.
With Kerry unable to pitch more than two innings, Kingston called upon Graham Lawson, Daniel Lloyd and Cam Tringali to get the Gamecocks through the seventh inning with a lead on Sunday.
Lawson gave up an infield single and walked a batter before being replaced by Lloyd, who then allowed two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 inning, while Tringali allowed two hits and two earned runs while only recording one out.
“We’ve got a bunch of talented guys back there. ... We’ve just got to get back to work. It’s a long season ahead,” Tringali said. “Growing up wearing these colors and always cheering against (Clemson) and then having something like that happen, it stings.”
