The Bruins have played well over the past week because of how great their pitching staff has been. Despite a shaky offense, the starters and relievers have stepped up and are leading the way for the blue and gold after an early season funk.
The #25 UCLA Bruins (12-7, 3-0) are on a 5-game winning streak and their dominant pitching has been the main reason why they have been rolling. After giving up five runs in their victory over the cross-town rival USC Trojans, Bruins pitching has stifled the opposition, surrendering just four runs in their last four games. This included a shutout over UC Irvine and a three-game sweep against California, their first Pac-12 opponent of the season.
UCLA’s entire pitching staff has been tremendous this season. They have a team ERA of 2.45 with a .188 opposing batting average according to the team site. The rotation is led by junior Grant Watson, a 6-foot left hander from Bakersfield.
Watson has a 3-1 record with a team-low 1.91 ERA and 23 strikeouts which is second-best on the team. Opponents are hitting just .183 against him this season. Watson recently won Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors after his outstanding performance against the Golden Bears this past weekend. In eight innings of work, he allowed just one run on two hits while striking out four. During one stretch of the game, he had retired 16 consecutive batters.
Watson has posted a superb 0.82 ERA in his last three starts and improved to 21-5 in his career at UCLA. This is also the second Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award he has received as a Bruin.
Cody Poteet is another starting pitcher who has had a terrific start to the season. The sophomore right hander has a 2-1 record with a 2.15 ERA through his first five starts. He has also struck out 23 batters while allowing five walks and a .208 batting average to the opposition.
Like Watson, Poteet was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week this season. He received the award earlier this month when he pitched an absolute gem against Michigan on March 2. Poteet did not allow a run and surrendered just two hits while striking out 13 in a complete game shutout victory.
Sophomore righty James Kaprielian completes the 3-headed monster for the Bruins rotation. The Tustin native has been solid compiling a 3-2 record with a respectable 2.97 ERA and a team-leading 39 strikeouts. Kaprielian has also made life tough on his opponents who are hitting only .168 against him, which is a team-best among the starters.
He was strong in his last outing in the series opener against Cal last Friday night. Kaprielian allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in eight innings. He struck out five and walked none.
As great as the starters have been, the bullpen has contributed to the success of UCLA. Reliever David Berg has not only been a good closer for the Bruins but a workhorse as well.
The junior right hander has appeared in 16 of the team’s first 19 games to start the season, which is a team-high. He has a record of 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched and recorded five saves, with two of them coming against the Golden Bears.
Berg’s efficiency has shored up the back end of UCLA’s bullpen giving the team a reliable “go-to” reliever who can shut the door on opponents in close games.
With the offense struggling to manufacture runs at times, the Bruins pitching staff has remained very consistent and has given the team an opportunity to win each game. If the defending national champions are going to have a shot at repeating in 2014, they will need that trend to continue.
After a bumpy start, UCLA appears to be finding their rhythm and are slowly starting to look like the squad that won it all a year ago. They understand the season is long and both the offense and pitching will struggle at times. However, the Bruins must acknowledge they are the hunted now and if they are going to get back to the College World Series, their desire and execution must reach another level.
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