There’s a disturbing trend happening to the Gators: too many one-run games.
If you take a look at Florida’s last six games, it’s hard not to notice.
Though UF swept Missouri on the road, nothing came easy with scores of 4-3, 2-1 and 2-1. A similar pattern followed in a series loss to Tennessee over the weekend: a 6-7 loss, 2-3 loss and a 5-4 win.
In a game of inches, where milliseconds can dictate an outcome, Florida is leaving too many of its games to chance. It could be why the team has already matched last year’s mark of 11 regular-season losses in 23 fewer games.
Chew on the numbers if you think otherwise.
The Gators have played 18 one-run games, more than half of their 32 games to this point.
UF owns an 11-7 record in said games, which means seven of the team’s 11 losses have come by just a run.
Then consider this: Florida played in less one-run games in all of last season (17) and 2015 (16). The last time it had more than 18 of these close games in a season? 2014, when top-seeded UF was bounced from its own NCAA Regional by the College of Charleston and North Carolina.
All of this with 23 games left in the regular season — and, potentially, postseason play — has forced UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan to take notice.
“Let’s face it,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re 6-6 in the league, four of our six losses are by one run. We just don’t have a lot of margin for error. We’re going to have to do the little things right.”
The “little things” include executing hit-and-runs, smart base running, situational hitting and playing sound defense.
Because at this point in the season, O’Sullivan has an idea of who his team is.
The Gators aren’t gonna win by swinging for the fence or battering teams to death at the plate. They sit near the cellar in just about every offensive category in the SEC.
Where they excel, however, is in pitching and defense. UF leads the SEC in fielding percentage (.980) and ranks third in ERA (2.98).
One reason that might account for all the nail-biters this season is the inconsistent bullpen.
Relievers Andrew Baker, Kirby McMullen and Frank Rubio — who have combined for 28.2 innings of relief — have had their share of ups and downs. They each have ERAs north of 5.00.
A bright spot out of the ‘pen, however, has been sophomore Michael Byrne, a player O’Sullivan has called a “life saver.” He owns a 2.37 ERA and leads the team with five saves.
Yet there’s still no real closer like there was last year with Shaun Anderson. Freshman Tyler Dyson certainly has the stuff to become that, but he hasn’t gained O’Sullivan’s full trust quite yet.
Maybe it’s why O’Sullivan is giving the ball to him tonight against Florida State in Tallahassee, which will mark his first career start. UF’s head coach said he’ll use the game as an opportunity to get many of his pitchers some work.
“We haven’t used him in a while,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ll get [Dyson] out there, and we’ve got a bunch of guys that need to get out there and give us one inning apiece.”
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
UF infielder Christian Hicks throws to first on a ground ball during Florida's 3-2 loss in 10 innings to Tennessee on April 8, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
