PHOENIX — By the time Arizona coach Jay Johnson finished talking to his team Sunday, dusk had turned into night.
It feels as if the sun is setting on the 2019 Wildcats, who lost their seventh game in a row in gut-wrenching fashion — a 17-16 walk-off to rival Arizona State in which they led early, rallied late but couldn’t shake the demons that have haunted them for weeks.
The game began at 1:05 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. It ended at 6:15. Johnson concluded his postgame sermon at 7:16. He had plenty more to say afterward.
“The game rewards high character and toughness, and we fell completely short on that,” Johnson said.
“All we had to do was get one game out of this thing. The game to get was today. Just really disappointing.”
As Johnson noted, Arizona (13-14, 2-7 Pac-12) has lost seven games in a row — its longest losing streak since 2014.
In four of those games, the Wildcats had the lead or were tied in the eighth inning.
Two of those came against UCLA, the top-ranked team in the country.
One of the others happened Sunday against an ASU squad that has the nation’s best record at 25-1.
“It’s frustrating,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of gut checks going on. And trust me: There have already been a lot along the way.
“That’s as discouraging a loss as I can ever remember being a part of.”
Arizona scored more runs than any previous ASU opponent this season — and still couldn’t find a way to win.
It was the second time the Wildcats pulled off that feat in eight days. Their 10 runs two Saturdays ago were the most UCLA has allowed this year.
The Bruins won that game, 12-10.
The culprits weren’t difficult to find. UA pitchers walked a season-high 15 batters (three intentional … but still).
Arizona fielders made four errors, including two in the decisive ninth inning. It was the sixth time this season the Wildcats have committed four or more errors in a game.
“We did not take care of the ball in the infield. It’s been a problem,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to look hard at it and address (it).
“Honestly, the one thing coming into the season that I felt the best about was how were going to defend and throw the ball from third base, shortstop and second base. Regardless of who’s been playing where, it hasn’t materialized. It’s put a big burden on an underperforming pitching staff.”
Arizona used seven pitchers Sunday. The only one who didn’t walk a batter was the last one, Vince Vannelle, who faced one batter and induced a groundball that wasn’t cleanly fielded. (More on that in a bit.)
ASU, which recorded its first sweep over Arizona since 2009, scored at least two runs in each of the first six innings and failed to score only once, in the seventh.
After allowing 10 earned runs Sunday, the UA pitching staff saw its season ERA balloon to 5.87.
“There were 14 guys in the fall that were 90 miles an hour or better that threw their breaking ball for a strike,” Johnson said.
“If you would have told me that this is where we would be at as a staff, I would have said you were crazy. But it is where we are as a staff.”
The Wildcats’ defensive issues — which they seemed to have conquered with a pair of errorless outings to open the series — resurfaced at the most inopportune moments.
Arizona put up four runs in the top of the first, and the inning should have ended with the UA holding a 4-1 advantage. However, shortstop Jacob Blas couldn’t handle a two-out grounder to his left hit by Lyle Linn. Two runs scored on the play.
Johnson removed Blas from the game in the bottom of the second; the sophomore had injured his left knee during pregame warmups and couldn’t continue.
Freshman Dayton Dooney moved from first base to short. Dooney played shortstop in high school but primarily has been used at first and second at Arizona.
In the bottom of fifth, Dooney was in position to start an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. But Alika Williams’ grounder scooted past Dooney, allowing a run to score.
Arizona then failed to convert a 3-6-3 double play. Dooney’s return throw to first baseman Tony Bullard was slightly low. It was one Bullard probably should have handled.
A run scored on the play to make it 11-11. Lin then hit a two-run homer to left to give the Sun Devils their first lead of the afternoon.
Finally, the fateful ninth. With two outs and a runner on first, Spencer Torkelson hit a grounder to second baseman Cameron Cannon, who had shifted to the left side of the bag.
Cannon tried to force Drew Swift at second, but Swift, who was running on a 3-2 count, beat him to the spot. Cannon then fired the ball into the ASU dugout, pushing the runners to second and third.
Johnson intentionally walked Hunter Bishop and brought in Vannelle to face Williams, who hit a routine grounder to Dooney.
The freshman fumbled it, then threw wildly to first. Swift scored to end the game.
Those mistakes rendered moot a four-run rally in the eighth. It included a two-RBI double by Tate Soderstrom, who went 4 for 5 with a career-high five RBIs; and the go-ahead RBI single by Justin Wylie, who fouled off five pitches before grounding the ball through the left side.
“I’m proud of some individual development,” Johnson said. “But we’re not going to accept or stay in this deal that we’re in right now.”
Inside pitch
- Matthew Dyer matched Soderstrom with four hits. Cannon, Austin Wells and Nick Quintana each had two hits. Quintana hit his fourth home run of the season.
- ASU right fielder Carter Aldrete exited the game in the fourth inning. He appeared to be favoring his right leg in the previous frame.
- The Wildcats are off Monday and Tuesday before weightlifting and practicing sessions Wednesday. Arizona hosts Washington in a three-game series starting Friday.
