For San Diego State’s Addison Reed, the long and short of it is this: if he wants to be successful pitching longer, he’s going to have to pitch shorter to each batter.
Making the difficult transition from All-American closer to ace starter, Reed lasted only 4 2/3 innings in the Aztecs’ 2010 season opener Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Running up his pitch total by going deep into counts, Reed eventually succumbed to No. 22-ranked Oklahoma.
The Sooners touched Reed for four runs and five hits — including a solo homer by Big 12 Freshman of the Year Garrett Buechele — and went on to a 7-4 victory. The season-opening four-game series continues with a double-header on Saturday and finishes up Sunday, start-times for both days at 1 p.m.
Reed, of course, isn’t accustomed to starting until the game is about to be finished. He was brilliant a year ago, slamming the door shut in the ninth and leading the nation in saves with 20 while posting a microscopic 0.63 ERA. But with Stephen Strasburg having been snapped up with the No. 1-pick in the Major League baseball draft by the Washington Nationals, Aztecs Coach Tony Gwynn was looking for a new star.
So he turned to a star he already had.
“It took a little convincing because Addison has had so much success as a closer,” said Gwynn, beginning his eighth season as the Aztecs’ head man. “But we feel like it’s going to better for him, and better for us. He’s excited about it now, and we think he’s going to be very successful with it.”
Listen to the comments of Aztecs pitching coach Eric Valenzuela, discussing Addison Reed’s first start at SDSU in Friday night’s season opener against the Oklahoma Sooners:
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Reed Finishes What He Starts as SDSU Beats USD, 5-2
by Chris Ello on February 26, 2010
Maybe the most comfortable San Diego State pitcher Addison Reed felt on Thursday night was when he went out to the mound to start the ninth inning.
After all, closing games in the ninth was something Reed did more often and better than any other pitcher in college baseball last season.
Nevertheless, this was different. That’s because the Aztecs’ All-American junior right-hander, who was a perfect 20-for-2o in saves last season, has been converted into a starter. Apparently the switch doesn’t mean Reed still can’t close out games.
Even when he starts them.
Retiring the side in order in the ninth, striking out the final two hitters, Reed put the finishing touches on a complete-game four-hitter – in just his second college start – as SDSU finished off 19th-ranked USD, 5-2, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The victory in the first game of the annual four-game Black And Blue series between the crosstown rivals was the Aztecs’ eighth in their last 10 meetings with the Toreros. SDSU (2-4) and USD (3-3) continue their series this afternoon (2 p.m.) at Cunningham Stadium in Alcala Park.
After the jump, hear post-game comments from winning pitcher Addison Reed, who struck out 11 and walked only one, as well as SDSU right-fielder Josh Chasse, whose three-run homer was the big blow in the Aztecs’ 5-2 win over USD on Thursday night.
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