Guardado Save, A Family Gift For PCC Baseball

His father was a 2-time, MLB All-Star closer for the Minnesota Twins, but on Saturday it was son Jakob Guardado's turn to be closer for the Pasadena City College baseball team. Guardado completed a performance that certainly would make Eddie Guardado proud as his freshman son stranded the tying run on second base by striking out the last two batters in a 4-3 Lancers win at Mt. San Antonio College.

It was the first collegiate save for Jakob, a righthanded thrower unlike his lefty-hurling dad. PCC won the 3-game series over the Mounties, 2-1, and improved to 10-4 on the season. Since head coach Pat McGee took over the program before the 2015 season, the Lancers, who play off-campus at Brookside Park, are 11-10 over their South Coast Conference on-campus rival from Walnut. 

This victory and the team's 10-5 triumph at Jackie Robinson Field on Thursday made up for a lopsided 24-9 loss to Mt. SAC in the conference opener on Tuesday. Winners of six of its last seven games, PCC will play a 3-game series this week v. Los Angeles Harbor College (5-9, 2-1 in SCC play). 

In the series finale v. Mt. SAC, Pasadena trailed 2-1 before third baseman Marco Martinez doubled and Guardado, the designated hitter, drew a 2-out walk. First baseman Jake Trabbie followed with a 2-RBI double and a 3-2 Lancers lead. Tied 3-3 in the eighth, rightfielder Kenny Kim ripped a triple and Martinez, an All-American in his frosh season of 2019, followed with a sacrifice fly to center for what proved to be the game-winning RBI. 

Besides Guardado's pitching heroics, it was solid afternoon all-around for PCC pitching. Starter Coleman Mitchell allowed only four hits, two runs and no walks in five innings, then reliever Nicolas Day turned in three innings of 4-hit, 1-run ball and was credited with the mound victory. 

PCC started the game with back-to-back doubles hit by centerfielder Max Blessinger and shortstop Raider Tello for a 1-0 lead. 

Jakob's father, Eddie Guardado pitched 17 big-league seasons for Minnesota and three other clubs.