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msudogs
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Last week, in a stretch of seven games, the New York Yankees saw their rotation post a 16.62 ERA.
In the last four games, things have stabilized somewhat, and the Yankees hope to continue their improvements when they play host to the Boston Red Sox in a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Right-hander Domingo German (13-2, 4.08 ERA) is expected to pitch the first game and the other game will be handled by an opener that is expected to be right-hander Chad Green.
The Yankees head into their fifth of six doubleheaders with three wins in their last four games and a 4.22 ERA from their starters in the small sample size, sandwiched around the inability to acquire a starting pitcher at Wednesday's trade deadline.
On Friday, the Yankees opened the series with a 4-2 victory when James Paxton allowed a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez in the first inning and nothing else in his first win since June 21. Paxton's strong showing, and a grand slam by Gleyber Torres in the first, hiked New York's lead over Boston to 11 1/2 games in the AL East.
"We're just trying to rack up wins right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "There's still a couple of months to go in this thing and anytime you can rack up a win, obviously against a division opponent that is as capable as the Red Sox are you enjoy those a little more frankly."
Meanwhile, these are frustrating times for the Red Sox, who have scored 82 runs against the Yankees but only 17 in New York. The Red Sox are on their first losing streak of at least five games since dropping eight in a row from July 12-23, 2015, and went 2-for-27 Friday after Martinez homered.
Boston's deficit in the division is its largest of the season and three more losses this weekend would increase it to 14 1/2.
"You can't look at the big picture," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "You can't look at 10' (games behind New York) or 2' or 3' or other teams. You have to take care of your business, and from there you just go."
The frustration showed on the field as Eduardo Rodriguez slammed his glove on the dugout bench after being lifted in the seventh and Xander Bogaerts came close to slamming his bat after taking a close called third strike in the sixth.
German is facing the Red Sox for the second straight outing and fifth time in his career. He recorded his first career win over Boston Sunday night at Fenway Park when he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings and is 4-0 with a 4.67 ERA since returning from the injured list July 3.
Green has a 2.31 ERA in eight starts as the opener.
Chris Sale (5-10, 4.26) is 4-3 with a 4.97 ERA in his last 10 starts and starts Game 1 for Boston. Sale was unable to win a third straight start Sunday when he allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings against New York.
Sale is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA against the Yankees this season and 6-7 with a 2.46 ERA in 20 career appearances (17 starts) against New York.
Brian Johnson (1-1, 6.43) is expected to make his third start of the season and eighth appearance for the Red Sox in the nightcap. Johnson has been on the injured list since June 29 due to a non-baseball related medical matter.
Johnson is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in five career appearances (two starts) against the Yankees.
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08-03-19 05:48 PM |
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msudogs
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Registered: Nov 2005
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Chicago Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels is healthy again after missing five weeks because of a strained left oblique, and he's set to start against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday.
Hamels (6-3, 2.98 ERA) has been sidelined since walking off the field after throwing one warmup pitch before the second inning at the Cincinnati Reds on June 28. He will try to lead Chicago to its second straight win over Milwaukee after the Cubs posted a 6-2 victory in Friday's series opener.
Hamels has faced the Brewers twice this season with good success. He gave up two runs and six hits on April 6 in Milwaukee and earned the win in the 14-8 victory.
He pitched even better against the Brewers on May 11 in Chicago, but did not receive the decision. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, departing with the score tied 1-1 before the Cubs won 2-1 in 15 innings.
The win against Milwaukee in April was the first of three straight outings in which he did not allow a walk. It's a trend that's spread to the entire rotation lately, as the past four starters for Chicago have not issued a walk.
Nicholas Castellanos started his second straight game in right field for the Cubs after he was acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. He has collected a hit in each of his first two games with Chicago.
"We have to get back to that spray-ability that we had," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said before Friday's game. "We're going to hit our homers, of course we are, but I don't want to be so reliant upon that."
Brewers left-hander Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 3.48) had this start pushed back a couple days after exiting his last outing on July 26 against the Cubs with shoulder tightness.
Gonzalez also faced the Cubs on May 10 and threw 5 2/3 shutout innings , earning his first win of the season in the 7-0 victory in Chicago.
He has shut down a number of key players for the Cubs in his career.
Anthony Rizzo is 2-for-28 off Gonzalez, Jason Heyward is 8-for-41, Kris Bryant is 3-for-14, Javier Baez is 1-for-11, and Willson Contreras is 1-for-7.
Gonzalez is 4-3 in 12 career starts against the Cubs with a 2.81 ERA
Drew Pomeranz made his team debut for Milwaukee on Friday, and the left-hander pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts. Pomeranz was acquired from the San Francisco Giants on Thursday in exchange for one of Milwaukee's top prospects, middle infielder Mauricio Dubon.
Pomeranz made 17 starts for the Giants this season, but was 2-9 with a 6.10 ERA before moving to the bullpen against the Cubs on July 22. He has since made four more scoreless relief appearances, including his Milwaukee debut on Friday.
"As a reliever, you have to come in with your best stuff ready to go from the first pitch," he told Fox Sports Wisconsin. "As a reliever, you come in and throw everything you've got until you're done. My velocity has been up a little, just because you know you don't have to be in there five or six innings. You may have one hitter, you may have one inning, two innings. ... You just give it all until you're done."
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08-03-19 05:48 PM |
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msudogs
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Registered: Nov 2005
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Right-hander Marcus Stroman, his emotions firmly in tow, is set to make his debut with the New York Mets with a start against the host Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a weekend series Saturday.
The Mets traded for the 2019 All-Star on Sunday, ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline. He spent 5 1/2 seasons with Toronto, becoming known not only for his pitching but also for his outgoing personality.
That includes being animated on the mound when he strikes out opponents.
"My energy is extremely authentic, man," Stroman said. "I love playing the game of baseball. I love competing. When I'm between those lines, it's kind of a different savage, a different demon that is out there. I kind of go to a dark place to put myself where I need to be. I'm very passionate and I'm very emotional.
"But away from the field, I'm very relaxed and I'm kind of the opposite. So I'm excited. If my energy rubs off on some of the (Mets), that would be amazing."
Stroman said being traded to the Mets wasn't on his radar, but he was thrilled to find out that was his destination. He's a native of Long Island.
"Coming home is huge," he said. "So yeah, I'm excited to be a New York Met."
Stroman (6-11, 2.96 ERA) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh right-hander Chris Archer (3-8, 5.58) on Saturday.
In his final outing with Toronto, Stroman took the loss July 24 in a 4-0 game against Cleveland despite giving up just one run in seven innings for his 14th quality start.
That has made for a long layoff between starts.
"It's tough," said Stroman, who threw a bullpen session Wednesday. "But it'll be good. I'm not worried about it. I go out there and I compete at the highest level each and every time. I'll be able to manage. ... I'll be ready to go Saturday."
Stroman has faced Pittsburgh twice in his career, once as a starter, going 0-1 with a 1.04 ERA.
Archer, meanwhile, has struggled. He is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in nine starts since he won back-to-back games in late May and early June, and Pittsburgh has lost each of his past four starts.
On Sunday, Archer gave up six runs, five of them earned, in five innings in a loss against the Mets in New York. That was just his second game against the Mets. He also had a no-decision in 2015 while with Tampa Bay.
The Mets swept Pittsburgh last weekend at home, but the Pirates ended New York's seven-game winning streak with an 8-4 win Friday.
Shortstop Kevin Newman said the pressure is off the Pirates -- who have won just two of their past 12 - since the trade deadline.
"We know who we've got now," shortstop Kevin Newman told AT&T Sportsnet. "We're going to come out every night and compete."
As they were Friday, the Pirates on Saturday will be without manager Clint Hurdle, who will serve the second half of a two-game suspension related to a benches-clearing incident earlier in the week at Cincinnati.
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08-03-19 06:42 PM |
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msudogs
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Registered: Nov 2005
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When the Tampa Bay Rays play host to the Miami Marlins on Saturday in the opener of a two-game series, there will be virtually no buzz in the Sunshine State ... or anywhere else.
The Marlins are last in the majors in attendance, and the Rays are just one spot above them. The Marlins are also last in the National League in win-loss record.
Fortunately for the Rays, they are relevant on the field, ranking second in the American League East and factoring in strongly in the wild-card race. They won their fourth straight game on Thursday, beating the Boston Red Sox 9-4 to complete a road series sweep.
One angle for Saturday's game is the presence of Rays reliever Nick Anderson, who was acquired from the Marlins in a deadline trade on Wednesday. Anderson, who is 2-4 with a 3.83 ERA, has 71 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old has a 37.1 strikeout rate, which ranks in the top three-percent in the majors.
"His fastball plays big," Rays general manager Erik Neander said of Anderson, who made his Rays debut on Thursday with one scoreless inning and two strikeouts. "He keeps his walks (16) down, and he provides us with an elite level on strikeouts. He can make a big impact for us for years to come."
As for Saturday's starting pitchers, Miami will hand the ball to Elieser Hernandez (1-4, 4.93 ERA), while Tampa Bay will have Diego Castillo (1-6, 3.73) serve as an opener.
In Hernandez's most recent start -- a 5-1 Marlins win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday -- he was limited to 66 pitches. It was his first start since July 4 as the Marlins brought him in from out of the bullpen.
Hernandez, who allowed just one run in four innings against Arizona, should be able to go deeper into the game on Saturday, perhaps 75 to 80 pitches. He has never started against Tampa Bay, although he has pitched three scoreless innings in relief.
The Marlins, who beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 in 12 innings on Thursday, have shown fight this year despite their dismal record. The Marlins trailed the first-place Twins 4-1 entering the ninth before rallying for three runs. Then, in the 12th, Harold Ramirez homered for his second walk-off hit in a seven-game homestand.
However, the Marlins -- in their walk-up to the trade deadline -- subtracted four pitchers from their active roster, including Anderson but also closer Sergio Romo, starter Zac Gallen and swing man Trevor Richards, who also went to Tampa Bay.
In addition, the Marlins in the past week also have suffered a couple of injuries to a pair of hitters in their starting lineup: first baseman Garrett Cooper (hamstring) and shortstop Miguel Rojas (hip).
Cooper, who was used as a pinch hitter on Thursday, may be ready to start on Saturday. Rojas, who hurt his hip while running the bases on Thursday, is optimistic he can return on Saturday.
"My hip tightened up on me, but nothing to worry about," Rojas said. "Hopefully I will be back in the lineup for the Tampa series."
Castillo has opened just once in 42 appearances this year, but he did so 12 times in 2018. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four career appearances against the Marlins.
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08-03-19 06:42 PM |
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msudogs
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Registered: Nov 2005
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The Toronto Blue Jays will go for their sixth straight victory on Saturday when they take on the host Baltimore Orioles in the third game of their weekend series.
Toronto took the first two games of this series, the latest 5-2 on Friday night, with some help from two more homers. Freddy Galvis and Brandon Drury both hit solo shots, and the Blue Jays have seven homers in the first two games of this series.
The Blue Jays have capitalized on the Orioles' season-long struggles to keep the ball in the ballpark. Eleven of Toronto's 16 runs in the first two games have come via the home run.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also drove in a run on Friday and has 17 RBIs in his last six games. According to MLB.com, he's the youngest player to ever drive in that many runs over six games.
Derek Fisher, acquired this week from Houston, also pitched in Friday with his first hit and RBI since joining the Jays. His ninth-inning single expanded Toronto's lead to 5-2.
The Blue Jays still are having some injury issues, however.
Pitcher Ryan Borucki, who was placed on the injured list Thursday, retroactive to July 28, has elbow inflammation and a bone spur, and the team is going to talk with surgeon Dr. James Andrews.
"We are going to involve Dr. Andrews now to see where we are with (Borucki) and what's the plan long-term," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said to MLB.com during the week. "We are just gathering information to see where we are going to go, how he feels."
Randal Grichuk missed Friday's game after fouling a ball off his face Thursday. He was fortunate to suffer no major damage, as the team's website said Grichuk had just a cut lip and needed to have some teeth re-adjusted.
Injuries also were a problem Friday for the Orioles, who were left with a rather short bench.
Baltimore was down to basically one bench player due to problems with Hanser Alberto (shin) and Stevie Wilkerson (swollen knee), which both occurred in Thursday's loss because of foul balls while they were batting. Alberto flew out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Friday's loss.
Jose Rondon was the only fully player Baltimore had on the bench. Rondon was acquired from the White Sox a few days ago but did not play Friday night.
Situations likes these are why manager Brandon Hyde likes to have players who can do more than one thing on his roster.
"The more flexibility and versatility you have on your roster, the more it allows guys to rest. It gets guys more playing time, and you're able to put a major league lineup out there," Hyde told MASN before the game. "It's worked out well for us."
Chris Davis hit his 250th homer as an Oriole in Friday's loss, a two-run shot in the seventh.
Dylan Bundy (5-11, 5.24 ERA) will start Saturday for the Orioles against Thomas Pannone (2-4, 5.98 ERA).
Bundy is 4-3 with a 3.23 ERA against the Blue Jays in 12 career appearances, including eight starts. Pannone is 1-1 and has a 4.11 career ERA versus Baltimore in four games, including two starts.
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08-03-19 09:30 PM |
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msudogs
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The pregame hype Friday at Minute Maid Park focused mostly on right-hander Zack Greinke, who shared the dais with Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and three other newcomers to the Houston organization.
One of those trade-deadline additions was a familiar face: catcher Martin Maldonado, who slugged a home run in the Astros' 10-2 win Friday in the opener of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners.
Revered for his defensive chops, Maldonado joined the Astros last season via trade before departing in free agency. Houston re-acquired him Wednesday, and when starting catcher Robinson Chirinos was a late scratch due to injury, Maldonado made his second consecutive start behind the plate following more than a week of inactivity with the Chicago Cubs.
Before Maldonado started against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, Astros manager AJ Hinch mapped out a plan utilizing Chirinos and Maldonado. That Maldonado filled in so ably in a pinch and could do so for the remainder of the series with Seattle underscores his value to Houston.
"We targeted him because he knows our pitching staff," Hinch said. "He never caught (left-handed starter Wade) Miley, but all these relievers that came in that were with us last year he's got some history with.
That learning curve is really (vital). He's a catcher through and through, and when they get to produce ... the smile on his face is pretty big."
Right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-14, 6.07 ERA) will make his first start for the Astros on Saturday against the Mariners. Sanchez was acquired Wednesday as part of a four-player trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, coming to Houston along with right-hander Joe Biagini and minor league outfielder Cal Stevenson.
Sanchez is winless over his last 17 starts (0-13, 7.49) having allowed 39 walks over 81 2/3 innings while surrendering a .901 OPS to opposing batters. He is 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA over six appearances (three starts) against the Mariners, having last faced them on May 14, 2017, when he allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings in a 3-2 victory at Rogers Center.
Left-hander Marco Gonzales (12-8, 4.21) will get the start for the Mariners in the middle game of this three-game set. He is 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA over his last nine starts since June 7 after going 0-6 with a 7.79 ERA during a seven-start stretch.
Gonzales is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against the Astros, including an 0-1 record and 4.35 ERA in two starts this season.
The Mariners will be in need of a quality start from Gonzales after left-hander Yusei Kikuchi lasted only four innings in the series opener, surrendering six runs on nine hits.
Kikuchi has allowed 11 runs on 15 hits and three walks over two starts against Houston, and with the teams set to meet in two more series following this one, there is a likelihood that Kikuchi could face the Astros for a third time. At this juncture, all he can do is look ahead with optimism.
"They're a top-tier level team, and if I can learn from this and perform well against a team like this, that gives me confidence as well," Kikuchi said. "So I'm looking forward to the next time I face them."
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08-04-19 12:56 AM |
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msudogs
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Registered: Nov 2005
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Matthew Boyd can pitch the remainder of the season without wondering if he'll get traded.
Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila didn't receive an enticing offer for his left-handed ace, so Boyd can have a little piece of mind when he takes the mound at Texas on Saturday.
A pitcher entering his prime with high strikeout totals and three years of club control would have fetched a bonanza in past years. With most teams now unwilling to part with their top prospects, the Tigers didn't come close to trading Boyd.
"There's a range there, a value attached to a player and they stick to that," Avila told the Detroit News. "They don't bend. The market is more conservative these last few years."
The Tigers traded away right fielder Nicholas Castellanos and All-Star closer Shane Greene just prior to Wednesday afternoon's deadline. Boyd (6-8, 3.94 ERA) could now be a long-term piece in the Tigers' rebuild.
"This is something you take year to year," Avila told the News. "We love Boyd. He's one of those guys -- smart, works hard, this is the best year he's had, and we fully expect him to move forward with great success. Signing him long-term, it's not out of the question. It's a good possibility, for sure. It you are looking for a guy to stick around for the long haul, he's one of those guys."
Boyd could have certainly helped a contender. He's been sharp during his last two starts, limiting Philadelphia to two runs on five hits in six innings and Seattle to one run on three hits in six innings. He's averaging 10 strikeouts over his last six starts.
The Rangers consistently have roughed up Boyd. In seven career starts against Texas, he's 1-6 with a 6.28 ERA. Shortstop Elvin Andrus has six hits in 16 official at-bats against Boyd.
Right-hander Adrian Sampson (6-8, 5.32 ERA) is the Rangers' scheduled starter. He has taken a beating in his last three outings, allowing 16 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings. The long ball has been a major issue, as he's given up seven home runs in those outings and 24 in 108 1/3 innings this season.
Detroit will be facing Sampson for the first time.
The Rangers were eight games above .500 shortly after the All-Star break but have fallen out of the playoff picture by going 5-12 over the last 17 games.
Manager Chris Woodward feels that uncertainty prior to the trade deadline contributed to the fall.
"I'm excited about having some growth in the last two months and getting back to winning some baseball games," he told MLB.com. "We've got to get back to that winning mentality. Hopefully, getting this deadline out of the way puts that to rest, so we can get back to the baseball we were playing before."
Both teams had outfielders make major-league debuts in Friday's series opener, a 5-4 Texas victory. Scott Heineman had two hits in his Rangers' debut, while Travis Demeritte tripled, walked twice and scored a run for the Tigers. Demeritte was acquired from Atlanta in the Greene deal.
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08-04-19 12:56 AM |
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