Wednesday was already going to be a bullpen day for the Tampa Bay Rays
Trent Brown Jersey Patriots , and Tuesday’s 16-inning, 9-6 victory over the Miami Marlins only adds to that, with one or two Rays relievers expected to be
added to help provide fresh arms.
The five-hour, 31-minute marathon further taxed the bullpen for Tampa Bay (43-42), with Matt Andriese expected to start Wednesday in Miami after the teams
played extra-inning games in the first two contests of the three-game
series.
The Rays, continuing their strategy of using relievers as starters, scrapped a scheduled start by Ryne Stanek for the second day in a row, opting to use him
in extra innings Monday and Tuesday instead of opening the following day.
Stanek was originally scheduled to start Tuesday, but came in for the 10th inning Monday night. He walked the first batter and then gave up two hits,
taking the loss without recording an out to briefly give himself an infinite ERA
for his career against the Marlins.
He was then slated to start Wednesday, but came in and pitched the 12th inning Tuesday night, striking out the side to push the game to the 13th inning.
He added another scoreless frame
Ravens Lamar Jackson Jersey , but that took him out of his scheduled role Wednesday, putting more work on an overused bullpen. Nine pitchers were used in
Tuesday’s win, requiring at least one roster move just to supply enough live
arms to get through Wednesday’s series finale.
Miami used eight pitchers Tuesday, so the Marlins may need to add a reliever for short-term relief as well, under much the same circumstances.
Andriese (1-3, 3.86 ERA) will start two days after he pitched two innings Monday against the Marlins, limiting them to one hit and no runs. That outing
came after two straight appearances where he gave up three runs each, raising
his season ERA from 3.27 to 4.02.
Andriese will make his fourth start of the season Wednesday, and has handled the Marlins well in his career, with a 1-0 record and 1.69 ERA career
appearances against them, including a seven-inning scoreless gem last
season.
Miami will start Jose Urena (2-9, 4.40)
Connor Williams Youth Jersey , who is slowly bouncing back from a rough first two months of the season. Urena did not get any wins in his first 12
starts, but is 2-2 since and is just now returning from a stint on the disabled
list with right shoulder impingement.
Urena had his best outing of the season two starts ago, going eight scoreless innings and holding Baltimore to three hits while getting the win June 15. He
wasn’t as fortunate five days later, lasting 5 2/3 innings and giving up five
runs and eight hits in a loss to the Giants.
Urena has never started against the Rays, but carries a 1.59 career ERA in six relief appearances, including five scoreless innings in 2015-16, against
Tampa Bay. He pitched well last season, winning 14 games and finishing with a
3.82 ERA.
After this series, the Rays move on to New York for a three-game series with the Mets, while the Marlins go to Washington for a four-game series against the
Nationals.
CHICAGO — As the NBA’s regular season draws to a close, both the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons approach their final game looking ahead to what’s
ahead. And in both cases, a fair amount of uncertainty exists.
The Bulls head into Wednesday’s season finale against the Pistons having lost 10 of their past 13 games — including three straight — hoping to still have a
shot at a prime lottery slot in this summer’s draft.
Detroit
Kyzir White Color Rush Jersey , meanwhile, faces another year without a playoff berth, which has left the future of coach Stan Van Gundy in
question.
Still, with one seemingly meaningless game remaining, both the Bulls and Pistons — regardless of the difficulties they have faced this season — won’t
concede anything.
Chicago (27-54) enters Wednesday’s game with the league’s seventh-worst record. The Bulls dropped a 114-105 decision to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and
finished the loss off with a collection of young talent that remains in the
evaluation phase as Chicago continues to rebuild around the core of rookie Lauri
Markkanen and guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine.
Still, despite this year’s struggles, coach Fred Hoiberg is quick to point out that he appreciates the effort he continues to get from his team despite the
fact by now the Bulls are merely aiming to improve their draft position the best
they can.
“I thought we really went out and competed at a high level,” Hoiberg told reporters after Monday’s loss, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “I thought we
had great effort for 48 minutes.
“We’re obviously putting a lot of guys in a lot of different positions that they have not been in during the course of the year, but I thought each and
every guy that stepped on the floor competed at a high level. That’s what it’s
all about right now.”
The Pistons are coming off a 108-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday when Detroit (38-43) relinquished an early 17-point loss. The Pistons played
without starters Blake Griffin (right ankle bruise), Reggie Bullock (sore left
knee) and Andre Drummond (sore Achilles tendon) and are likely to again be
short-handed Wednesday against the Bulls.
The changes that could be coming after a disappointing season could be arriving sooner rather than later.
Pistons owner Tom Gores told reporters Monday that he will meet with Van Gundy next week to discuss what needs to change following a campaign in which
the Pistons failed to make the playoffs for the third time in the past four
years.
Van Gundy has one year remaining on his five-year, $35 million deal.
“I’m just not sure what they are and he’s been working the whole season so I need to hear from Stan
Authentic Sampo Ranta Jersey ,” Gores told reporters, according to the Detroit Free Press. “I can tell you he’s an extremely dedicated man so I think
he’s been good for our franchise.”
Still, Van Gundy understands the reality of the situation and knows that the Pistons only winning 38 games after winning 14 of their first 16 games won’t go
unnoticed when it comes to the decision Gores has to make.
“It’s fine, I have no problem,” Van Gundy told reporters before Monday’s game, according to the Free Press. “Our record is what it is you’ve got to
accept that and the judgment that goes with that.”
“I have great confidence the team will be good, but you still got to own the 38 wins right now. You can’t run from that.”
.
