BALTIMORE — The Seattle Mariners found a remedy for their recent slide with the struggling Baltimore Orioles.
Seattle had lost six of seven before travelling to Camden Yards for a four-game series. The Mariners
Jimmy Howard Jersey , who are trying to keep pace with first-place Houston in the American League West, have already taken the opening two games in
Baltimore.
Mariners left-hander Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 3.26 ERA) will pitch the third game of the series Wednesday. He has been one of Seattle’s most consistent pitchers
this season.
LeBlanc is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four career appearances, including two starts, against Baltimore. He will be making his first start at Camden
Yards.
“You go where you think the opportunity is best, and if it’s not, you kind of audible out and see what else is out there,” said LeBlanc, who signed with
Seattle after being released by the Yankees in spring training.
The Mariners are also getting a boost from their bullpen.
As a result, manager Scott Servais might be sporting a new look in the not-too-distant future because of a bet he made with Edwin Diaz earlier this
season. Servais said he would get waves identical to the ones shaved into the
side of Diaz’s head if the closer managed at least 50 saves this season. Diaz
recorded his league-leading 29th save Tuesday night.
“I’m looking forward to the day; others in my family are more concerned
Patrice Bergeron Jersey ,” Servais said about the potential haircut Tuesday. “It’s part of the deal. It’s what you sign up for. It was all in
fun.”
However, designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who is batting .270 with 20 homers and 48 RBIs, was scratched from the lineup Tuesday with lower back tightness. He
snapped a string of 32 consecutive appearances. His status for Wednesday is
uncertain.
Meanwhile, Baltimore (23-55) is jockeying with Kansas City for the worst record in the majors.
Alex Cobb (2-9, 6.56 ERA) will try to get the Orioles back on track. Cobb had an encouraging outing against the Braves on Friday when he allowed just one run
over seven innings.
“You notice more when you do make mistakes over the middle of the plate,” said Cobb, who has gone seven innings in each of his last two starts. “They’re
not usually line-drive hits. They’re usually ground balls that if they don’t
find somebody, they’re just right out of reach. Getting ground balls on mistake
pitches really tells me that my delivery is in line and the ball’s coming out
the right way.”
Cobb is 2-4 with a 6.81 ERA in seven career starts against Seattle.
The Orioles got more bad news on the injury front when starter Dylan Bundy was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle. Bundy
suffered the injury running to third base Saturday in an interleague game
against Atlanta.
Showalter expects Bundy to return for a July 6 game in Minnesota. In a corresponding move, reliever Donnie Hart was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on
Tuesday to fill out the pitching staff.
Bundy is 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.208 WHIP in 16 starts (96 innings). Showalter has not decided which pitcher will make the start in Bundy’s place in
the series finale against Seattle.
“I want to make sure that we are able to physically keep people out of harm’s way and get through these games and compete in these games
Womens Brayden Point Jersey , and then we’ll see what’s standing when we get through Thursday,” Showalter said.
When Derrick Favors can find ways to impose his will, good things happen for the Utah Jazz.
Favors has been quietly, albeit effectively, getting it done against the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing in the shadows of Utah rookie of the year
candidate Donovan Mitchell and Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
But a healthy Favors is making an impact.
The Jazz have returned to Utah with the series tied 1-1, thanks in no small part to Favors. He tallied career playoff highs of 20 points and 16 rebounds in
Utah’s 102-95 road win on Wednesday.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder will start Favors at power forward alongside Gobert beginning with Game 3 on Saturday. But he will also utilize him as a backup
center to spell Gobert. Favors has done his part to make playing alongside
Gobert work by extending his shooting range to improve offensive spacing. He has
also made himself an effective roller.
”He’s always been a good pick-and-roll player, regardless of `position,”’ Snyder said. ”We’ve never really thought of him as one position or the other.
We’ve thought of him as a basketball player and tried to have him understand his
strengths and then play to his strengths.”
Indeed. In the first two playoff games against the Thunder, Favors is averaging 13.5 points on 52 percent shooting and 10.5 rebounds.
It is exactly the type of impact Favors envisioned making when fighting to reclaim his body from knee and back injuries that afflicted him for the better
part of two seasons.
”I’m back to being 100 percent
P.K Subban Jersey ,” Favors said. ”Back healthy. Back moving the way I know I can move and playing the way I know I can play. It’s a big advantage for
us.”
There’s no question having Favors at full strength has improved Utah’s ability to counter a Thunder team featuring the potent trio of Russell
Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. The veteran forward/center offers
versatility on both ends of the court honed through playing multiple positions
as circumstances dictate.
Crashing the boards definitely tops the list when checking off Favors’ strengths. He ranks second on the Jazz roster in rebounding behind Gobert with
7.2 rebounds per game.
When Favors is active on the glass, it can change the direction of a game for Utah. In Game 2 against Oklahoma City, he grabbed eight offensive rebounds
through the first 2 1/2 quarters. By contrast, the Thunder totaled six offensive
boards as a team in the same stretch.
”His length and his strength allow him to get his hands on balls,” Snyder said. ”He’s got such good hands that even when he keeps the ball alive, usually
something good happens.”
Favors’ willingness to go full throttle around the basket has turned him into a reliable complimentary player on offense. He rolls to the basket with
consistency and, more often than not, it pays off for him.
It has turned Favors into a legitimate offensive presence again. He averaged 9.5 points on 48.7 percent shooting while limited to 50 games a year ago. This
season, Favors is scoring 12.3 points per game while shooting 56.3 percent from
the floor.
”Other teams and other opponents
Womens Robin Lehner Jersey , they look and see I’m 6-foot-10 and think I’m a 5 man or whatever, so they try to take advantage of it,” Favors said. ”It just
feels good to be able to go out there and move the way that I know that I can
move and be able to play the way I know that I can play and teams can’t take
advantage of it.”
Favors is focused on staying aggressive as the series with the Thunder shifts to Utah. He is having fun playing basketball again and wants to make sure
Oklahoma City continues to feel his presence on both ends of the court.
His teammates certainly do and they understand what a difference it can potentially make as the Jazz battle to keep going in the postseason.
”He’s been like that all year,” Mitchell said, ”but he’s definitely turned it up with what he can do.”
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