At last
Youth Hayden Hurst Jersey , a new face on the other side of the line.The Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions conducted the first of two joint practices Tuesday in preparation for their preseason opener Friday at the
Oakland Coliseum, allowing players on both teams to get a new perspective after
practicing against teammates for the past two weeks.
"It was nice to see some new coverages, some different stuff," Oakland quarterback Derek Carr said. "It was good for us. It'll be good film. A lot of
things happened today, good and bad things that we needed to have happen that we
haven't had happen in practice yet."
The practice was conducted in a controlled environment after Raiders coach Jon Gruden met with first-year Detroit coach Matt Patricia in the offseason. The
two friends mapped out the workouts well before the Lions arrived in Northern
California.
Patricia said the joint practices offer an opportunity for rookies and young players from both teams to make an impression.
"For a lot of the young guys that haven't stepped onto an NFL field with anyone except for their own teammates it certainly brings a different element
from the standpoint of competitiveness and an evaluation standpoint," Patricia
said. "Even the veteran guys, it's good to get out there and compete against
somebody else. You kind of get into that rhythm and that mentality of going
against the same guy every day."
Unlike in previous years when the Raiders have held combined practices with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, there were no fights and only a few
minor scuffles.
Oakland linebacker Tahir Whitehead was at the center of one after hitting a Lions player who was getting up after making a long catch near the end zone.
Whitehead, who played six seasons in Detroit, including the last four as a
starter, also exchanged good-natured ribbing with Lions running back Ameer
Abdullah during a goal line drill near the end of practice.
"It was fun getting a chance to catch up with the guys even though we're chirping and everything going back and forth," Whitehead said. "When I was there
we did the same exact thing. We were going back and forth. It's all competitive
and we're just trying to get each other better. This time I'm in the black and
silver and it's just a different feel."
The teams went through individual position drills on separate fields before coming together on both fields for team scrimmages.
Fans filled the east stands while members of the military and a handful of youth football teams sat on the west side, adding a livelier feel to
practice.
"The fans made it even better," Detroit running back Kerryon Johnson said. "Everybody's tired of hitting each other for however many weeks we've been going
against each other. It's a new face, a new venue. It made it fun and it made it
like a real game and we really enjoyed it."
Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford looked crisp while leading the Lions' first unit. At one point he completed a deep throw to Marvin Jones Jr. for a
touchdown after Jones raced past Raiders cornerback Antonio Hamilton.
Carr was equally sharp but threw his first interception of training camp when he was picked off by Detroit's Darius Slay.
"On a stupid scramble drill, too," Carr said. "I was bummed."
Notes: Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah made it through his second practice after coming off the physically unable to perform list earlier in the week.
"There's certainly some different things for him that we're going to have to
learn this year to be able to do," Patricia said. "Just getting him on the field
is one step closer." . Raiders running back Chris Warren provided the play of
the day when he leveled Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis and sent the former
first-round draft pick flying back.
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Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell and Wilson Ramos are hoping they both get selected to the American League All-Star team. Saturday afternoon’s performance at Citi
Field may have strengthened the batterymates’ chances.
Snell blanked the Mets over a career-high-tying 7 1/3 innings
Nico Hischier Jersey , Ramos drove in a pair of runs and the Rays downed New York 3-0 on Saturday.
”I’d be pumped,” Snell said about the possibility of playing in the Midsummer Classic. ”I’d be stoked.”
A late afternoon start under clear blue skies featured two young left-handers at the top of their game in recent weeks, both successfully dodging a slew of
baserunners early.
Ranked among the league leaders in several categories, the 25-year-old Snell was as advertised- keeping the Mets off the board despite allowing the leadoff
runner to reach in six out of eight frames including each of the first four.
Snell (12-4) struck out nine, scattering six hits and three walks while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.09.
”Blake has been tremendous for us. He’s been the workhorse.” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ”We’re talking about a potential All-Star candidate.”
The lanky lefty has yielded two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts and is 4-0 with an 0.63 ERA over his last four outings, two against the
Astros.
”He deserves to be in the All-Star Game because he’s had an awesome year,” Ramos said of the Rays starter. ”There’s nothing better than being with your
teammates in the All-Star Game.”
The feeling is mutual.
”He needs to go,” Snell said, rallying for his backstop. ”It would be even cooler if I did go and pitch to him. I think that would be special for the both
of us.”
After being held scoreless in 34 of their previous 36 innings, Tampa Bay finally broke through in the fifth. Matt Duffy lined a leadoff double down the
right-field line, the fourth two-bagger surrendered by Mets starter Steven Matz
to that point, advancing to third on a groundout.
Ramos followed with a sharp grounder to shortstop. A charging Amed Rosario booted the ball before recovering and throwing to first for the out. With Duffy
running on contact, Rosario likely would have cut down the run at home had he
fielded the ball cleanly. Instead, the Rays took a 1-0 lead.
”He just came in on it hard,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. ”He looked up just to see where the runner was and it hit off his heel.”
Matz (4-6) continued his recent surge, charged with one run on five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings- striking out five. The Long Island native has
allowed four earned runs across his last three starts, a span of 18 2/3
innings.
He escaped trouble early by getting Adeiny Hechavarria to fly out, ending a bases-loaded threat in the first. The Rays left seven men on in the first four
innings and were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position during that
stretch.
”I get in situations throughout the game where I can crumble
Giants Elite Jerseys ,” Matz said. ”But I think just realizing what I’ve got to do out there, and just the task at hand, has really helped.”
Tampa Bay was 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series, stranding a total of 18.
The Rays added some insurance in the eighth on a bloop single by former Met Carlos Gomez, scoring Daniel Robertson. Ramos singled home a run in the
ninth.
Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save in 13 chances.
Neither Snell nor Matz had faced the opposing team before.
Jose Bautista was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts after hitting a game-ending grand slam in the series opener Friday night.
LOOSE LUMBER
Both starting third basemen lost the grip on their bats an inning apart. Todd Frazier swung at a fastball in the bottom of the fourth, fouling it off and also
sending his bat deep into foul territory down the third base line. Duffy had a
similar experience in the fifth, letting go of his lumber and causing it to fly
towards the Rays’ on-deck circle.
CLOSE CALL
The Rays had a brief scare in the second when Snell’s pitching hand was grazed by a 92-mph sinker. The southpaw took his base and did not appear to be
in pain.
”I’m happy that it didn’t really hit me hard,” Snell said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Rookie infielder Willy Adames was scratched from the starting lineup. ”He’s just under the weather,” Cash said. ”He was battling a bug last night and
I think he woke up this morning a little bit worse.” … RHP Jake Faria (strained
left oblique) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with high-A Charlotte
Saturday night. … INF Christian Arroyo (strained left oblique) could play for
Charlotte on Monday but the club is not fully committed to that plan, according
to Cash.
Mets: LF Yoenis Cespedes (right hip) is continuing baseball activities including running straight sprints, although he has yet to begin turning the
bases to simulate a double. ”Trying to figure out that schedule as we go along,”
said Callaway about when his club’s top slugger might play in a rehab game. ”All
that’s going to be based on how he bounces back day-to-day.”
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-3, 3.92 ERA) pitches in the rubber game on Sunday. He has allowed just two runs over his last two starts, a span of twelve
innings in which he fanned 14 batters.
Mets: RHP Chris Flexen (0-1, 10.80 ERA in 3 relief appearances) will make his first start of the season.
