BALTIMORE — The Los Angeles Angels are hoping to cure their recent slide with a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles beginning Friday at Camden Yards.
Even though the Angels have lost six consecutive games http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-kelly-jersey , they still have time to get back in the wild-card race. However, they will need to gain some much-needed momentum in Baltimore.
“At some point, obviously we need to put both ends together and get the pitching we need, get some early runs and get the game on our terms and we’re going to start to do things the way we can,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Meanwhile, the Orioles are mired in last place and own the worst record in Major League Baseball. Baltimore has lost five straight, including its first-ever four-game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners.
“I don’t like losing any games. It eats at you,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “But you should be doing those things all the time, because things are always evolving, especially in our situation compared to some of the people we compete against in this division.”
The Orioles, looking at a possible rebuild, are open to trading several key players http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jordan-whitehead-jersey , including shortstop Manny Machado and closer Zach Britton, as they look toward the future. On Thursday, the team recalled rookie Chance Sisco, who is viewed as a long-term fixture as the starting catcher and will split time with Caleb Joseph.
“Chance went down (to Triple-A Norfolk) and did what we asked him to do and we got him back and we’ll play him and Caleb,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “It won’t necessarily be a strict platoon, but could be, depending on how it falls.
“We know we’re getting right, left, right against Anaheim. We know they only have two left-handed hitters. It’s more about today now, but we’re going to make use of all their skills and keep them all in the mix.
“And also, part of Chance’s development is two steps forward, one step back. We’ll keep trying to do what’s best for his long-term development and success.”
The Orioles have also struggled with injuries. Both right-handed reliever Darren O’Day (hamstring) and outfielder Craig Gentry (rib fracture) were placed on the 10-day disabled list earlier this week. The team’s most consistent starter Zach Davies Milwaukee Brewers Jersey , Dylan Budy (ankle), is also on the DL.
Baltimore looks to get off to a solid start against the Angels with rookie David Hess (2-4, 5.44 ERA) starting the opener. He has shown some upside but has lost his last three decisions.
In his last outing, Hess allowed five runs and seven hits in just four innings of a 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
“The results speak for themselves,” Hess said. “They’re definitely different, but I think just executing pitches, I think I haven’t done it as well the past few starts. I think just getting back to what was successful those first few outings. I think we’ll get back to work and make a good move for the next outing.”
Felix Pena (0-0, 5.40) will make his third start of the season for the Angels, filling in for injured Garrett Richards (hamstring). In his last outing, Pena allowed three runs and eight hits with strikeouts and one walk in five innings of a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. He is facing Baltimore for the first time in his young career.
Los Angeles will be without reliever Jake Jewell, who suffered an ankle injury while covering home plate after a wild pitch against the Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Freed from the weight of the world of being Stanley Cup favorites, the Washington Capitals are playing like a team eager to prove something.
Prove doubters wrong http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquez-valdes-scantling-jersey , prove their championship window hasn’t closed and, most notably, prove they can get over the playoff hump that has vexed them over the past decade. Led by top NHL goal scorer Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals go into their first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets having won 12 of their final 15 games and feeling confident about this spring despite a series of early playoff exits.
”I hope best hockey is going to be in the playoffs,” Ovechkin said Saturday night. ”I think the balance on our team right now is pretty good and pretty high. That’s very good thing to go into the playoffs because in playoffs you never know what’s going to happen. Maybe one shift can change the whole series. I think we’re ready for it.”
Few expected the Capitals to win the Metropolitan Division again after losing Justin Williams, Marcus Johansson, Nate Schmidt, Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and Daniel Winnik from last year’s team that won the Presidents’ Trophy for the second consecutive season. Coach Barry Trotz and players miss no opportunity to bring up all the preseason predictions about them being a playoff bubble team.
Of course, when they sat at 11-10-1 just before Thanksgiving, those lower
expectations
looked accurate. General manager Brian MacLellan insists he was
never worried – and his team’s 38-16-6 record the rest of the way was the fourth
best in the NHL in that time behind only Boston, Nashville and Winnipeg.
The Capitals don’t have the playoff buzz of the Bruins http://www.redskinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-da_ron-payne-jersey , Predators, Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning or the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, but they have as good a chance as anyone of reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in the Ovechkin era.
”We have a chance to go the distance,” MacLellan said. ”I don’t know that we’re as deep or as experienced as we were last year, but I think the whole league is a little less of that. There’s probably a couple teams that are a little deeper that might have a chance, theoretically, of going farther, but I think we’re in the mix with the high-end teams.”
Everyone thought the Capitals were the highest of high-end teams in 2016 and 2017, and they lost to the eventual Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round each time. Williams has implied that favorite status didn’t suit the Capitals well, and Trotz said ”the crown is quite heavy” for a team expected to win.
It showed.
”I think there was some external pressure that creeped in the room,” veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik said. ”I think maybe as a veteran group Josh Sweat Color Rush Jersey , we probably don’t want to admit that it affected us. I think at times it definitely did.”
Finishing in first place puts some pressure on the Capitals, but it’s nothing like in years past. More than anything, there’s urgency to win with Ovechkin 32 and having three years remaining on his contract.
”We all know what we’re playing for is to win a championship and I’m hoping we do it this year,” owner Ted Leonsis said. ”I’m hoping we do it within his contract time.”
Columbus is a tough first-round matchup for the Capitals, but their play down the stretch makes a long playoff run possible if they get strong goaltending from Braden Holtby or Philipp Grubauer. From the net out, Washington looks like a contender thanks to the trade-deadline additions of defensemen Michal Kempny and Jakub Jerabek and the play of centers Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom.
”We’re playing the right way a lot of the time,” Holtby said. ”It’s more where you’re at as a team and I think we’re continuing to build and push forward in the right direction. We have a lot of guys contributing right now. It’s a good sign.”
Washington’s road to the elusive Cup could go through Pittsburgh and then Boston, Tampa Bay or Toronto. Perhaps the expectations being on those teams instead of the Capitals isn’t such a bad thing.
”I think it’s a good thing because I think last two years we were on top of the league and we win Presidents’ Trophy,” Ovechkin said. ”Everybody thought we were going to be unstoppable in playoffs and we didn’t. … We’re going to do our thing and we’re going to have success.”
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