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 JK Scott 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,” 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 http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/erik-swoope-jersey , 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, and then we’ll see what’s standing when we get through Thursday,” Showalter said.
David Johnson is back and, he says, better than ever.The Arizona Cardinals running back, an All-Pro in 2016, missed last season after dislocating his left wrist in the season opener. The wrist is healed and he is a full participant in the team’s weight and conditioning program that began this week.
”I’m very motivated Josh Doctson Jersey ,” he said Thursday. ”It’s not really about (showing) the people out there, it’s really about myself and coming back for the team, for my teammates, for the coaches. Everything being so new, it’s really about coming back and bouncing back and being able to play the sport.”
By new, Johnson means the coaching staff. Bruce Arians, who utilized Johnson almost as much as a receiver as a ball carrier, has retired. New coach Steve Wilks brought in Mike McCoy as offensive coordinator. McCoy has talked about designing an offense around the ability of the players.
And that would mean a lot of David Johnson.
Drafted in the third round out of Northern Iowa in 2015, Johnson’s multiple abilities as a runner and a receiver were on full display his second season under Arians’ wide-open system.
Johnson led the league in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns in 2016, setting an NFL record by topping 100 yards from scrimmage in each of his first 15 games. He probably would have made it 16 had he not injured a knee in the season finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound back rushed for 1,239 yards that season and caught 80 passes for 879 yards. The performance earned him All-Pro honors at the flex position.
Because it was his wrist that was hurt in the opener at Detroit, Johnson could still run and do other workouts designed for him by strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris Eddie Jackson Jersey , who was retained by the new staff. Johnson said he probably is in the best shape of his life.
”We seen David all of last year, seeing him work out, running the field. We thought he could play every Sunday,” teammate Patrick Peterson said. ”He’s always looking good. That guy’s a freak of nature. I know he can’t wait to get back on the field.”
Getting Johnson in the weight room is no problem. Getting him not to overdo it is a challenge.
”He’s a freak,” Morris said. ”I will never, ever take credit for anything David Johnson (does). I have to protect David from David to be honest with you, because he always wants to load the bar with more and more and more weight.”
Johnson said he does that sometimes just to see Morris’ reaction.
”I’ve always been a hard lifter in the weight room, ever since high school,” Johnson said. ”Buddy yesterday was telling me not to put so much on the squat rack, but sometimes I’m hard at listening to what he is saying. I know he has my best interest, but sometimes I feel like I need to put more weight on, and I like to get under his skin a little bit because it rattles him and he starts using these huge words that no one understands.”
Being hurt, Johnson said Cody Whitehair Jersey , was ”a blessing in disguise” because he’s been able to spend so much time with his young son. There was no father in the picture when Johnson was growing up.
”That I didn’t have a father figure in my life, it really pushed me to do everything I can for him,” he said, ”be at every milestone, be there for anything that’s going on in his life. I’ve seen the little things, like his teeth growing, him walking, crawling, his laughing, just being there for every little thing that happens in his life. `’
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