MIAMI — The Arizona Diamondbacks are thrilled that left-hander Robbie Ray is coming off the disabled list to start Wednesday in the third contest of a four-game series against the Miami Marlins.
The teams have split the first two contests with Arizona winning 5-3 on Tuesday Youth Le'Veon Bell Jersey , due in large part to John Ryan Murphy’s three RBIs.
Meanwhile, Ray (2-0, 4.88 ERA) is off to a slow start compared to his breakout year of 2017, when he went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA, making the All-Star Game for the first time. He also finished seventh in the Cy Young voting.
On Wednesday, he will make his first start since April 29, when he was sidelined by a strained right oblique.
“I feel ready for this,” Ray told mlb.com. “I feel like I’m in really good shape. My arm feels good. My oblique is fine. I want to pitch and give us a chance to win.”
Ray, who averaged 30 starts in each of the past two years, will be making only his seventh appearance of 2018. He won his first two starts and then had four no-decisions and lasted just 1 1/3 innings on the night of his injury.
He has only two quality starts this year and was going to make a rehab appearance Monday night at Triple-A Las Vegas when the Diamondbacks coaches called him to tell him to come to South Florida instead.
Two rehab starts, Ray said, were enough.
“My first (rehab) start was rough,” he said. “After not pitching for eight weeks, there was some rust to knock off. But that second start, I felt good. All my pitches were working in all four quadrants, up, down Jalen Ramsey Jersey Black , in and out.”
Ray, who has averaged 93 mph this year on his fastball, made his major league debut in 2014 and has improved his strikeout rate per nine innings in every season (6.0, 8.4, 11.3, 12.1).
So far this season, Ray has improved in that stat again, striking out 14.6 batters per nine, which would lead all major league starters if he had enough innings to qualify.
Part of the strikeout formula for Ray, which began last year, is using his curve more, adding one more plus pitch to go with his fastball and slider.
On Wednesday, however, the Diamondbacks will be careful with Ray, not wanting to push him for too many innings in his first game off the DL.
“We’re just going to see how each inning goes,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We will make adjustments from there.”
Ray is 1-2 with a 3.06 ERA in three career starts versus Miami.
Meanwhile, the Marlins will counter with their own left-hander Evgenii Dadonov Jersey Kids , Wei-Yin Chen (2-4, 6.70 ERA), who has been a major disappointment for Miami ever since signing a five-year, $80 million contract prior to the 2016 season.
Chen, who has mediocre velocity with an average of 90.5 mph on his fastball, is 9-10 in his time with the Marlins.
The Marlins are 5-6 this year when Chen starts. Chen has managed only two quality starts this year.
Chen, who turns 33 next month, is averaging 6.5 strikeouts per nine, which is the worst mark of his career. His 4.5 walks are also on track to be a career worst.
In other news, the Marlins on Wednesday will get back manager Don Mattingly, who served a one-game league suspension Tuesday. Miami’s Dan Straily was also suspended, as the pitcher and his manager were faulted for their roles in a beanball war that broke out against the San Francisco Giants on June 19.
The Marlins are also expecting the return of catcher and All-Star candidate J.T. Realmuto, who missed the previous two starts after being hit with a foul ball while squatting behind the plate.
Realmuto, who is hitting .308 with 18 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and a .916 OPS http://www.officialhockeyrangersshop.com/authentic-adidas-marc-staal-jersey , was struck on his left wrist.
“He’s got a lot more range of motion now,” Mattingly told The Miami Herald. “The X-rays were negative, but we want to get the swelling and the soreness out of there.”
Mike Shildt wasn’t sure what to expect in his first day as interim manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.He certainly didn’t foresee the treatment he received in a wild post-game celebration that occurred following the Cardinals’ 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
”They got me in a laundry basket and they spin you around and then they go at you with a bunch of cold water to the point where I was hyperventilating,” Shildt said.
Veteran Dexter Fowler, who homered in the win, was happy to lead the joyful water attack.
”That guy knows his stuff, and you’re happy to put a smile on his face and get the (first) win for him,” Fowler said.
The frivolity came at a perfect time for the Cardinals, who broke a six-game home losing streak.
Rumors of discontent in the locker room, along with inconsistent play, spelled the end for manager Mike Matheny, who was fired after Saturday’s 8-2 loss after six-plus seasons. The Cardinals were 591-474 during Mathey’s tenure and made the playoffs in each of his first four years. But St. Louis failed to reach the postseason the last two years.
Matheny was a gold glove catcher for St. Louis from 2000-04 and used those leadership qualities as a manager.
Veteran catcher Yadier Molina said the firing of Matheny reflects on the entire team.
”When you see that happen, it’s because us, as players, we’re not doing our job,” Molina said. ”I hate to say it, but that’s what it is. The blame is on us.”
Matt Carpenter and Fowler homered to lead an opportunistic seven-hit attack Tommy Pham broke out of a 0-for-20 slump with a two-run Zdeno Chara Jersey , go-ahead single for the Cardinals, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cincinnati, which had won four of five, is 35-26 since beginning the season 8-27.
John Gant (3-3) picked up the win with four hitless innings of relief. He struck out four and walked two.
Carpenter began the game with a first-pitch homer, his fifth leadoff home run of the season and 20th of his career. He leads the team with 19 round-trippers.
Fowler added a solo shot in the second off Anthony DeSclafani (4-2) for a 2-0 lead.
Pham erased a 3-2 deficit with a two-run single that highlighted a four-run outburst in the fourth. It was Pham’s first hit since July 5. He entered the game in the second inning after starter Harrison Bader left with a knee injury.
Both Pham, who is hitting .243 and Fowler (.176), have struggled at times this season.
”Those are guys that have proven success in this league,” Shildt said. ”It’s definitely good for their confidence.”
Shildt said he was still in awe of his new situation after the contest.
”I’m still not believing it to some degree,” Shildt said. ”But it’s a real moment. (I) just got through managing a game for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Adam Duvall tied the game for the Reds with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the fourth. Jose Peraza then put his team in front with a single off the leg of starter Miles Mikolas.
DeSclafani allowed six earned run on five hits over 3 1-3 innings.
”I just wasn’t good,” DeSclafani said. ”I was terrible.”
Mikolas, who is headed to the All-Star Game, surrendered three runs on six hits over four innings in his shortest outing of the season.
Reds outfielder Jesse Winker extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with a third-inning single.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey allowed four earned runs in six innings of a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Friday. Bailey is 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA in six minor league appearances. He was put on the disabled list June 2 with right knee inflammation.
Cardinals: Bader suffered his knee injury while running out a hit to right field.
UP NEXT
Reds: Cincinnati begins the second half on Friday against Pittsburgh. Right-hander Tyler Mahle (7-7, 4.02) will get the start.
Cardinals: St. Louis travels to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs after the break.
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