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in General Discussion Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:31 pm
by sakura698 • 46 Posts

SEATTLE - David Price was nearly untouchable, giving up just a run, and he still walked off the field in the eighth inning in line for the loss. Discount Jerseys Online . Then came the ninth inning, and everything changed for the Tampa Bay Rays. David DeJesus homered and Matt Joyce hit a go-ahead RBI single as the Rays rallied in the ninth inning against Seattle closer Fernando Rodney to beat the Mariners 2-1 on Tuesday night. "We needed a win, period," Price said. "Whether it was a blowout or a game like that." Tampa Bay had been reeling, coming in having lost five of six. Price (4-3) was also trying to turn things around, having lost his last two decisions. Before the game he watched highlights from his 2012 Cy Young-winning season and he changed up his uniform for the game, going with high socks for the first time since he played for Triple-A Durham in 2009. "Figured I needed to switch it up a little bit, and I guess it worked," Price said. Price kept the Mariners off balance most of the night, allowing one run and six hits in his second complete game this season. Eight of his 12 strikeouts came on called third strikes. "David dominated it. Really, we dont win it without him pitching tonight," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "His focus was outstanding. The way he handled every moment — when there was a little trouble, he didnt lose his tempo or his rhythm. "He just stayed there and made pitches when he needed to." As good as Price was on the mound, Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma had been better, throwing eight scoreless innings. But Rodney didnt hold up his end of the pitchers duel. Rodney (1-2) had a 2-2 count on DeJesus when the designated hitter sent a fly ball down the right-field line, and all right fielder Stefen Romero could do was watch as the ball cleared the wall with a couple of rows to spare. "I looked at the outfielder, he got to the wall, and I was like, Oh gosh, Ive got a shot," DeJesus said. With two outs, James Loney golfed a single up the middle and was replaced by pinch-runner Sean Rodriguez. Desmond Jennings hard grounder to short hopped past Brad Miller, and then Joyces fly to right-centre dropped in front of a diving James Jones to score Rodriguez. "Its been a tough start for us, and hopefully this is something that will get us going," Joyce said. "This is definitely something we needed." The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jones led off with a double down the left-field line and later scored on Robinson Canos groundout to first. Iwakuma, making his third start after opening the season on the disabled list with a finger injury, gave up a double to DeJesus in the first, then retired 13 in a row before the Rays picked up a pair of singles in the fifth. Tampa Bays only other hit off Iwakuma was Joyces single to lead off the eighth, but Iwakuma finished off that inning — and his night — with a called strikeout of Wil Myers with the runner stranded on first. It was the second straight eight-inning shutout outing for Iwakuma, who has now thrown 24 straight scoreless innings at home dating to last season. He didnt get the chance to try for his first career complete game, though, as Rodney came on and ended up with his second blown save. "Kuma was out of gas," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Ive got one of the best closers in the game. This guys going to save a lot of games for us, it just didnt go his way tonight." NOTES: Before the game, Maddon said he was encouraging his players to use old-school cologne for the game in an effort to shake the team out of its slump. "Aroma matters," he said. Maddon added that he hoped the smells would conjure up warm memories of the players fathers. "Im hoping for this really awful odour in the dugout with all these scents tonight. That would be outstanding." ... Maddon also used the more traditional method of mixing up the lineup. Myers (leadoff), DeJesus (No. 2) and 2B Ben Zobrist (No. 4) were in those spots for the first time this season. ... Rodney has allowed a baserunner in 10 of his 13 save opportunities. Discount Jerseys China .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center. Discount Jerseys League . Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wanted to stay in Chicago and the Blackhawks wanted to keep the high-scoring forwards in the only NHL uniform they have ever known. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/ .C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday.Its amazing how the outlook on the Blue Jays has changed, and how energized the fan base has become over the past 48 hours. And its all due to the performances of two rookie right handers. Aaron Sanchez delivered two electrifying perfect innings of relief in the Jays 6-4 win over Boston in his Major League debut on Wednesday night. Then his good buddy Marcus Stroman followed that up with six no-hit innings against the Bosox Thursday afternoon and went seven innings of one-hit ball overall in Torontos 8-0 victory that gave them the series three out of four. Suddenly the Jays look like a threat in the AL East again as they head out on a crucial 10-game, three-city road swing through New York, Boston, and Houston. Reflecting back on Sanchezs performance, I decided to look back at the first Major League appearances of four of Torontos top homegrown starting pitchers and a closer who started elsewhere, but blossomed into a star with the Blue Jays. Lefty Jimmy Key debuted with the Jays on April 6, 1984 at Anaheim. He was like Sanchez, broken in as a reliever with a starting role as the near term goal. That day in Anaheim starter Doyle Alexander lasted only four and a third innings. One reliever later Key entered the game with an 8-5 lead. He proceeded to pitch three and a third near flawless innings and the Jays went on to win 11-5. Key was awarded his first major league victory because the scorer ruled him to have been the most effective Jays pitcher on the day, which he certainly was. The following year, Key made it into the starting rotation and went on to have a stellar career with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Orioles. Its a shame he couldnt have been a Blue Jays lifer. He was 22 years and 350 days old when he made his first appearance for the Blue Jays. Chris Carpenter was even younger when he first took to the mound for the Jays on May 12, 1997 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. He was just 22 years and 15 days old when he faced the Minnesota Twins. Carpenter started and got rocked. He only lasted three innings, giving up eight hits and seven runs, five of those earned. He also walked three and struck out five. The Twins pounded out 20 hits on that day and hammered the Jays 12-2. Ironically, former Jays catcher Greg Myers was behind the plate for the Twins, and went 4 for 5 with two runs batted in. Carpenter wasnt fazed by that humbling beginning. He was a solid contributor to the Jays rotation until he left for St. Louis as a free agent. There, he developed into a star and won a couple of World Series titles. Dave Stieb was the Blue Jays first star pitcher. His first start, like that of Carpenter, was nothing to write home about. The converted outfielder took to the mound as a Blue Jay for the first time on June 29, 1979. He was only 21 years and 342 days old when he faced Baltimore at old Memorial Stadium. His catcher that day was Bob Davis. Stieb pitched pretty well through five innings, gave up just three runs and was locked in a fairly tight pitchers duel with Os lefty Scott McGregor. But it all came undone for Stieb in the bottom of the 6th, when third baseman Doug DeCinces touched him for a two-run homer and the "Big Bopper" Lee May followed with a solo shot. Stieb was done after six and the Orioles won the game 6-1 in a tidy one hour and 56 minutes. Stieb went on to finish 8-8 that season with 4. Discount Jerseys USA. 31 ERA. He pitched 129.1 innings, striking out 52 and walking 48 on a bad Blue Jays team. That was only the beginning though for "Sir David" as the late great Jim Hunt dubbed him. He went on to become arguably the best homegrown pitcher in Blue Jays history alongside Roy Halladay. "Doc" Halladay, who retired as a Blue Jay back in the spring, debuted on September 20, 1998 at Tropicana Field against Tampa Bay. I was in the ballpark that night, but honestly remember very little about it, or the significance of it being Halladays first game. The Jays were on the third leg of an 11-game, four-city trip that would see them go 4-7 and fall out of contention in the AL East. Halladay may have even been given the start, because the team was out of it. Roy was 21 years and 129 days old, the youngest of the four starters Ive mentioned. He went five innings and allowed eight hits, three runs - two earned - walked two and struck out five. The Jays ultimately won 7-5 in 12 innings, their only victory in that series as I recall. The funny thing about that game is the reliever who picked up Halladay that night was none other than Dave Stieb, who made a one-year comeback in 1998 as a reliever and spot starter. It was his second-last Major League appearance. He went 2.2 innings, giving up one unearned run on two hits while walking two and striking out three. It was the only time the two greatest homegrown starting pitchers appeared in the same game for the Blue Jays. Most fans remember Halladays second start with crystal clear clarity. On September 27 at the then-SkyDome Halladay pitched a complete game one-hitter versus Detroit. Pinch hitter Bobby Higginson slammed a home run to left-centre with two out in the top of the ninth to ruin the no-hit bid. Halladay and the Jays hung on to win 2-1. Though he didnt come up through the Blue Jays organization, I still believe "the Terminator" Tom Henke had the most hyped and anticipated debut in Blue Jays history. He was the closer the Blue Jays needed to get over the top in 1985. His first four years in the Texas organization hadnt panned out and the Jays got him as compensation for losing veteran DH Cliff Johnson to the Rangers as a free agent. Henke started the year at Triple-A Syracuse and his legend grew with every save. He finally was called up when it became clear Bill Caudill wasnt the answer in short relief. Henkes first appearance came on July 29 at Baltimore. Henke took over from Jimmy Key to start the 9th in a 3-3 tie in front of a jam-packed house of 41,599. He mowed down the Os in the 9th, but walked a batter in the 10th. With two down Henke got Cal Ripken Jr. to fly out to Jesse Barfield, who was playing centre in one of the deepest parts of the park. After a sigh of relief, Henke joined the celebration as he picked up the win in his first Major League appearance. The Jays went 36-25 the rest of the way with Henke as the closer. They set a franchise record with 99 wins and made it to the post-season for the first time. Well find out over the next few years if Stroman and Sanchez will write their own glorious chapters in Blue Jays history. After what theyve shown this week I cant see either one being traded before next weeks July 31 non-waiver deadline. ' ' '

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