Tony Wolters had three RBIs for Colorado, which won its third straight.
Story hit 27 home runs before a broken thumb ended his rookie season, and he struggled for most of 2017 and the first two months of this season before turning things around. He is hitting .356 since June 1 and has a team-high 67 RBIs, which are third-most ever by an NL shortstop before the All-Star break.
”The experience of last year and early this year has helped me a lot,” the third-year shortstop said. ”I use my struggles to help me. If I’m not feeling too good there are a couple of things to go to that I can shorten those times.”
He struck out 320 times in his first 242 major league games and was well on that pace in late May but has fanned just 35 times in his last 37 games.
”We’ve seen a great progression from a year ago to now. We’ve all seen it, firsthand,” manager Bud Black said. ”We’ve seen it become All-Star caliber.”
Both teams used emergency starters but neither made it through five innings. Seattle’s Christian Bergman (0-1), a former Rockies pitcher, gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings and left during Colorado’s four-run fifth inning.
Colorado righty Jeff Hoffman was called up to start for Antonio Senzatela, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. He allowed three runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings and left after allowing an RBI single to Bergman that made it 4-3.
The Rockies took a 4-2 lead in the third on Story’s two-run homer, his 19th, and broke it open in the fifth. Gerardo Parra and Ian Desmond had back-to-back RBI singles and Wolters had a two-run single to make it 8-3.
”A couple of those pitches got a little too much of the plate William Nylander Jersey , a little elevated,” Bergman said. ”When you get a little up in the air like that, things like that happen.”
Story added a two-run double in the sixth to extend the lead to 10-3.
Harrison Musgrave (1-1) pitched three innings to get his first career win but ran into trouble in the seventh. He walked two and gave up an RBI single, and Denard Span had a two-run triple later in the inning as the Mariners cut the deficit to 10-7.
Wade Davis tossed a clean ninth for his 26th save.
Seattle has lost five of its last seven but still leads Oakland by 4 1/2 games for the second AL wild card. The A’s played a late game on Friday.
We’ve had a good first half. We’re sputtering here a little bit,” manager Scott Servais said. ”We’ve got to regroup.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: C Mike Zunio (bone bruise in left ankle) hit off the tee and worked in the cage but has not started running, Servais said.
Rockies: OF David Dahl (broken right foot) is progressing and could be sent out on a rehab assignment within the week.
CAUTIONARY MOVE
Seattle left-hander James Paxton was placed on the 10-day DL after leaving Thursday’s start with lower back inflammation. Paxton didn’t make the trip but the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Servais said.
”He wasn’t scheduled to pitch again for 10 days so it makes all the sense in the world to do that,” Servais said. ”I talked to Pax this morning. He felt OK this morning, he doesn’t think it’s going to be something that’s going to allow him to miss his next start. He should be in good shape.”
The Mariners made a series of moves Friday to bolster their bullpen. Right-hander Casey Lawrence was recalled from Triple-A and righty Mike Morin had his contract selected. In corresponding moves, infielder Gordon Beckham and reliever Nick Rumbelow were optioned to Tacoma.
UP NEXT
Seattle LHP Wade LeBlanc (5-0, 3.39) will face Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-7, 5.77). Gray Youth Matt Duchene Jersey , who was Colorado’s opening day starter, was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on June 30 after struggling but will be recalled for Saturday’s start.
Alex Ovechkin heard the chants loud and clear.
”We want 50! We want 50!”
He didn’t need that extra encouragement. Ovechkin scored twice to finish with an NHL-leading 49 goals and played almost the final two minutes of the Washington Capitals‘ 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night in each team’s regular-season finale trying to reach 50 for the eighth time in his career.
The Russian superstar will have to settle for his seventh Maurice ”Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer and hopes his recent run continues in the playoffs, where the Metropolitan Division-champion Capitals will open against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
”Effort was there, and you can see I’m ready for playoffs in pretty good shape,” Ovechkin said after a playing 6:04 of the final 8:10. ”Still have a pretty good chance at the end. It is what it is. Whatever. The most important thing ahead of us, and second season right now starts in a couple days.”
Washington won 12 of its final 15 games, and Ovechkin strengthened his Hart Trophy case with nine goals and six assists over that time. At 32, he’s the oldest player to lead the NHL in goals since Phil Esposito in 1974-75.
Ovechkin became the 13th player and first since Mike Gartner in 1990-91 to score exactly 49 goals in a season. His teammates did their best trying to get him to 50, and Ovechkin attempted 18 shots and got eight on net in pursuit of the milestone.
”We look for him a little bit more than usually, but I don’t know,” said center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who assisted on Ovechkin’s 48th goal to reach 56 for the season. ”I don’t think he’s sad about he didn’t get 50 Jamie Benn Jersey , but 49 is still a good number.”
Losing in regulation sends New Jersey to the Atlantic bracket in the Eastern Conference to face the division champion: either the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the Bruins if they beat Florida on Sunday night, and the Lightning if they don’t.
”We like our matchup against anybody,” Devils center Brian Boyle said. ”I think we match up well against anyone. We believe in what we got going on here. We earned the right to be in. It’s been a good season. The fun starts now.”
The Devils didn’t go all-out to try to move up in the standings, resting MVP front-runner Taylor Hall, first-line winger Kyle Palmieri, top-six center Travis Zajac, No. 1 defenseman Sami Vatanen and starting goaltender Keith Kinkaid with an eye toward the playoffs. Trade-deadline pickup Patrick Maroon had a goal and two assists, and rookie Nico Hischier and Miles Wood each scored for New Jersey.
”There’s a reason that you got here,” coach John Hynes said. ”You have to have a strong identity, which we do. You have to be able to play to that.”
The Capitals’ identity is coming into focus as they go into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season feeling good about their game. Nicklas Backstrom, Michal Kempny and Andre Burakovsky also scored against New Jersey, and Braden Holtby stopped 23 of the 26 shots in his final chance to show he deserves to be Washington’s Game 1 starting goaltender over Philipp Grubauer.
Holtby is 14-2-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in his career against Columbus Youth Chris Kunitz Jersey , which lost to Nashville in its final game while resting stars Artemi Panarin, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski and two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
”They’re a good young team and they have a great goaltender, but for me it doesn’t matter against who you play,” Kuznetsov said. ”It’s just like a fun time. You prepare all year for this moments.”
NOTES: The Capitals rested RW T.J. Oshie, who has been dealing with a lower-body injury. C Jay Beagle missed his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. … With the primary assist on Kempny’s goal, Capitals F Shane Gersich picked up his first NHL point in his third game. … Ovechkin, Capitals D Dmitry Orlov and John Carlson and Hischier played all 82 games this season.
UP NEXT
Devils: Open at the Bruins or Lightning in their first playoff appearance since 2012.
Capitals: Host the Blue Jackets to start the first round.
Thema drucken
30.09.2018 08:01
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