O.C., California- Staffeln » Viewed as a power pitcher

DENVER (AP) — http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-gio-gonzalez-jersey , Jon Gray always felt he needed to rely on strikeouts.He altered that thinking. This is Jon Gray: Version 2.0.Gray threw effectively into the seventh inning and Ian Desmond hit a two-run triple in the sixth, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.“Jon wasn’t as crisp as we’ve seen him, but yet he pitched into the seventh inning,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.All part of his change.He was sent to the minors earlier this season to hone his command and Gray returned a different pitcher. He doesn’t rely on his fastball as much as he placed more faith in his breaking pitches.“It’s more of a controlled aggression than being aggressive,” Gray explained. “I’m not trying to make it nasty and throw it under their bat. I’m trying to make a quality pitch that’s sharp, that’s in the strike zone, but keeping it out of the heart of the plate.”Gray (10-7) went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs before running out of steam and turning it over to the bullpen. He’s now 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA over seven starts since his recall from Triple-A Albuquerque.“I hit the reset button,” Gray said.After allowing a run in the first, Gray settled into a groove against a Padres team that was missing infielder Wil Myers after he was a late scratch. Myers sustained a cut on his nose when a grounder hit him in the face while he was fielding during batting practice.Padres manager Andy Green said after the game there was no concussion.“He definitely took a hard one off the face. I don’t know that he was ever pretty but he’s definitely not pretty right now,” Green said. “Probably down (Thursday) and hope we can get him back in rhythm in L.A.”Myers was scheduled to make his eighth start at third base as the Padres experimented with sliding the veteran first baseman across the infield. Instead, Cory Spangenberg moved to third and Jose Pirela played second.Rockies catcher Tony Wolters added an RBI triple and a run-scoring sacrifice fly for the rolling Rockies, who began the day 1 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Arizona.Jacob Nix (1-2) turned in a solid outing in his first career road start. He allowed three runs over five innings.“There’s still very much to like and a lot to look forward to,” Green said of his right-hander.The Rockies improved to 24-24 against teams with a losing record. In contrast, they’re 45-33 versus those at or above the .500 mark.“It shows you why you can’t sleep on anybody,” said Carlos Gonzalez Anthony Rendon Jersey , who had an RBI single in the first.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: INF Christian Villanueva has a fractured finger and will be placed on the disabled list, Green said.ROSTER MOVEThe New York Yankees acquired catcher Chris Rabago off waivers from the Rockies and optioned him to Double-A Trenton. The move freed up a spot on the 40-man roster for the Rockies, which could potentially be used to add Matt Holliday. The slugger is currently hitting .346 with Triple-A Albuquerque.GONE TO THE DOGSIt was a “ruff” night as a parade of pooches made their way around the field before the game as part of a promotion called “Bark at the Park.”“This is the tail end of the dog days” of summer, Black joked. “This is the back end of the dog days.”TROUBLESOME INNINGSpangenberg had an RBI double in the first, which has turned into a problematic inning for the Rockies. The starting pitchers have allowed 110 runs in the opening inning this season.START OF SOMETHINGThe Rockies have now won each of Gray’s last nine starts. It matches Ubaldo Jimenez’s stretch in 2010 for the team’s longest win streak during a pitcher’s starts in franchise history.THIS & THATGray was cruising along, retiring 12 straight, before SS Freddy Galvis lined a solo homer in the seventh. … Desmond scored two runs and stole a base.UP NEXTPadres LHP Joey Lucchesi (6-7, 3.79 ERA) makes his fourth career start against Colorado on Thursday. The Rockies counter with LHP Kyle Freeland (11-7, 2.96). He’s 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts at home. WASHINGTON (AP) The New York Mets have been searching for any reason to smile during a miserable season. This laugher wasn’t exactly what they had in mind.In the highest-scoring game in Nationals franchise history, Daniel Murphy hit two early home runs and Washington kept pouring it on against emergency reliever Jose Reyes and the Mets in a 25-4 rout Tuesday night.”Even to throw Jose Reyes out there and the guys hit them like they did, you don’t even see that in BP,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. ”Those guys were locked in, they came out tonight and they beat us up pretty bad.”The Nationals set the team scoring mark dating to their days when they started as the Montreal Expos in 1969. It was the Mets’ most-lopsided loss in their 57-season history, worse than a 26-7 pounding by Philadelphia in 1985.It got so out of hand, Mets television announcers Keith Hernandez http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-daniel-murphy-jersey , Ron Darling and Gary Cohen took turns reading verbatim from the team’s media guide in the late innings – the SNY network played the theme from ”Masterpiece Theatre” in the background.Reyes made the first pitching appearance of his career, and the 35-year-old infielder got tagged for home runs by Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds in a six-run eighth. Throwing a fastball in the mid-80s mph and a curve in the upper 40s, Reyes gave up five hits, walked two and threw 48 pitches.Reyes retired Ryan Zimmerman on a flyball to begin the inning. The Nationals went batty after that, and Zimmerman came up again with two outs.This time, Reyes floated in a pitch that hit Zimmerman in the leg. Zimmerman did a little shake in the batter’s box, then playfully faked a charge toward the mound, drawing a laugh from Reyes.”I didn’t want to make two outs against him. I’ve played against Jose for a long time. He’s one of my favorite players to play against,” Zimmerman said. ”He always has a smile on his face. That was pretty funny and surreal to hit against him after all that we’ve been through against each other.”Reyes said he had wanted to pitch in one game before he retires.”When you are on the mound before you throw a pitch, it’s fun,” he said. ”But when you start to see people hit a homer and stuff … I don’t want to see that.”Asked if he was available for Wednesday’s game, Reyes kidded: ”Not for pitch.”Reyes wore one of ace Jacob deGrom’s gloves on the hill. DeGrom was among many players on both sides chuckling at the spectacle.Trea Turner, who apologized before the game to his teammates for homophobic and racially insensitive tweets he sent several years ago, had four of Washington’s 26 hits. Pitcher Tanner Roark hit a three-run double during a seven-run first inning.Murphy drove in six runs, Anthony Rendon had four RBIs and Zimmerman also homered.Ahead 7-0 Adam Eaton Jersey , the Nationals then scored exactly three runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.Hours after general manager Mike Rizzo capped a relatively uneventful trade deadline day by expressing his confidence in the Nationals as currently constituted, Washington broke loose in evening its record at 53-53.Bryce Harper, who had been mentioned in trade speculation, hit a pair of RBI doubles and scored three times.”It’s been an emotional day and it was a good way to end it,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.Leading 25-1 in the ninth, the Nationals still hit a little speed bump at the end. Reliever Shawn Kelley gave up a home run to Austin Jackson, wound up and flung his glove to the ground.The homer came after Kelley, working quickly, had been told to slow down by the plate umpire.”I was just trying to get through the inning and get the game over with,” Kelley said. ”I thought everybody had seen enough baseball for one evening.”Kelley said he was sorry for his tantrum.”You should never throw your glove. We should act like adults,” he said.Jeff McNeil hit his first career home run. As he headed from the plate back the Mets dugout, he already had the souvenir. The ball came back on the field and was flipped to him before he reached the bench.Roark (5-12) went seven innings. Steven Matz (5-9) got only two outs and allowed seven runs in the shortest start of his career.Murphy had an RBI single in the first, a two-run homer in the second and a three-run drive in the third. The ex-Met is hitting .391 (59 for 151) with 11 homers and 43 RBIs against New York.MOVESMets: Claimed INF Jack Reinheimer http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-scherzer-jersey , 26, off waivers from Arizona and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Reinheimer, designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks on July 27, was batting .237 with three homers and 21 RBIs at Triple-A Reno. To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Yoenis Cespedes was transferred to the 60-day DL.Nationals: Sent reliever Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs for RHP Jhon Romero, who was 1-2 with nine saves and a 3.27 ERA at Class A Myrtle Beach. . Activated Rendon from the family medical leave list. . Recalled RHP Wander Suero from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned INF Matt Reynolds to Syracuse.HIT MACHINEWith two hits, Zimmerman became the all-time hit leader in Nationals/Expos franchise history with 1,696, surpassing Tim Wallach (1,694).TRAINER’S ROOMMets: 1B Wilmer Flores left the game in the first inning with dehydration and dizziness. … INF Todd Frazier (left rib cage muscle strain) is scheduled to play nine innings in a rehab assignment in Brooklyn on Wednesday. … Callaway said OF Jay Bruce (sore right hip) will start hitting on Wednesday.Nationals: RHP Sean Doolittle (left foot stress reaction) had an MRI on Monday, which was virtually unchanged from last week. Doolittle was hoping for improvement, but said the trainers were pleased there was no change.UP NEXTMets RHP Noah Syndergaard (6-1, 2.89) returns from the disabled list to oppose LHP Tommy Milone (0-0, 5.40) in the series finale.—