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Bootsmann
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| Posted: 18 July 2018 at 07:06 | IP Logged
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Opening their season against a
perennial playoff performer, the Toronto Blue Jays head
into 2014 facing a Tampa Bay Rays team that has enjoyed
the type of success the Jays are looking to duplicate.
The division rivals are set to face each other Monday
afternoon at Tropicana Field, with David Price and R.A.
Dickey taking the mound in a matchup of 2012 Cy Young
Award winners. The Rays are coming off a year in which
they won 92 games and made the playoffs for the fourth
time in six seasons. The Blue Jays would just as soon
forget 2013, when they battled injuries and finished in
last place after being a popular preseason pick to
contend for a championship. Toronto failed to bolster its
starting pitching this winter and returns with
essentially the same lineup as a year ago, yet Dickey
thinks the results will be better. "I think the heartbeat
is a lot different this year. I think, one, were very
comfortable. If I had a word to describe what (spring
training) has been, its been comfortable. Guys really
know that this is a big year for us collectively," said
Dickey, who was 14-13 with a 4.21 ERA last season. "Were
kind of getting a mulligan this year," the knuckleballer
added. "Last year, a lot of things went wrong. This year,
were pretty much all healthy. ... Were in a much
different place." Only the Yankees, Cardinals and
Phillies have earned as many post-season berths as the
Rays over the past six seasons. And after hiking one of
baseballs lowest payrolls above $80 million to keep most
of last years roster intact, Tampa Bay anticipates
another strong run. Price was 10-8 with a 3.33 ERA in
2013 after winning AL Cy Young honours two years ago, but
he went 9-4 with a 2.53 ERA in 18 starts following the
first stint of his career on the disabled list. The 28-
year-old lefty was the subject of trade speculation much
of the winter before agreeing to a $14 million, one-year
contract to continue anchoring one of the ALs strongest
rotations. The Rays, often overshadowed in the AL East by
the big-spending Yankees and Red Sox, dont shy away from
taking about how good they believe they can be. "To be
honest with you, I thought last year we had more
expectations going into the season than we do this year
— only because the Red Sox won the World Series and the
Yankees have made some pretty big acquisitions. So, that
kind of puts us in the shadows again," third baseman Evan
Longoria said. "There are a lot of expectations from
within this team," he added. "But from an overall
perspective, well probably be picked down the ladder a
little bit more this year ... which is perfectly fine
with me because I think weve proven time in and time out
that if you believe the right things and play the right
way, then the rest will take care of itself." Toronto
pursued free agent Ervin Santana in hopes of improving
its rotation, but the right-hander wound up signing with
Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays offence has a chance to
be potent if a lineup featuring Jose Reyes, Edwin
Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and off-season
acquisition Dioner Navarro can stay healthy. Dickey, who
had a solid spring, hopes to revert to the form that
helped him capture the NL Cy Young Award with the Mets
two years ago. "I feel prepared," Dickey said. "I feel
confident." Besides not trading Price, the Rays re-signed
first baseman James Loney, acquired free-agent closer
Grant Balfour and traded for catcher Ryan Hanigan,
reliever Heath Bell and utilityman Logan Forsythe.
Longoria is confident the manoeuvring has made the Rays
better. Still, he stops short of predicting another
playoff berth. "Even when we were the favourites, I would
say maybe we are on paper," the three-time All-Star said.
"We should have that underdog mentality." The teams set
their rosters Sunday, with the Rays placing injured
pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Juan Carlos Oviedo and
shortstop Tim Beckham on the 15-day disabled list. The
Blue Jays put closer Casey Janssen on the DL due to a
strain in his left abdominal area and lower back. Backup
catcher Erik Kratz was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.
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what I do when I want to get into the baseball mood—I
delve into "The Baseball Project".MARANA, Ariz. -- Graeme
McDowell rarely felt as hopeless in match play as he did
Wednesday at Dove Mountain. Overpowered and outplayed for
much of the first round, he was 3 down with three holes
to play as he watched the majestic flight of Gary
Woodlands tee shot cover the flag on the 16th hole.
McDowell figured it was a matter of time before he
climbed into a courtesy car to be driven back to the
clubhouse. "The Cadillacs were circling," he said. They
must have looked like buzzards. In an opening round of
comebacks in the Match Play Championship, none was more
stunning than McDowell surviving to see another day of
this most unpredictable event. Woodlands shot took a hard
bounce and landed between two corporate suites. Bogey.
With a wedge in hand, Woodland pulled it on the wrong
side of the 17th green, and McDowell capitalized by
making a 12-foot birdie. Woodland blasted out of the left
bunker, over the 18th green and into the right bunker to
lose a third straight hole. McDowell completed his
improbable rally with a 6-foot birdie on the 19th hole to
win. "Im sure hes extremely disappointed right now -- and
Im extremely elated," McDowell said. "Im surprised to be
sitting here, having won. Yeah, I hit a couple of quality
shots down the last couple of holes, but he had mistakes,
as well. Its a brutal format." It certainly was brutal
for the 32 players headed for the airport. Such is the
nature of this World Golf Championship, as cut-throat as
it comes. "It feels like a Sunday afternoon on
Wednesday," McDowell said, realizing that Thursday wont
be much different. McDowell was among eight players who
trailed with six holes remaining and somehow survived.
Brandt Snedeker had to make two tough par saves just to
stay alive on the 18th and 19th holes of his match
against David Lynn of England. He won with an 8-foot
birdie on the next hole. It was the only time all day he
had the lead. Jason Dufner was 3 down with five holes
remaining when Scott Stallings made too many mistakes,
Dufner made one clutch birdie, and the PGA champion
advanced in 19 holes with a simple par. Six matches went
the distance. Five matches went overtime. The last one
was Ernie Els, vexed by this format so many times that
some years he didnt bother showing up. He was 2 down with
three to play and outlasted Stephen Gallacher in 19
holes. "I feel for him," Els said, perhaps because he has
been there himself. After a wild day, there was a small
degree of normalcy on Dove Mountain. Only three of the
top 10 seeds were eliminated -- Zach Johnson (3), Dustin
Johnson (6) and Steve Stricker (9), who wasnt even sure
he would play until his brother had liver transplant
surgery last weekend. The better seed -- its really just
a number -- won 23 of the 32 matches. "Seeds dont matter.
Who you play doesnt matter," said Jordan Spieth, sounding
wiser than his 20 years after a tough 2-upp victory over
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain.dddddddddddd Henrik Stenson,
awarded the top seed because Tiger Woods and Masters
champion Adam Scott chose not to play, trailed Kiradech
Aphibarnrat of Thailand with five holes to play. The big
Thai struggled with his putter, however, missing a 4-
footer for par on the 14th to lose the hole, and an 8-
footer for birdie on the 15th that would have given him
the lead. Stenson made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th,
and won the match when Aphibarnrat failed to match his
birdie on the 17th by missing from 5 feet. "Im still in
shock," Stenson said. "It was a tough match." Second-
seeded Justin Rose held off Scott Piercy, and No. 4 seed
Rory McIlroy had little trouble against Boo Weekley to
advance to the round of 32 on Thursday. Zach Johnson, the
No. 3 seed, went out in the opening round for the fourth
straight year, this time to Richard Sterne of South
Africa, 5 and 4. Dustin Johnson now has lost in the first
round five times in six appearances. He never led in a 4-
and-3 loss to Peter Hanson. The longest day belonged to
Sergio Garcia, who missed a 6-foot putt on the 18th hole
for the win over Marc Leishman of Australia. They went 22
holes before Garcia made a 6-foot birdie putt to advance.
In other matches: -- Patrick Reed defeated Graham DeLaet
of Weyburn, Sask., 1-up -- Harris English made his Match
Play Championship debut with a 5-and-3 win over Lee
Westwood. -- Billy Horschel made six birdies in 13 holes
to beat Jamie Donaldson of Wales, 6 and 5, in the
shortest match of the day. -- Rickie Fowler, coming off
three straight missed cuts, caught Ian Poulter on a bad
day and sent the Ryder Cup star packing with a 2-and-1
victory. "It feels like a big win after those missed
cuts," Fowler said. "It was nice to be the underdog. I
had nothing to lose." -- Bubba Watson was giving holes
away early before winning three straight holes on the
back nine in a 2-and-1 win over Mikko Ilonen of Finland.
Still, no match epitomized the wild nature of this format
than McDowells win over Woodland. They live down the
street from each other at Lake Nona. They practiced
together last week. They flew out to Arizona together.
And they had to play each other in the first round on a
course where Woodland figured to have a big advantage
with his length. McDowell played a practice round with
Brooks Koepka, the first alternate, to get used to being
outdriven by some 50 yards. His worst fears were
realized, especially standing on the 16th tee. He saw his
agent on the phone, hopeful he could find him a good
flight back to Florida. "I thought it was over," McDowell
said. "Youre not coming back from 3 down against a guy
thats playing as well as him. Yeah, Im still going to try
to hit my shots. But it required a mistake from him to
give me half a sniff, even."
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Topic: inst David Lynn of England. He won w
