Expansion Revision: 1998 Devil Rays and beyond - Page 41

Moriarty9 · 12-21-2009, 10:47 AM

King lost for season in win
Delcarmen picks up career save number 100
June 3, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rallied off Manny Delcarmen to put the go-ahead run at the plate, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays closer held on and secured a 4-3 win for his team at Tropicana Field.

The Devil Rays scored three runs off Angels starter Johan Santana in the third inning and added a fourth run the next inning, just enough to sneak out a win. Santana allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in eight innings, striking out nine Tampa Bay batters.

Mike Pelfrey picked up the win for the Devil Rays, going seven innings and holding the Angels to one run on five hits and four walks to improve to 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA. Craig Breslow worked a perfect ninth inning, throwing just six pitches.

Delcarmen picked up his 10th save of the year, and the 100th of his brief career as a closer. It was not a textbook save, however, as he allowed two runs and had the game-tying run on base when leftfielder Ben Francisco made a diving catch to record the final out of the game.

Adrian Gonzalez was the big hitter for Tampa Bay, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a two-run home run, one run scored, and two RBI. He now has 16 homers and 58 RBI on the year.

Tilahuna Mhina hit a solo shot off Santana in the fourth inning, his 16th of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run, and a RBI.

The toughest part of the game came in the ninth inning as secondbaseman Nicholas King was injured trying to turn a double play on a Dan Ortmeier groundball to third base. King suffered a back injury and was carted off the field. Early reports indicate the injury is not a career-threatening one but will most likely end his season prematurely.

King, 26, has played well for Tampa Bay as the club's regular second baseman and batting toward the bottom of the order. In 43 games, he hit .269 with six home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. He was on pace to hit 17 home runs, 95 RBI, 81 runs, and steal 36 bases.

The Devil Rays lost Anthony Bender, their originally planned starting second baseman, to injury in spring training. Bender is hoping to be ready by Opening Day next season but the organization expects his return to be shortly after.

Melvin Mora will take over as the starting second baseman, at least on an interim basis. Mora, 41, is hitting .296 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and 23 runs with 98 at bats as a utility player off the bench.

Moriarty9 · 12-21-2009, 11:18 AM

Abreu dealt to White Sox
Oakland acquires Robertson, prospect
June 7, 2013

CHICAGO — The White Sox today added nine-time All Star Bobby Abreu to their lineup, sending journeyman pitcher Nate Robertson and a minor leaguer to the Oakland Athletics.

Abreu, 39, hit .281 with five home runs, 30 RBI, 42 runs and eight stolen bases with the A's this year. He will now bat somewhere in the middle of the order and play right field for the White Sox, according to Chicago manager Joe Maddon. The move pushes Jose Guillen (.317, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and Carlos Gonzalez (.222, 3 HR, 11 RBI) to the side as the rightfield platoon.

Abreu hit .288 with 22 homers and 119 RBI with Oakland last season and is a career .305 hitter with 2,422 hits, 287 home runs, 1,279 RBI, 1,532 runs scored, and 94 stolen bases. He is signed through next season at $20.36 million annually.

The A's clear some space in their budget in the move, but also pick up Robertson and 21-year-old minor league firstbaseman Leonardo Selem.

Robertson, 35, had gone 4-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 starts for the White Sox and is coming off a 12-17 season with Chicago last year. Oakland will be the seventh team of Robertson's career, in which he is 93-82 with a 4.30 ERA in 233 starts. He previously pitched for the New York Mets (2004), Boston Red Sox (2005-2009), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2009-2010), Baltimore Orioles (2010-2011), and White Sox (2012-2013).

A's manager John Turner said Robertson, who last pitched on May 31 against the Texas Rangers, will pitch Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against Matt Harrison (9-2, 3.75 ERA) and the New York Yankees.

Selem is a Mexican-born firstbaseman drafted in the 14th round of the 2010 amateur draft by the White Sox. He has hit .272 with 12 home runs and 77 RBI in 511 minor league at bats and will be assigned to Oakland's AA affiliate in Raleigh.

Moriarty9 · 12-21-2009, 12:29 PM

Ellsbury tears back muscles
Speedster's career considered over at age 29
June 12, 2013

DETROIT — The career of Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury appears to be over.

Ellsbury, 29, tore back muscles in tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers, and was carted off the field to be taken to a local hospital.

The left-handed speedster was an All Star in 2009 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and was in his first full season with Tampa Bay after being traded by the Angels to the Devil Rays last summer.

Ellsbury has struggled in a Tampa Bay uniform, hitting .233 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 64 games last season, and just .193 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and 24 runs in 49 games this year. He was the club's starting centerfielder to open the season but has seen his playing time dramatically cut due to his performance and the strong performance by John Meyers (.315, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 30 R, 31 SB, 146 AB).

Ellsbury was in his eighth big league season and is a career .273 hitter with 53 home runs, 369 RBI, 541 runs, and 321 stolen bases in 875 games.

Moriarty9 · 12-21-2009, 01:15 PM

Rays limping out of Philly
Tampa Bay facing big injury woes in 2013
June 17, 2013

PHILADELPHIA — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays took two out of three against the Phillies, but they leave the City of Brotherly Love with a noticeable limp in their step.

The Devil Rays, off today as they return home to open up a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a six-game homestand, are in a tough spot with eight players on the disabled list.

In the span of five days, Tampa Bay has placed three outfielders and a pitcher on the disabled list, and its starting secondbaseman was lost for the season earlier in the month.

On Wednesday, in Detroit, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury suffered a career-ending injury. Three days later, his full-time replacement, John Meyers, suffered a rib cage injury that will likely keep him out of the lineup until Labor Day. Inbetween those injuries came an elbow injury for Tilahuna Mhina, who is expected to miss about six weeks.

Mhina's injury is significant as he has been, arguably, the most valuable player on the team. The 26-year-old has hit .344 with 18 home runs, 47 RBI, and 52 runs scored in 62 games, and was on pace to exceed the 40 homer, 100 RBI, 100 run mark.

Meyers is also a big injury. The 22-year-old has hit .306 with five home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs, and stolen 31 bases in 43 games while playing a flawless defense in the outfield.

The outfield injuries have been devastating for the club, forcing 21-year-old Dave Burns and 22-year-old Lawrence Jones to be called up from AAA to play regularly with the big club.

Burns had 46 games under his belt in the Major Leagues prior to this call-up, all but nine of which have been with Tampa Bay. He's done well in two games so far, going 5-for-8 with a RBI and two runs scored, but he hit just .143 (2-for-14) with one RBI and two runs scored in nine games last September.

Jones has no big league experience whatsoever and was largely called up because of his abilities in centerfield, a position where the club has little depth. He hit .282 with five home runs, 28 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 48 games in AAA this year.

Also back with the Devil Rays is 33-year-old Rick Ankiel, who last played in the big leagues in 2011 with Tampa Bay. He is 1-for-4 with a RBI in two games with the team so far this season. He is a career .239 hitter with 11 home runs and 73 RBI in 732 at bats, and is best known for his athleticism where he has played first base, outfield, and pitched for a handful of teams. Ankiel is 38-51 with 15 saves and a 4.60 ERA in 382 career appearances on the mound, including 113 starts. He came up with the Detroit Tigers in 1998 as a starting pitcher, was moved to the bullpen when he went to the Colorado Rockies in 2002, and began playing the field on a regular basis in 2007 with Colorado and the Cincinnati Reds. He last pitched in the big leagues with the Devil Rays in 2011, working 8 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out nine.

Left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, 32, suffered a knee injury in yesterday's win over the Phillies, and will likely miss about two weeks. He is having the roughest season of his seven-year career, posting a 1-1 record and 4.79 ERA in 23 appearances. Breslow went 0-4 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 52 games last year, and owns a career record of 29-15 with 13 saves and a 2.58 ERA in 310 games.

The Devil Rays have three infielders on the disabled list, two of which are lost for the season.

Anthony Bender, 25, was lost for the year during spring training. He hit .265 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 40 runs scored, and stole 13 bases in 133 games with Tampa Bay as a rookie last year, and was to be the starting secondbaseman in 2013.

Nicholas King took over at second base with the Bender injury and performed quite well, hitting .269 with six home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 13 steals in 43 games before suffering a back injury on June 3.

Roger Clark suffered a back injury in early May and is expected to come back around Independence Day. He struggled in the 43 at bats he got this year, hitting just .209 with two RBI and five runs scored.

Called up to help out a depleted bullpen earlier in the year, Duane Tinker quickly found himself on the shelf with a herniated disc in his back. Tinker, 22, worked four innings of relief before the injury.

Moriarty9 · 12-22-2009, 09:52 AM

Strickland homers twice
Miller strong as D-Rays top D-Backs
June 18, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steven Strickland had the best game of his young career as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays rookie hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs to lead his team to an 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Strickland, batting eighth tonight, went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored, and five RBI. He hit a two-run shot off Arizona starter Tim Lincecum in the second inning, and a three-run home run off Jeff Bennett in the eighth inning to put the game away.

The thirdbaseman wasn't the only young player to do well, as rookie catcher Casey Berry, batting in the leadoff spot tonight, went 3-for-4 with a walk and a run. Dave Burns, playing right field, went 3-for-4 with one RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored.

Fred Miller, on a slide as of late, put in his best game in awhile to improve to 7-6 on the year. Miller went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one walk and eight hits, striking out nine Arizona batters.

David Price worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Franklyn German worked a scoreless ninth inning with three strikeouts.

Moriarty9 · 12-22-2009, 10:09 AM

Strickland strikes again
Hits third home run in two games
June 19, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steven Strickland may want to move to National League West as the rookie thirdbaseman had another strong game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Strickland, who homered twice yesterday, went 2-for-4 with a home run, one run scored, and three RBI for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He's now batting .276 with seven home runs and 34 RBI on the year.

Melvin Spencer also had a good game, going 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and two runs scored.

Jon Lester improved to 9-5, working seven innings and giving up three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six. Manny Delcarmen earned his 13th save of the year with a 1 2/3 inning effort in which he walked one and struck out three.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 11:46 AM

Haren throws shut out
Angels blanked by struggling ace
July 14, 2013

ANAHEIM — Dan Haren had a vintage start tonight, throwing a complete game shutout of the Angels as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked up a 6-0 win.

Haren went the distance, allowing six hits and two walks in nine shutout innings, striking out six batters. He threw 122 pitches, 79 for strikes. With the win, Haren improves to 6-7 with a 4.61 ERA on the year.

Johan Santana took the loss for the Angels, falling to 5-9 after giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

The Tampa Bay offense had six runs on 10 hits, six of those hits were doubles. Adrian Gonzalez, Melvin Spencer, Roger Clark, Ben Francisco, Stan Hicks, and Steve Strickland each doubled. Clark, batting ninth, went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 12:03 PM

Pena joins 500 Club
Yankees slugger hits 27th of year
July 16, 2013

THE BRONX — New York Yankees slugger Carlos Pena is the newest member of baseball's 500 Home Run Club.

Pena hit the milestone home run at Yankee Stadium tonight, his 27th homer of the year. One of five Yankees to homer against the Seattle Mariners in a 7-1 win, Pena hit a two-run shot in the first inning off Mariners rookie Jack Fletcher. The home run was a 395-foot flyball to right-center field.

Pena, 35, is hitting .269 with 27 home runs, 76 RBI, and 69 runs. He is a career .282 hitter with 276 doubles, 23 triples, 500 home runs, 1,293 RBI, and 1,204 runs in 1,817 games. He has played for the Oakland Athletics (2000-2003), Baltimore Orioles (2003-2006), and Yankees (2007-2013).

A former Yankee, though only for 79 games in 2009, is waiting to hit his 500th career home run. Oakland's Todd Helton, 39, has 499 home runs and is the next guy in line to joing the 500 Club. Helton's A's will be playing the Orioles with Dana Eveland on the mound tomorrow night. Helton is a .263 hitter in 19 at bats against Eveland, and has not homered against the lefty.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 12:14 PM

Todd Helton joins 500 Club
Veteran hits milestone one day after Pena
July 17, 2013

BALTIMORE — One day after Carlos Pena hit his 500th career home run, Oakland Athletics DH Todd Helton reached that same milestone.

Helton joined the 500 Club with a two-run home run off reliever Joakim Soria in the eighth inning, bringing the A's within one run of the Baltimore Orioles in an 8-7 loss. The big homer was a 385-foot roundtripper to right-center field.

Helton is hitting .315 with seven home runs, 40 RBI, and 34 runs so far this season, his 17th in the big leagues. He has played for the Colorado Rockies (1997-2008), New York Yankees (2009), and Oakland (2009-2013). Helton is a career .326 hitter with 2,895 hits, 605 doubles, 60 triples, 50 home runs, 1,659 RBI, and 1,751 runs scored in 2,406 games.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 12:44 PM

Delcarmen signs extension
Devil Rays closer inked for two more years
July 25, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manny Delcarmen will remain at the back end of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays bullpen for another couple years after signing a contract extension.

Delcarmen, 31, signed a two-year, $8 million contract extension that will keep him in a Devil Rays uniform through the 2015 season. In his third year as the club's closer, Delcarmen is 3-1 with 16 saves and a 2.92 ERA in 28 appearances. He went 1-4 with 43 saves and a 2.49 ERA in 63 appearances last season, and is 30-20 with 106 saves and a 2.89 ERA in 385 games in his career.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 12:54 PM

Rays go from B to Z
Breslow dealth for Braves' Zumaya
July 25, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Atlanta Braves bullpens have new looks to them after the two clubs traded relievers.

Tampa Bay dealt left-hander Craig Breslow to Atlanta for right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya this morning, hours after announcing the team had come to terms on a contract extension with closer Manny Delcarmen.

Breslow, 32, has had trouble this season but has had a stellar career as a middle reliever for the Devil Rays. Though he is 1-2 with two saves and a 5.00 ERA in 28 games this year, Breslow has a career 2.64 ERA in 315 appearances, all of with Tampa Bay. He went 0-4 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 52 games last year after going 4-4 with four saves and a 2.25 ERA in 57 games in 2011. He will be reunited with former teammate Jonathan Papelbon as a set-up reliever for closer Jonathan Broxton.

Zumaya, 28, has had a pretty good career of his own, with a career record of 29-30, 93 saves, and a 3.25 ERA in 489 appearances, all with the Braves. This season, he has gone 3-1 with four saves and a 2.10 ERA in 26 games. He went 7-4 with 15 saves and a 2.55 ERA in 61 games last season, 4-5 with 28 saves and a 2.54 ERA in 2011. He is signed through next season at $3.02 million, and will spend the rest of the year working as the primary right-handed set-up reliever for Delcarmen.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 01:07 PM

Clark dealt for O'Day
Reliever acquired from division foes
July 28, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays bullpen continues to be a point of focus fas the club traded infielder Roger Clark to acquire reliever Darren O'Day.

O'Day, 30, has gone 5-3 with 10 saves and a 3.28 ERA in 43 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, and has a career record of 36-25 with 46 saves and a 3.27 ERA in 413 appearances, all with Baltimore. He is under contract for $3.99 million and is eligible for free agency in the off-season. He went 10-1 with four saves and a 2.13 ERA in 75 appearances with the Orioles last season after going 7-5 with one save and a 2.54 ERA in 66 appearances in 2011.

Clark, 25, heads to Baltimore, heads to his fourth team. He is a career .262 hitter with three home runs and 49 RBI in 165 games with the Seattle Mariners, Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 01:24 PM

O'Day spun for Gallegos
Rays trade recently acquired reliever
July 29, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Roughly 36 hours and 1 2/3 innings of work after acquiring Darren O'Day from the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays traded the reliever to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Jose Gallegos.

O'Day, 30, was traded to Tampa Bay for infielder Roger Clark yesterday and worked 1 2/3 shutout innings last night against the New York Yankees before being traded again early this morning.

"Darren is a great talent, but we have great depth in the bullpen, he was coming up as a free agent in the off-season, and it didn't make sense for us to keep him when we're struggling the way we are," said Devil Rays GM Shaun Moriarty. "He's now a Texas Ranger and we've got a really talented young man to help us out in the outfield, where we don't have as much depth as we'd like."

Gallegos, 24, hit .311 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 59 games with the Rangers this season. He has missed roughly two months of game time with groin, knee, and shoulder injuries. He hit .297 with 29 home runs and 101 RBI in 126 games as a rookie with Texas last season and is a career .301 hitter with 39 homers and 140 RBI in 185 games. He's made one error in 468 1/3 innings in the outfield this year.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 07:41 PM

Miller throws five-hit shutout
Huff has big game, gets four hits and three RBI
August 10, 2013

OAKLAND — Fred Miller was on top of his game today, working a complete game five-hit shutout of the Athletics.

Miller walked three and struck out five in the five-hit shutout, improving to 11-10 with a 3.87 ERA on the year.

"Freddy was pretty good out there," said Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He mixed up his pitches and really did a good job of keeping them off balance."

Aubrey Huff provided all the offense Miller would need, going 4-for-4 with a home run, one run scored and three RBI in the 3-0 win. Huff hit a 351-foot line drive two-run home run to right field off A's starter Nate Robertson in the sixth inning.

Robertson fell to 8-9 with a 4.77 ERA after giving up three runs on six hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 08:15 PM

Dunn joins 500 HR Club
Third player to reach milestone in 2013
August 17, 2013

FLUSHING, NY — Adam Dunn has flexed his muscle quite often this season and over his career, and tonight he hit the 500th home run of his career in a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Dunn hit his 44th home run of the year, a 363-foot two-run shot to right field off Rockies starter Mack Guenette to reach the 500 home run plateau.

Dunn, 33, is having one of the best years of his career, the best since playing with the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 2000s. He hit .232 with 33 home runs and 91 RBI in 103 games with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season before being traded to the New York Mets this year. In 19 games with the Mets, Dunn has hit .375 with 11 home runs and 22 RBI. Between the two clubs, he's hit .254 with 44 home runs and 113 RBI. He is on pace to hit 58 homers and drive in 150 runs.

In 1,957 big league games, Dunn has hit .265 with 500 home runs, 1,382 RBI, and 1,287 runs scored. He has played with the Brewers (2000-2006), St. Louis Cardinals (2007-2009), San Diego Padres (2010-2012), and splitting this season with the Orioles and Mets.

Dunn becomes the third player — and the youngest — to reach the 500 home run plateau this season. New York Yankees slugger Carlos Pena and Oakland Athletics DH Todd Helton hit their 500th career home runs earlier this season, Pena reaching it first with Helton hitting his 500th the very next day. Seattle Mariners star Albert Pujols is next in line to join the 500 Club, 22 short of the mark. His teammate, Alex Rodriguez, is now just eight home runs shy of the 600 home run mark.

Moriarty9 · 12-23-2009, 08:38 PM

Lester throws two-hitter
Lefty dominates Rangers in 3-0 Rays win
August 22, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jon Lester has had some impressive games this season, but none more impressive than tonight's complete game two-hit shutout of the Texas Rangers.

Lester struck out nine and walked one in the gem, throwing 115 strikes to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 3-0 win over the Rangers. Lester improves to 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA on the season.

"We've seen some pretty good pitching performances this month, but Jon really controlled this game from start to finish," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal.

Lester let up a two-out single in the first inning and then threw no-hit stuff until allowing a leadoff single in the ninth inning.

Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched pretty well for Texas, working eight innings in which he allowed three runs on six hits and one walk, striking out one.

Devil Rays leadoff hitter Dave Burns, batting leadoff as the DH, went 2-for-3 with a walk, triple, home run, two runs, and two RBI. He hit a solo shot off Rowland-Smith in the fifth inning, a 432-foot flyball to centerfield.

Moriarty9 · 12-24-2009, 10:41 AM

Turner fired by Athletics
Manager's second stint ends prematurely
September 8, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Oakland Athletics today fired manager John Turner.

The A's are 58-83, sitting 16 games behind the Texas Rangers with the third-worst record in baseball. Turner was in his first year as Oakland's manager, his second time around with the team.

Turner previously managed the Cleveland Indians from 1999-2002, Oakland from 2003-2007, and the Chicago Cubs from 2008-2012. He has a career managerial record of 1,248-1,161 with six division titles and a World Series championship with the 1999 Indians.

Oakland GM Doug Melvin has made no indication about how the organization would move forward with the manager's position. Possibilities include bench coach Richard Adams, who previously managed the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003-2004, and the franchise's AAA manager Bill Walker.

Kenny O'Brien, who has managed the Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Cincinnati Reds, was fired earlier this year by the Reds after a 21-30 start, but could be a possibility for the A's. Buck Showalter is also a possibility, according to media reports.

Moriarty9 · 12-24-2009, 10:56 AM

O'Neal will stay on board
Manager signs new two-year agreement
September 9, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Though the team has not seen the playoffs since 2009, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have agreed to a two-year extension with manager Christian O'Neal.

O'Neal, 55, will be paid $1.2 million annually in 2014 and 2015. He is the only manager the Devil Rays have had, putting together a career managerial record of 1,481-1,092 in 16 seasons with 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles, and four World Series championships.

Moriarty9 · 12-24-2009, 11:39 AM

A-Rod hits 600th homer
Becomes 8th member of exclusive club
September 17, 2013

ARLINGTON, Tex. — A 373-foot fly ball to left field was one of the biggest hits in the storied career of Alex Rodriguez as the 38-year-old thirdbaseman joined the exclusive 600 home run club.

Rodriguez becomes the eighth player in history to hit 600 home runs. Barry Bonds is baseball's all-time leader with 824, followed by Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Jim Thome (633), Mark McGwire (624), and Ken Griffey Jr. (605).

A-Rod has shown good power this year with 28 home runs, 69 RBI and 86 runs, but has hit just .213 on the year, .201 against right-handers. He has made 20 errors in 145 games at third base.

Rodriguez is a career .278 hitter with 2,718 hits, 600 home runs, 1,735 RBI, 1,723 runs scored, and 5,004 total bases. He has spent his entire 20-year career with the Seattle Mariners.

Moriarty9 · 12-24-2009, 11:53 AM

Spencer suffers serious injury
Devil Rays shortstop ruptures disc in back
September 25, 2013

BOSTON — Tampa Bay Devil Rays shortstop Melvin Spencer may miss the entire 2014 season after suffering a serious back injury tonight in a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Spencer, 25, has been a big part of the Tampa Bay lineup since joining the team prior to last season. A .278 hitter in three seasons, Spencer has struggled this year, hitting .248 with 12 home runs and 66 RBI in 145 games. He hit .292 with 17 home runs and 80 RBI last season, and .293 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"We've got some awful luck with injuries down here, and I wish I knew what the hell it was," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "I have seen far too many young men end their careers prematurely on this team because of injuries, and to see a kid like Melvin go down with this sort of injury is no better."

12-21-2009, 11:18 AM	#802 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Abreu dealt to White Sox Oakland acquires Robertson, prospect June 7, 2013 CHICAGO — The White Sox today added nine-time All Star Bobby Abreu to their lineup, sending journeyman pitcher Nate Robertson and a minor leaguer to the Oakland Athletics. Abreu, 39, hit .281 with five home runs, 30 RBI, 42 runs and eight stolen bases with the A's this year. He will now bat somewhere in the middle of the order and play right field for the White Sox, according to Chicago manager Joe Maddon. The move pushes Jose Guillen (.317, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and Carlos Gonzalez (.222, 3 HR, 11 RBI) to the side as the rightfield platoon. Abreu hit .288 with 22 homers and 119 RBI with Oakland last season and is a career .305 hitter with 2,422 hits, 287 home runs, 1,279 RBI, 1,532 runs scored, and 94 stolen bases. He is signed through next season at $20.36 million annually. The A's clear some space in their budget in the move, but also pick up Robertson and 21-year-old minor league firstbaseman Leonardo Selem. Robertson, 35, had gone 4-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 starts for the White Sox and is coming off a 12-17 season with Chicago last year. Oakland will be the seventh team of Robertson's career, in which he is 93-82 with a 4.30 ERA in 233 starts. He previously pitched for the New York Mets (2004), Boston Red Sox (2005-2009), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2009-2010), Baltimore Orioles (2010-2011), and White Sox (2012-2013). A's manager John Turner said Robertson, who last pitched on May 31 against the Texas Rangers, will pitch Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against Matt Harrison (9-2, 3.75 ERA) and the New York Yankees. Selem is a Mexican-born firstbaseman drafted in the 14th round of the 2010 amateur draft by the White Sox. He has hit .272 with 12 home runs and 77 RBI in 511 minor league at bats and will be assigned to Oakland's AA affiliate in Raleigh. Attached Images

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12-21-2009, 10:47 AM	#801 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	King lost for season in win Delcarmen picks up career save number 100 June 3, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rallied off Manny Delcarmen to put the go-ahead run at the plate, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays closer held on and secured a 4-3 win for his team at Tropicana Field. The Devil Rays scored three runs off Angels starter Johan Santana in the third inning and added a fourth run the next inning, just enough to sneak out a win. Santana allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in eight innings, striking out nine Tampa Bay batters. Mike Pelfrey picked up the win for the Devil Rays, going seven innings and holding the Angels to one run on five hits and four walks to improve to 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA. Craig Breslow worked a perfect ninth inning, throwing just six pitches. Delcarmen picked up his 10th save of the year, and the 100th of his brief career as a closer. It was not a textbook save, however, as he allowed two runs and had the game-tying run on base when leftfielder Ben Francisco made a diving catch to record the final out of the game. Adrian Gonzalez was the big hitter for Tampa Bay, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a two-run home run, one run scored, and two RBI. He now has 16 homers and 58 RBI on the year. Tilahuna Mhina hit a solo shot off Santana in the fourth inning, his 16th of the season. Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run, and a RBI. The toughest part of the game came in the ninth inning as secondbaseman Nicholas King was injured trying to turn a double play on a Dan Ortmeier groundball to third base. King suffered a back injury and was carted off the field. Early reports indicate the injury is not a career-threatening one but will most likely end his season prematurely. King, 26, has played well for Tampa Bay as the club's regular second baseman and batting toward the bottom of the order. In 43 games, he hit .269 with six home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. He was on pace to hit 17 home runs, 95 RBI, 81 runs, and steal 36 bases. The Devil Rays lost Anthony Bender, their originally planned starting second baseman, to injury in spring training. Bender is hoping to be ready by Opening Day next season but the organization expects his return to be shortly after. Melvin Mora will take over as the starting second baseman, at least on an interim basis. Mora, 41, is hitting .296 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and 23 runs with 98 at bats as a utility player off the bench.

12-21-2009, 12:29 PM	#803 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Ellsbury tears back muscles Speedster's career considered over at age 29 June 12, 2013 DETROIT — The career of Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury appears to be over. Ellsbury, 29, tore back muscles in tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers, and was carted off the field to be taken to a local hospital. The left-handed speedster was an All Star in 2009 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and was in his first full season with Tampa Bay after being traded by the Angels to the Devil Rays last summer. Ellsbury has struggled in a Tampa Bay uniform, hitting .233 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 64 games last season, and just .193 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and 24 runs in 49 games this year. He was the club's starting centerfielder to open the season but has seen his playing time dramatically cut due to his performance and the strong performance by John Meyers (.315, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 30 R, 31 SB, 146 AB). Ellsbury was in his eighth big league season and is a career .273 hitter with 53 home runs, 369 RBI, 541 runs, and 321 stolen bases in 875 games.

12-21-2009, 01:15 PM	#804 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Rays limping out of Philly Tampa Bay facing big injury woes in 2013 June 17, 2013 PHILADELPHIA — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays took two out of three against the Phillies, but they leave the City of Brotherly Love with a noticeable limp in their step. The Devil Rays, off today as they return home to open up a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a six-game homestand, are in a tough spot with eight players on the disabled list. In the span of five days, Tampa Bay has placed three outfielders and a pitcher on the disabled list, and its starting secondbaseman was lost for the season earlier in the month. On Wednesday, in Detroit, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury suffered a career-ending injury. Three days later, his full-time replacement, John Meyers, suffered a rib cage injury that will likely keep him out of the lineup until Labor Day. Inbetween those injuries came an elbow injury for Tilahuna Mhina, who is expected to miss about six weeks. Mhina's injury is significant as he has been, arguably, the most valuable player on the team. The 26-year-old has hit .344 with 18 home runs, 47 RBI, and 52 runs scored in 62 games, and was on pace to exceed the 40 homer, 100 RBI, 100 run mark. Meyers is also a big injury. The 22-year-old has hit .306 with five home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs, and stolen 31 bases in 43 games while playing a flawless defense in the outfield. The outfield injuries have been devastating for the club, forcing 21-year-old Dave Burns and 22-year-old Lawrence Jones to be called up from AAA to play regularly with the big club. Burns had 46 games under his belt in the Major Leagues prior to this call-up, all but nine of which have been with Tampa Bay. He's done well in two games so far, going 5-for-8 with a RBI and two runs scored, but he hit just .143 (2-for-14) with one RBI and two runs scored in nine games last September. Jones has no big league experience whatsoever and was largely called up because of his abilities in centerfield, a position where the club has little depth. He hit .282 with five home runs, 28 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 48 games in AAA this year. Also back with the Devil Rays is 33-year-old Rick Ankiel, who last played in the big leagues in 2011 with Tampa Bay. He is 1-for-4 with a RBI in two games with the team so far this season. He is a career .239 hitter with 11 home runs and 73 RBI in 732 at bats, and is best known for his athleticism where he has played first base, outfield, and pitched for a handful of teams. Ankiel is 38-51 with 15 saves and a 4.60 ERA in 382 career appearances on the mound, including 113 starts. He came up with the Detroit Tigers in 1998 as a starting pitcher, was moved to the bullpen when he went to the Colorado Rockies in 2002, and began playing the field on a regular basis in 2007 with Colorado and the Cincinnati Reds. He last pitched in the big leagues with the Devil Rays in 2011, working 8 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, 32, suffered a knee injury in yesterday's win over the Phillies, and will likely miss about two weeks. He is having the roughest season of his seven-year career, posting a 1-1 record and 4.79 ERA in 23 appearances. Breslow went 0-4 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 52 games last year, and owns a career record of 29-15 with 13 saves and a 2.58 ERA in 310 games. The Devil Rays have three infielders on the disabled list, two of which are lost for the season. Anthony Bender, 25, was lost for the year during spring training. He hit .265 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 40 runs scored, and stole 13 bases in 133 games with Tampa Bay as a rookie last year, and was to be the starting secondbaseman in 2013. Nicholas King took over at second base with the Bender injury and performed quite well, hitting .269 with six home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 13 steals in 43 games before suffering a back injury on June 3. Roger Clark suffered a back injury in early May and is expected to come back around Independence Day. He struggled in the 43 at bats he got this year, hitting just .209 with two RBI and five runs scored. Called up to help out a depleted bullpen earlier in the year, Duane Tinker quickly found himself on the shelf with a herniated disc in his back. Tinker, 22, worked four innings of relief before the injury.

12-22-2009, 09:52 AM	#805 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Strickland homers twice Miller strong as D-Rays top D-Backs June 18, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steven Strickland had the best game of his young career as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays rookie hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs to lead his team to an 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Strickland, batting eighth tonight, went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored, and five RBI. He hit a two-run shot off Arizona starter Tim Lincecum in the second inning, and a three-run home run off Jeff Bennett in the eighth inning to put the game away. The thirdbaseman wasn't the only young player to do well, as rookie catcher Casey Berry, batting in the leadoff spot tonight, went 3-for-4 with a walk and a run. Dave Burns, playing right field, went 3-for-4 with one RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored. Fred Miller, on a slide as of late, put in his best game in awhile to improve to 7-6 on the year. Miller went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one walk and eight hits, striking out nine Arizona batters. David Price worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Franklyn German worked a scoreless ninth inning with three strikeouts.

12-22-2009, 10:09 AM	#806 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Strickland strikes again Hits third home run in two games June 19, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steven Strickland may want to move to National League West as the rookie thirdbaseman had another strong game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Strickland, who homered twice yesterday, went 2-for-4 with a home run, one run scored, and three RBI for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He's now batting .276 with seven home runs and 34 RBI on the year. Melvin Spencer also had a good game, going 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and two runs scored. Jon Lester improved to 9-5, working seven innings and giving up three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six. Manny Delcarmen earned his 13th save of the year with a 1 2/3 inning effort in which he walked one and struck out three.

12-23-2009, 11:46 AM	#807 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Haren throws shut out Angels blanked by struggling ace July 14, 2013 ANAHEIM — Dan Haren had a vintage start tonight, throwing a complete game shutout of the Angels as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked up a 6-0 win. Haren went the distance, allowing six hits and two walks in nine shutout innings, striking out six batters. He threw 122 pitches, 79 for strikes. With the win, Haren improves to 6-7 with a 4.61 ERA on the year. Johan Santana took the loss for the Angels, falling to 5-9 after giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in eight innings. The Tampa Bay offense had six runs on 10 hits, six of those hits were doubles. Adrian Gonzalez, Melvin Spencer, Roger Clark, Ben Francisco, Stan Hicks, and Steve Strickland each doubled. Clark, batting ninth, went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.

12-23-2009, 12:03 PM	#808 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Pena joins 500 Club Yankees slugger hits 27th of year July 16, 2013 THE BRONX — New York Yankees slugger Carlos Pena is the newest member of baseball's 500 Home Run Club. Pena hit the milestone home run at Yankee Stadium tonight, his 27th homer of the year. One of five Yankees to homer against the Seattle Mariners in a 7-1 win, Pena hit a two-run shot in the first inning off Mariners rookie Jack Fletcher. The home run was a 395-foot flyball to right-center field. Pena, 35, is hitting .269 with 27 home runs, 76 RBI, and 69 runs. He is a career .282 hitter with 276 doubles, 23 triples, 500 home runs, 1,293 RBI, and 1,204 runs in 1,817 games. He has played for the Oakland Athletics (2000-2003), Baltimore Orioles (2003-2006), and Yankees (2007-2013). A former Yankee, though only for 79 games in 2009, is waiting to hit his 500th career home run. Oakland's Todd Helton, 39, has 499 home runs and is the next guy in line to joing the 500 Club. Helton's A's will be playing the Orioles with Dana Eveland on the mound tomorrow night. Helton is a .263 hitter in 19 at bats against Eveland, and has not homered against the lefty.

12-23-2009, 12:14 PM	#809 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Todd Helton joins 500 Club Veteran hits milestone one day after Pena July 17, 2013 BALTIMORE — One day after Carlos Pena hit his 500th career home run, Oakland Athletics DH Todd Helton reached that same milestone. Helton joined the 500 Club with a two-run home run off reliever Joakim Soria in the eighth inning, bringing the A's within one run of the Baltimore Orioles in an 8-7 loss. The big homer was a 385-foot roundtripper to right-center field. Helton is hitting .315 with seven home runs, 40 RBI, and 34 runs so far this season, his 17th in the big leagues. He has played for the Colorado Rockies (1997-2008), New York Yankees (2009), and Oakland (2009-2013). Helton is a career .326 hitter with 2,895 hits, 605 doubles, 60 triples, 50 home runs, 1,659 RBI, and 1,751 runs scored in 2,406 games.

12-23-2009, 12:44 PM	#810 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Delcarmen signs extension Devil Rays closer inked for two more years July 25, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manny Delcarmen will remain at the back end of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays bullpen for another couple years after signing a contract extension. Delcarmen, 31, signed a two-year, $8 million contract extension that will keep him in a Devil Rays uniform through the 2015 season. In his third year as the club's closer, Delcarmen is 3-1 with 16 saves and a 2.92 ERA in 28 appearances. He went 1-4 with 43 saves and a 2.49 ERA in 63 appearances last season, and is 30-20 with 106 saves and a 2.89 ERA in 385 games in his career.

12-23-2009, 12:54 PM	#811 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Rays go from B to Z Breslow dealth for Braves' Zumaya July 25, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Atlanta Braves bullpens have new looks to them after the two clubs traded relievers. Tampa Bay dealt left-hander Craig Breslow to Atlanta for right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya this morning, hours after announcing the team had come to terms on a contract extension with closer Manny Delcarmen. Breslow, 32, has had trouble this season but has had a stellar career as a middle reliever for the Devil Rays. Though he is 1-2 with two saves and a 5.00 ERA in 28 games this year, Breslow has a career 2.64 ERA in 315 appearances, all of with Tampa Bay. He went 0-4 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 52 games last year after going 4-4 with four saves and a 2.25 ERA in 57 games in 2011. He will be reunited with former teammate Jonathan Papelbon as a set-up reliever for closer Jonathan Broxton. Zumaya, 28, has had a pretty good career of his own, with a career record of 29-30, 93 saves, and a 3.25 ERA in 489 appearances, all with the Braves. This season, he has gone 3-1 with four saves and a 2.10 ERA in 26 games. He went 7-4 with 15 saves and a 2.55 ERA in 61 games last season, 4-5 with 28 saves and a 2.54 ERA in 2011. He is signed through next season at $3.02 million, and will spend the rest of the year working as the primary right-handed set-up reliever for Delcarmen.

12-23-2009, 01:07 PM	#812 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Clark dealt for O'Day Reliever acquired from division foes July 28, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays bullpen continues to be a point of focus fas the club traded infielder Roger Clark to acquire reliever Darren O'Day. O'Day, 30, has gone 5-3 with 10 saves and a 3.28 ERA in 43 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, and has a career record of 36-25 with 46 saves and a 3.27 ERA in 413 appearances, all with Baltimore. He is under contract for $3.99 million and is eligible for free agency in the off-season. He went 10-1 with four saves and a 2.13 ERA in 75 appearances with the Orioles last season after going 7-5 with one save and a 2.54 ERA in 66 appearances in 2011. Clark, 25, heads to Baltimore, heads to his fourth team. He is a career .262 hitter with three home runs and 49 RBI in 165 games with the Seattle Mariners, Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay.

12-23-2009, 01:24 PM	#813 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	O'Day spun for Gallegos Rays trade recently acquired reliever July 29, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Roughly 36 hours and 1 2/3 innings of work after acquiring Darren O'Day from the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays traded the reliever to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Jose Gallegos. O'Day, 30, was traded to Tampa Bay for infielder Roger Clark yesterday and worked 1 2/3 shutout innings last night against the New York Yankees before being traded again early this morning. "Darren is a great talent, but we have great depth in the bullpen, he was coming up as a free agent in the off-season, and it didn't make sense for us to keep him when we're struggling the way we are," said Devil Rays GM Shaun Moriarty. "He's now a Texas Ranger and we've got a really talented young man to help us out in the outfield, where we don't have as much depth as we'd like." Gallegos, 24, hit .311 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 59 games with the Rangers this season. He has missed roughly two months of game time with groin, knee, and shoulder injuries. He hit .297 with 29 home runs and 101 RBI in 126 games as a rookie with Texas last season and is a career .301 hitter with 39 homers and 140 RBI in 185 games. He's made one error in 468 1/3 innings in the outfield this year.

12-23-2009, 07:41 PM	#814 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Miller throws five-hit shutout Huff has big game, gets four hits and three RBI August 10, 2013 OAKLAND — Fred Miller was on top of his game today, working a complete game five-hit shutout of the Athletics. Miller walked three and struck out five in the five-hit shutout, improving to 11-10 with a 3.87 ERA on the year. "Freddy was pretty good out there," said Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He mixed up his pitches and really did a good job of keeping them off balance." Aubrey Huff provided all the offense Miller would need, going 4-for-4 with a home run, one run scored and three RBI in the 3-0 win. Huff hit a 351-foot line drive two-run home run to right field off A's starter Nate Robertson in the sixth inning. Robertson fell to 8-9 with a 4.77 ERA after giving up three runs on six hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

12-23-2009, 08:15 PM	#815 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Dunn joins 500 HR Club Third player to reach milestone in 2013 August 17, 2013 FLUSHING, NY — Adam Dunn has flexed his muscle quite often this season and over his career, and tonight he hit the 500th home run of his career in a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Dunn hit his 44th home run of the year, a 363-foot two-run shot to right field off Rockies starter Mack Guenette to reach the 500 home run plateau. Dunn, 33, is having one of the best years of his career, the best since playing with the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 2000s. He hit .232 with 33 home runs and 91 RBI in 103 games with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season before being traded to the New York Mets this year. In 19 games with the Mets, Dunn has hit .375 with 11 home runs and 22 RBI. Between the two clubs, he's hit .254 with 44 home runs and 113 RBI. He is on pace to hit 58 homers and drive in 150 runs. In 1,957 big league games, Dunn has hit .265 with 500 home runs, 1,382 RBI, and 1,287 runs scored. He has played with the Brewers (2000-2006), St. Louis Cardinals (2007-2009), San Diego Padres (2010-2012), and splitting this season with the Orioles and Mets. Dunn becomes the third player — and the youngest — to reach the 500 home run plateau this season. New York Yankees slugger Carlos Pena and Oakland Athletics DH Todd Helton hit their 500th career home runs earlier this season, Pena reaching it first with Helton hitting his 500th the very next day. Seattle Mariners star Albert Pujols is next in line to join the 500 Club, 22 short of the mark. His teammate, Alex Rodriguez, is now just eight home runs shy of the 600 home run mark.

12-23-2009, 08:38 PM	#816 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Lester throws two-hitter Lefty dominates Rangers in 3-0 Rays win August 22, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jon Lester has had some impressive games this season, but none more impressive than tonight's complete game two-hit shutout of the Texas Rangers. Lester struck out nine and walked one in the gem, throwing 115 strikes to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 3-0 win over the Rangers. Lester improves to 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA on the season. "We've seen some pretty good pitching performances this month, but Jon really controlled this game from start to finish," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. Lester let up a two-out single in the first inning and then threw no-hit stuff until allowing a leadoff single in the ninth inning. Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched pretty well for Texas, working eight innings in which he allowed three runs on six hits and one walk, striking out one. Devil Rays leadoff hitter Dave Burns, batting leadoff as the DH, went 2-for-3 with a walk, triple, home run, two runs, and two RBI. He hit a solo shot off Rowland-Smith in the fifth inning, a 432-foot flyball to centerfield.

12-24-2009, 10:41 AM	#817 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Turner fired by Athletics Manager's second stint ends prematurely September 8, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Oakland Athletics today fired manager John Turner. The A's are 58-83, sitting 16 games behind the Texas Rangers with the third-worst record in baseball. Turner was in his first year as Oakland's manager, his second time around with the team. Turner previously managed the Cleveland Indians from 1999-2002, Oakland from 2003-2007, and the Chicago Cubs from 2008-2012. He has a career managerial record of 1,248-1,161 with six division titles and a World Series championship with the 1999 Indians. Oakland GM Doug Melvin has made no indication about how the organization would move forward with the manager's position. Possibilities include bench coach Richard Adams, who previously managed the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003-2004, and the franchise's AAA manager Bill Walker. Kenny O'Brien, who has managed the Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Cincinnati Reds, was fired earlier this year by the Reds after a 21-30 start, but could be a possibility for the A's. Buck Showalter is also a possibility, according to media reports.

12-24-2009, 10:56 AM	#818 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	O'Neal will stay on board Manager signs new two-year agreement September 9, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Though the team has not seen the playoffs since 2009, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have agreed to a two-year extension with manager Christian O'Neal. O'Neal, 55, will be paid $1.2 million annually in 2014 and 2015. He is the only manager the Devil Rays have had, putting together a career managerial record of 1,481-1,092 in 16 seasons with 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles, and four World Series championships.

12-24-2009, 11:39 AM	#819 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	A-Rod hits 600th homer Becomes 8th member of exclusive club September 17, 2013 ARLINGTON, Tex. — A 373-foot fly ball to left field was one of the biggest hits in the storied career of Alex Rodriguez as the 38-year-old thirdbaseman joined the exclusive 600 home run club. Rodriguez becomes the eighth player in history to hit 600 home runs. Barry Bonds is baseball's all-time leader with 824, followed by Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Jim Thome (633), Mark McGwire (624), and Ken Griffey Jr. (605). A-Rod has shown good power this year with 28 home runs, 69 RBI and 86 runs, but has hit just .213 on the year, .201 against right-handers. He has made 20 errors in 145 games at third base. Rodriguez is a career .278 hitter with 2,718 hits, 600 home runs, 1,735 RBI, 1,723 runs scored, and 5,004 total bases. He has spent his entire 20-year career with the Seattle Mariners.

12-24-2009, 11:53 AM	#820 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Spencer suffers serious injury Devil Rays shortstop ruptures disc in back September 25, 2013 BOSTON — Tampa Bay Devil Rays shortstop Melvin Spencer may miss the entire 2014 season after suffering a serious back injury tonight in a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Spencer, 25, has been a big part of the Tampa Bay lineup since joining the team prior to last season. A .278 hitter in three seasons, Spencer has struggled this year, hitting .248 with 12 home runs and 66 RBI in 145 games. He hit .292 with 17 home runs and 80 RBI last season, and .293 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "We've got some awful luck with injuries down here, and I wish I knew what the hell it was," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "I have seen far too many young men end their careers prematurely on this team because of injuries, and to see a kid like Melvin go down with this sort of injury is no better."