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Looking for an offensive boost Nick Castellanos Jersey , the Philadelphia Phillies added an All-Star who may not help them for a while.The NL East-leading Phillies acquired injured catcher Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday for a player to be named or cash. They also got left-hander Aaron Loup from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league right-hander Jacob Waguespack.Ramos is batting .297 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs but is on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. General manager Matt Klentak said the best-case scenario has Ramos returning in mid-to-late August, though it’s possible he may be sidelined until September.”We’re uniquely positioned to take on a risk like this,” Klentak said in a conference call. ”The fact he may not be active for a few more weeks is not the end of the world for us.”Ramos said he can do everything behind the plate but still feels pain when he runs.When healthy, Ramos should upgrade an offense that has struggled during a four-game losing streak. He’s also solid defensively.”Wilson Ramos is a proven commodity, both behind the plate and at the plate, and also as a teammate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.Ramos, who turns 31 next month, has a $10.5 million salary, and the Phillies will be responsible for the remaining $3,443,548. He has 315 plate appearances and can earn $250,000 each for 450, 475 and 500.He is eligible for free agency after the World Series.Jorge Alfaro (.254, 7 homers http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-james-mccann-jersey , 23 RBIs) has been Philadelphia’s starting catcher with Andrew Knapp (.223, 4, 15) also seeing plenty of action. They’ve combined for 16 errors and 13 passed balls.”My first reaction was surprise,” Ramos said of the trade. ”I was reading a lot of news, but as soon as they told me I was traded to the Phillies, I was happy at the moment but sad at the same time. Happy because that team is in first place and I can do a lot of things to help that team win a lot of games. And sad because I’m very thankful with this team because they helped me a lot. They trust me, give me a contract (after knee surgery in 2016). Now, I’m going to Philadelphia and trying to help that team win the World Series.”The Phillies already added more pop when they acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets last Friday.Kapler said he’s happy the team got stronger ”without sacrificing our future to a large degree.”Loup has a 4.54 ERA in 50 relief appearances this season with 42 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings, and the Phillies will assume the $594,422 remaining of his $1,812,500 salary.Waguespack was 4-6 with a 4.68 ERA in 21 games, including 15 starts, at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.”Our bullpen has been among the best in baseball in July,” Klentak said. ”Loup is really good against left-handed hitters. What he can do against lefties to neutralize them is important and something we haven’t had this year.”Infielder Trevor Plouffe and lefty Zach Curtis were designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.—AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston and AP freelancer Mark Didtler in St. Petersburg Shane Greene Jersey , Florida, contributed to this report.— NEW YORK (AP) — As he crouched in the on-deck circle, David Wright felt more nervous than he had in his entire career.After all that rehab work, all those months and years spent waiting for this moment, the New York Mets‘ captain finally made it back into a major league game Friday night.“It was my first time on a baseball field that I can remember that I felt like I was going to throw up,” Wright said. “My heart felt like it was beating through my chest.”He didn’t waste any time taking a hack, though.Wright swung at the only pitch he saw, grounding out in his first plate appearance for the Mets in nearly 2½ years as New York lost 8-1 to the Miami Marlins.“It really was amazing,” he said. “I really felt butterflies that I’ve never felt before.”Sidelined by neck, back and shoulder injuries since May 27, 2016, the 35-year-old Wright pinch-hit leading off the fifth inning and received a warm ovation from the Citi Field crowd. After a long and arduous comeback, his return to the diamond was over in a flash.With fans on their feet, his wife and young daughters in attendance and supportive teammates draped over the dugout railing, Wright immediately took a rip at a 96 mph fastball from Jose Urena.The seven-time All-Star hit a bouncer to the left of third baseman Brian Anderson Sparky Anderson Jersey , who made a nifty pickup of a short hop and threw across the diamond to retire Wright. He gave a quick wave to the crowd and touched the bill of his helmet before returning to the dugout, where he high-fived and hugged teammates with a huge smile on his face.“I wish I could have gotten a hit, but putting 96 (mph) in play isn’t so bad, either. So just the reaction from the crowd, I’ll remember that forever,” Wright said. “You make the out and you’re kind of like, man, if that pitch was just a little higher I think I could have done something with it. But that’s probably the only time in my career that making an out put a smile on my face.”Wright is scheduled to start at third base Saturday night and get a couple of at-bats against the last-place Marlins in his goodbye game before a sellout crowd. Unable to overcome all the injuries, he said he expects this weekend to mark his final appearance in the big leagues.“It’s going to feel like the playoffs, so it’ll be neat for David,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “It’ll be kind of cool for our younger players that have probably never seen an electric atmosphere like they’re going to see tomorrow because it’s going to be wild and David deserves it, the fans deserve it, and it’s going to be fun to watch.”Wright was on deck when the last out was made in the fourth, causing the crowd to boo loudly when the inning ended. He clutched his bat and paced the dugout for most of the next half-inning before bounding onto the field even before the Marlins took their positions with a 3-1 lead in the fifth.“He looked like he was making his major league debut,” Callaway said. “That was a really cool moment.”Once one of the top players in baseball http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-jack-morris-jersey , Wright was reinstated from the disabled list Tuesday but didn’t play in New York’s three-game series against NL East champion Atlanta this week.“It’s going to be a sleepless night, I know that,” he said. “I’m just trying to enjoy it, but tomorrow is going to be surreal for me.“Just to be able to get in the flow of the game a little bit and to really be able to soak it in and enjoy the moment I think is my goal,” Wright added. “A hit wouldn’t hurt but expectations are low so I’ll be smiling tomorrow, hits or outs.”Wright made his major league debut for the Mets in 2004, three years after they drafted him 38th overall. He is the longest-tenured active player to spend his entire career with one team.He is the franchise leader in hits, RBIs, runs, doubles, total bases, extra-base hits and walks. His 242 home runs trail only Darryl Strawberry (252) on the Mets’ career list. Wright also hit the first World Series home run at Citi Field and had four RBIs in a Game 3 victory against Kansas City in 2015.Wright homered in each of his last three games in 2016 before needing season-ending neck surgery, one of several medical procedures he’s undergone since then.“He looked like himself, really, the stance and the whole thing Michael Fulmer Jersey ,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “Really happy for him from the standpoint of working his way back. Takes a lot, tells you a lot about his character.”Urena (9-12) won his sixth straight decision, holding the Mets to one run over six innings.Peter O’Brien and Lewis Brinson each doubled home a run in the fifth against reliever Paul Sewald (0-7).JUST LIKE OLD TIMESWright is looking forward to taking the field Saturday with longtime teammate and friend Jose Reyes alongside him at shortstop. “I think he’s hitting leadoff and I’m hitting third. It’s like Old-Timers’ day around here, so it’ll be nice,” Wright said. “It’s going to bring back obviously a lot of memories. We’ve been reminiscing for the last couple of weeks.”CAPTAIN IN THE CAGEThe Citi Field gates will open at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday so fans can watch Wright and the Mets take batting practice.A GIFT FOR YOUJust as the game was about to start, Wright said he was getting ready in the weight room when Mets ace Jacob deGrom presented him with a huge bottle of wine on behalf of the starting pitchers. “They engraved it with all this cool stuff,” Wright said.FREE PASSMets outfielder Brandon Nimmo has drawn 10 walks in his last five games. He has walked 29 times in September, breaking the club record for any month previously held by Keith Hernandez (28 walks in July 1984).TRAINER’S ROOMMets: OF Juan Lagares (torn left big toe plantar plate) is expected to be at full strength for the start of spring training. … Right-handers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo have been shut down for the rest of the season. “We feel that this is taking care of them heading into the offseason so they can come back and be even better next year,” Callaway said.UP NEXTMarlins: RHP Trevor Richards (4-9, 4.66 ERA) looks to build upon his best start in the majors. The rookie blanked Cincinnati for seven innings on Sunday, striking out nine.Mets: LHP Steven Matz (5-11, 4.14 ERA) will be making his career-high 30th start of the season.

“versatile” offense debuting on Sunday On Sunday Nate Solder Jersey , the New York Giants open their 2018 regular-season slate at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is much new about this iteration of the Giants, and much of that is on the offensive side of the ball. That includes their offensive coordinator, with Mike Shula taking over for Mike Sullivan in February following the hire of Pat Shurmur as the Giants’ new head coach. Shula spoke with the media on Thursday.On his offensive weaponryThe Giants aren’t lacking for offensive playmakers this year. The healthy return of Odell Beckham, Jr. means that quarterback Eli Manning again has an elite-level target to throw to, while the addition of running back Saquon Barkley in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft should make both the running and passing games better. Add in receivers Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram and the offense presents myriad options to take advantage of opposing defenses.Shula’s goal is “to use the guys the best way we can,” adding that “the number-one thing is to have our guys playing fast, and knowing what to do and doing it fast because we feel like if they do that, it gives us our best chance.” It starts with Manning: “We want to have Eli make good decisions and take what they give you, you hear that all the time, find the one on ones and things like that.” Ultimately, Shula knows that the key to the Giants’ offensive success will hinge on finding the best ways to use their collection of talent. “We want to be versatile with our scheme, whether we’re running it, throwing it, quick game, drop back, play action, misdirection, but also versatile with where the ball’s going based on our personnel,” said Shula. And though Shula cited Beckham as having “really, really good hands and he’s a guy that has made big plays in big situations Authentic Sterling Shepard Jersey ,” he was also quick to point out that Beckham is “a big piece to our puzzle, he’s not the only piece.”Why Kyle Lauletta got the nod over Davis WebbOne of the more surprising decisions the Giants made as part of the weekend’s roster cuts was the decision to release backup quarterback Davis Webb, whom the team selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, Manning’s backups will be Alex Tanney and Kyle Lauletta, the latter selected by the Giants in Round 4 of this year’s draft.Shula cited Lauletta’s ability to learn the position quickly as a major factor in his earning of a roster spot. “We think Kyle is a young guy that just has continued to get better with reps. He’s got very good football intelligence, I think he’s got some intangibles that you need at that position,” said Shula. “You can kind of sense that day in and day out, the learning process that [Lauletta’s] going through and how quickly he’s picking things up — not just by what you see on the field, but how he is in the meeting rooms with the other players, always kind of thinking about things other than maybe just the way it’s drawn up.”Panthers’ coach Ron Rivera on Eli Manning: “I still see the same guy” With the New York Giants moving on from their 33-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the team looks to move forward and set focus on the Carolina Panthers. With the Giants making the move down to Charlotte for the weekend matchup, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera spoke with the media on Wednesday about Big Blue. Let’s take a look at some takeaways from his time with the media. On what he has seen out of the Giants offense and whether he expects to seen anything different Sunday...“I don’t necessarily think that,” Rivera said. “I’m not going to see anything different, because you’re going to game plan how you think you can best attack a team, so that’d be up to Pat. But looking at what they’re doing right now, there’s some good things going on. I think this is a team that’s trying to find itself, they’ve had some injuries, they’ve had some players they’ve had to move around. I know last week they didn’t have Evan Engram, who I think is a big part of what they want to do, so again I think it’s a good football team that’s finding itself. You’ve got a new head coach with new philosophies Youth Kareem Martin Jersey , new ideas, and you’ve got some new players in key spots. I like who they have, I think they’re a very talented football team, I’ll tell you that right now. It’s just a matter of time before they put it all together and they’re the type of football team that, believe me, people are going to hear from.”On what Giants general manager Dave Gettleman means to him...“I really appreciated working with Dave,” Rivera said. “I like who he is as a person and as a scout. He really understands and knows players, he came in with the philosophy of we were going to bring in big guys up front because they allow you to compete, and it worked for us, it worked very well for us. We’re still seeing the aftereffects of the players he brought in. It was a very positive situation, I really enjoyed working with him. He’s a northeast guy and you can feel it when dealing with him. The one thing with Dave, Dave was always upfront, a straight shooter, very honest – brutally honest, almost to a fault – but he was a lot of fun to be around.”On what he has seen out of quarterback Eli Manning this year and whether he seems like the same quarterback he has seen in the past...“Yes I do, it’s just throwing different route combinations, that’s pretty much it,” Rivera said. “The dude – you’re talking about a two-time Super Bowl MVP. There’s something about your game that’s special, and I think he’s a special player. Again, as I said Youth Ray-Ray Armstrong Jersey , new offense and they’re learning things, they’re learning how to play it, it takes a little bit of time, you don’t just plug in and say OK this is it. They’ve got to understand each other’s philosophy, they’ve got to understand what the other players are doing. That’s a lot to learn when you install a new offense, but I still see the same guy – good decision maker, good arm, and he’s a winner. Believe me, we’re not taking these guys lightly. This football team’s got way too much talent, but again, like I said, they’re still growing.”About former coaches and players being on the other side of the field...“Like I say, we know that they know that I know that you know that he knows, so we’ll go from there,” Rivera said. “It’s different. They’re in a different environment with different players, we have different players. It’s a different environment. We’ll see how it goes though, but the only thing you’re familiar about is who they are as people and that’s the most important thing.”

 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had surgery on his torn ACL Wednesday morning, and it sounds like everything went well — or, as well as one can expect given the situation.Fooch’s update: Kyle Shanahan said on Friday morning (on KNBR) that it was as good as could be expected, and the rehab should be a straight forward ACL rehab.On Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the surgery was happening that day and they would know more once it was complete. On Thursday evening, general manager John Lynch had an update for KNBR. Lynch talked to the surgeon and got a positive report about the surgery.The big thing to take from the surgery is that it appears to have been strictly an ACL tear. He could have torn one of the other ligaments (MCL, PCL, LCL) or his meniscus, thus complicating the rehab process. The other ligaments impact stability, and so knowing that he apparently does not have anything else but the ACL, it simplifies the rehab process. Lynch did not specifically say there were not other issues, so this is an inference based on his comments and reports since the injury.This successful surgery with no apparent complications improves his chances of being ready at the start of or early into training camp. Barring any unexpected setbacks, it would seem safe to assume he would be good to go for Week 1 of the regular season.No two injuries are the same, but we can potentially compare him to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles QB suffered a torn ACL on December 11, 2017 Youth DeForest Buckner jersey , but surgery also revealed a torn LCL. Wentz was cleared for full team activities on August 19, 2018, and made his return to game action in Week 3 (September 23). Garoppolo’s injury happened on September 23, so if the rehab process goes well, this bodes well for getting Jimmy Garoppolo back on the field in time for Week 1 next season.Matt Breida talks adoption, being a UDFA, working with Alfred Morris San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida has been making a name for himself in 2018. At one point, he was leading the NFL in rushing yards. Now he’s made himself an explosive threat to NFL defenses, finding ways to break out for massive gains. For an undrafted free agent, this is nothing short of special. What’s more special is Breida’s journey to the NFL. He began as an adopted child to his parents and watched both of them encounter accidents that disabled them. From there, it was Breida giving that bit of excitement to his parents and carving out a niche in the NFL. All of this is discussed in Matt Maiocco’s latest podcast, something that is less about his NFL career and more about what got him there. There’s a lot about his time with the 49ers, but the best parts are his journey getting there. This is something to listen to if you haven’t already. The interview starts at 4:08 mark. You can listen to the podcast using the widget above. If you can’t see it, you can also click here to listen. 04:20 - Time to reflect on what got him to the NFL05:04 - Getting adopted 199506:35 - What sports meant to him07:15 - Dealing with his father’s life-threatening battle with meningitis07:53 - The two car accidents disabling each of his parents09:00 - What it means to give his parents the enjoyment only he can provide09:36 - His birth parents10:50 - Being recently married and starting a family11:30 - How he’s succeeded where others have failed12:32 - Who he’s heard from since the Detroit Lions game13:15 - Scholarship offers in high school13:41 - Relationship with Jerick McKinnon14:58 - Senior year at Georgia Southern15:53 - Not getting invited to the NFL Combine17:30 - Why he signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent19:53 - Sharring carries with Alfred Morries20:46 - His approach this year with the games left on his schedule.

. Are you kidding me? Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Buccaneers came out in New Orleans and out dueled the high octane Chris Conte Jersey , sexy Super Bowl pick Saints by a score of 48-40. The offense was nearly unstoppable and the defense came up in big spots when needed. Add all that up and you have the upset of the week and a Buccaneers team in first place in the NFC South.Who would’ve guessed that would happen heading into the season?It was a crazy game that definitely kept the blood pressure spiked all the way to the end. Let’s Pick Six.Six Topics Suitable For ConversationTodd Monken Is THE MAN. - When was the last time we saw the offense click like this? Fitzpatrick finished with 417 passing yards (a career high) and four touchdowns as well as one more on the ground. The Bucs had two receivers combine for 293 yards and three touchdowns. They had two touchdowns of 50+ yards. You could tell an obvious difference in the playcalling, performance, and execution of the offense from the word go. Koetter made the right call to give Monken the reigns and the Buccaneers will reap the benefits.Pass Rush Was Decent, But Not There Yet - As the game went on, the pressure continued to get to Brees. However, the line just couldn’t seem to finish things off. If they continue to trend in that direction, this will be a formidable crew. They still have a long way to go, but things certainly aren’t as bleak as last season - or as they looked in preseason. Vinny Curry was able to get the lone sack of the day for either team, which certainly helped. As for the secondary...Secondary Still Leaves A Lot To Be Desired - Yes, Brent Grimes was out and that didn’t help. Once the Bucs lost Vernon Hargreaves III after he had a key pass break up, Drew Brees was able to absolutely shred the secondary with no resistance. Granted, the soft coverage and prevent defense Mike Smith was calling didn’t help matters any, but the rookies still have quite the learning curve to adapt to - especially if Grimes and VHIII are going to miss significant time.DeSean Jackson Is Who We Thought He Was - When the Buccaneers signed DeSean Jackson, this is what we had visions of. Receptions of 58 yards (touchdown), 36 yards (touchdown), and 35 yards were exactly what we thought we would see on a week in, week out basis out of the speedster. Now, just have to hope that the shoulder injury isn’t serious and the concussion doesn’t linger...Mike Evans Gets The Monkey Off His Back - Historically, Mike Evans has not done well against the Saints. We’re talking about 25 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns in seven games. His career high in yards against the Saints was 97, coming in 2016 and he’s had four games under 50 yards - one game with zero. Not great. On Sunday, Evans exploded for 147 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions and those seven receptions came on seven targets - a 100% catch percentage for the fifth year receiver. The Bucs needed every inch of his yardage to beat the Saints and Evans was clutch all day long.Relax - Bucs fans everywhere are going to be over-the-moon hyped after this win. Enjoy it, yes - but keep things in perspective. It’s only one game. Don’t get too high off the highs or too low off the lows. The Bucs still have business to take care of, massive improvements to make Ryan Smith Jersey , and have the defending Super Bowl champions headed to town. No, they won’t have Carson Wentz or Alshon Jeffrey - but they didn’t in week one either and still beat Atlanta. Their defense is no joke and the Buccaneers will have to be every bit as efficient on offense as they were against the Saints to steal another win. Things look good, but it’s a long season.Six Number To Consider48 - Most points scored by the Buccaneers in franchise history, including three previous times - most recently in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Raiders0 - Turnovers by the Buccaneers’ offense33 - Evans’ career touchdowns, second all-time in Bucs’ history - and only one behind Jimmie Giles31 - First half points by the Bucs, the most in franchise history when on the road2001 - The last year the Buccaneers scored more than 30 points in the first half of a game9 - Number of 20+ yard plays by the BuccaneersSix Top Performers6.) Chris Godwin - Nearly had a 100+ yard game had Fitz not had one rare miss on a deep pass, but Godwin had the catch of the day as well as a phenomenal touchdown in the first half. Wasn’t the “light up the stat sheet” day I predicted, but a solid start to his sophomore season.5.) Kwon Alexander - Not a great opening drive for the linebacker, but Kwon settled in and finished his day with nine tackles, one for loss, and a key forced fumble on Michael Thomas late in the game.4.) Peyton Barber - Rough second half, but Barber ran hard all day long. Barber ended up with 69 yards on 19 carries for a 3.6 yards per carry average - that was after averaging over eight per carry in the first half. When the Bucs tried to run out the clock, the Saints sent the house after Barber. Solid game - and a bright future ahead.3.) Mike Evans - Seven receptions, 147 yards, one touchdown, and a 21.0 yards per catch average. Elite performance. Evans also climbed higher in the Bucs’ record books and will likely break two records next week against the Eagles.2.) DeSean Jackson - Five receptions, 146 yards, and two touchdowns. DJax finished with a 29.2 yards per catch average, he battled back after injuring his shoulder on the first drive, and was a major impact player all game long.1.) Ryan Fitzpatrick - A career high 417 passing yards to go with his four touchdown passes. Then add in 36 rushing yards - including the crucial eleven yard scramble to end the game - and a rushing touchdown and Ryan Fitzmagic was the best performing quarterback in the NFL in week one. Because, who didn’t see that coming?Six Best TweetsThese are the six best in-game tweets, in no particular orderThis next one was a big ol’ oops, huh?Watch the face plant by Lattimore...Too many out there can relate;Six Super Bowl Best Bets1.) Minnesota Vikings - Still think they’re the team to beat in the NFC. They have the QB in place2.) New England Patriots - Until someone knocks them off...3.) Philadelphia Eagles - Escaped Thursday with the win. The defense is one of the best and just have to tread water until Wentz returns4.) Jacksonville Jaguars - Statement win on the road. The Jags defense is still a force to be reckoned with5.) New Orleans Saints - Don’t get it twisted. This team started 0-2 last season and were a fluke play from the NFC Championship. They’re much better than they looked on Sunday and are still legit contenders16.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I expect hand written apologies from every “expert” that picked the Bucs to be the worst team in the NFL and finish with one or two wins. You know who you are.Six Final WordsCan Bucs Shock The World Again?Dirk Koetter comments after the first day of training camp. The first day of training camp has come to a conclusion Cheap O. J. Howard Jersey ,and today was the first time we have heard from head coach Dirk Koetter since Jameis Winston was officially suspended for three games by the NFL. As you can imagine, almost all of the questions asked by the media were centered around Winston and the suspension and you could tell that Koetter was not enjoying it one bit.With that being said, there were a few questions that were centered around Ryan Fitzpatrick and actual football topics, instead of the nonsense going on off the field. Koetter, had very kind words when asked what Fitzpatrick brings to the team and how the team feels about him moving forward. “Well, he’s played in over 100 NFL games. Yeah, he’s got experience,” Koetter said. “He’s extremely smart. He knows our system. The players believe in him.” For Buccaneer fans, that’s exactly what you want to hear. One of the most important things that contribute to a winning football team is trust and believing in each other. Combine the trust amongst one another and the experience Fitzpatrick has and you can see this team get off to a hot start in 2018. Every training camp brings different opportunities, whether it is for veterans like Fitzpatrick or free agent acquisitions like Vinny Curry. Obviously, each team has the incoming draft class to work with as well. Fitting all these new guys into your game plan is fun, but challenging for head coaches and Koetter mentioned how excited he is to see the new guys get going in Tampa Bay. “I’m really excited about the new guys that we’ve added to this team. I’m excited about our defensive front,” Koetter said. “I’m excited about our draft picks, obviously the free agents [like] Ryan Jensen. I’m excited about Chandler Catanzaro getting his chance as a kicker.”As Koetter said, there is a lot to be excited about with this football team, but we all know the daunting task that they face during the first three games of the regular season. People realize this roster has talent. In fact, Tampa has had talent for several years now, but it just hasn’t come together. Will this be the year they finally put it all together? Dirk Koetter does have a good feeling about this year’s roster. “I think we’re going to have a good football team, but again, it’s going to be proven on the field here when we get to playing real games,” Koetter said.Koetter is spot on with the end of that answer and until the team does prove that on the field, the national media disrespect will continue.Only time will tell.

.According to Ian Rapoport at the NFL Network, general manager John Dorsey is working to schedule a visit with Bryant, which could come by Monday.Bryant will be a familiar name to even the most casual of Browns fans after spending eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he made three Pro Bowls and earned an All-Pro nod once.His production has fallen off in recent seasons, however, as Bryant has not posted a 1 http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-damarious-randall-jersey ,000-yard receiving season since 2014. Last season he finished with 69 receptions for 838 yards, six touchdowns and an average of 12.1 yards per reception.While those numbers may look impressive to a Browns team that has seen its wide receivers struggle in recent years, those same numbers were all the lowest in Bryant’s career for a season where he played all 16 games.With the news circulating that the Browns may be interested, Bryant took to Twitter on Friday to call out Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones, and former teammates Travis Frederick and Sean Lee for the disappointing end to his time in Dallas.Whether or not that type of behavior fits into the “new culture” that Dorsey is reportedly building with the Browns remains to be seen. The interest in Bryant also raises the question of just how confident the Browns are about wide receiver Josh Gordon’s ability to return to the team any time soon.Where were you when Tim Couch got his first win? This week http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jamie-collins-jersey , SB Nation asked every NFL blog to think back to a memorable moment in their team’s recent history and write where we were at that moment or our memories of that moment.Ugh.Is it so sad that there are so few “good” memories that come to mind to where I can think, “Everyone will remember where they were when this happened”? William Green’s long touchdown run against the Atlanta Falcons to help secure a playoff spot might be one of them, but then I started thinking about Tim Couch’s long-awaited return to being affiliated with the Cleveland Browns franchise again (he will be calling preseason games this year).In the spirit of Couch’s return, let’s talk about the team’s first victory in their expansion era: October 31, 1999. Halloween. With Cleveland trailing 16-14 in the final seconds, Couch heaved a pass 60+ yards through the air to the corner of the end zone. The ball was deflected and went right into the arms of Kevin Johnson for the touchdown.I didn’t see the moment live Kevin Zeitler Jersey , but I remember I was in the backseat of my parents’ car on Ridge Road in Cleveland, OH (around the spot I show on Google Images below). The touchdown call was heard through the radio, and our dad started beeping the horn in celebration. I remember looking over to my right to see another car join in, beeping along with us as they were yelling in celebration too.Do you remember where you were for this infamous moment? Also, feel free to share any other distinct memories you have of Browns moments in recent history (i.e. ones where you remember precisely where you were at or what you were going).

Trailing 2-0 after the first three batters of the game James Neal Jersey , Chacin threw seven solid innings and Hernan Perez homered among his three hits, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in a matchup of first-place teams.

NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee won its fourth game in a row to go 17 games over .500 (52-35) for the first time since July 1, 2014, when the Brewers were 51-34.

Chacin (7-3) gave up three hits and two earned runs while matching a season high with seven strikeouts in what tied for his longest outing this year. The right-hander, who was 0-2 in his previous three starts while allowing 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings, retired 20 of the last 24 batters he faced.

”Jhoulys pitched excellent – after the first,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. ”He locked it in and made some really good pitches the rest of the night.”

Dan Jennings pitched two perfect innings for his first save this season, and second of his career.

NL East-leading Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game after winning four straight – and lost for the first time this season on a Thursday (7-1).

Braves left-hander Max Fried (1-3) lasted only three innings in his third start of the season, giving up four earned runs and four hits with three walks.

”He had a blister starting and he’s had a history of the blister thing,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. ”And when it kind of surfaced, I decided I didn’t want to take any chances, so I shut him down.”

Atlanta gave Fried a 2-0 lead in the first, but he allowed a run in the bottom of the frame and did not help his cause in the second. After a leadoff triple by Perez and a walk to Keon Broxton, Milwaukee tied it at 2 on a single by Tyler Saladino. Fried failed to hold the runners on first and second by not even looking at them, so Broxton and Saladino converted a double steal. Erik Kratz’s groundout scored Broxton to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.

”We’re getting the right guys out there, trying to do our homework and find spots when we can take advantage of something,” Counsell said.

Then, Fried not only walked Chacin, he fired a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop on ball four. Catcher Tyler Flowers retrieved the ball and threw to Fried covering the plate. But Saladino – who appeared to be an easy out – slid awkwardly in front of the plate and knocked it out of the pitcher’s glove. Saladino got up and stepped on the plate for a 4-2 lead.

Perez hit a two-run homer – his fifth – off reliever Dan Winkler in the eighth.

MORE MOUND MISCUES

In the first, Ozzie Albies scored from third on a grounder hit by Freddie Freeman. Chacin fielded the ball, looked at Albies and then slowly lobbed a high toss to first which allowed the speedster to score without a throw home. … In the eighth, Winkler’s pickoff attempt at first hit Jonathan Villar in the head and the ball ended up in Milwaukee’s dugout for an error. Villar took second and scored on a single by Christian Yelich.

FREEMAN STILL SLUMPING

In his previous nine games in Milwaukee, Freeman was hitting .419 (13-for-31) with six home runs and seven walks. But that did not end his slump, as he was 0 for 3 and is now batting .154 (10-for-65) in his last 16 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: RHP Julio Tehran is not in Milwaukee after coming down with an illness while the team was in New York. Since he was not scheduled to start against the Brewers, the Braves sent him back to Atlanta.

Brewers: INF Saladino (left ankle sprain) was activated from the disabled list and INF Eric Sogard was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (6-4, 2.02) is 1-1 all-time against Milwaukee.

Brewers: Rookie RHP Freddy Peralta (3-1, 2.28) makes his sixth start.

—

Projected starters and key players for the Super Bowl at Minneapolis on Feb. 4:

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

OFFENSE

Nick Foles, QB (9), 6-foot-6, 243 pounds, 6th season, Arizona

Took over for Carson Wentz after Wentz tore his ACL in December against Rams. … Played first three seasons with Eagles before returning as free agent. … Became first QB in franchise history to throw for at least 300 yards and at least 3 TDs in playoff game with 352 yards, 3 TDs in NFC championship game.

LeGarrette Blount, RB (29), 6-0, 250, 8th season, Oregon

Won Super Bowls with Patriots after 2014, 2016 seasons. … Led NFL with career-high 18 rushing TDs in 2016. … Power runner who does best work near end zone.

Jay Ajayi, RB (36), 6-0, 223, 3rd season, Boise State

Acquired from Miami at trade deadline. … Became first player in NFL history to produce at least 400 rushing yards with two teams (465 yards, Miami, 408 yards, Philadelphia) in same season. … Was fourth in NFL in rushing in 2016 with 1,272 yards.

Alshon Jeffery, WR (17), 6-3, 218, 6th season, South Carolina

Led Eagles with 9 TD catches in regular season despite no 100-yard games. Only two receivers (DeAndre Hopkins Jonathan Marchessault Jersey , Devante Adams) had more. … Spent first five seasons with Bears. … Caught 5 passes for 85 yards and 2 TDs in NFC title game.

Nelson Agholor, WR (13), 6-0, 198, 3rd season, Southern Cal

First-round pick in 2015. … With 62 catches, 768 yards and 8 TDs, provides excellent complement to Jeffery in breakout season.

Torrey Smith, WR (82), 6-0, 205, 7th season, Maryland

Brings playoff experience to passing game. … Won Super Bowl 47 with Baltimore. … A deep threat.

Zach Ertz, TE (86), 6-5, 250, 5th season, Stanford

One of league’s best tight ends. Led team with 74 receptions and added 8 TDs. Had 8 catches for 93 yards in NFC championship game.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, LT (72), 6-6, 320, 2nd season, TCU

Fifth-round pick in 2016. Can play both tackle positions. … Replacing perennial Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters.

Stefen Wisniewski, LG (61), 6-3, 305, 7th season, Penn State

Originally second-round pick of Oakland in 2011. … Has played left guard and center. … His uncle, Steve, was two-time All-Pro selection at guard with L.A. Rams and Oakland Raiders.

Jason Kelce, C (62), 6-3, 295, 7th season, Cincinnati

Went from sixth-round pick in 2011 to first All-Pro selection this season. … Dominant part of run game, can handle DTs one on one.

Brandon Brooks, RG (79), 6-5, 335, 6th season, Miami, Ohio

Spent first four seasons with Texans. … Joined Eagles in 2016. … Selected for first Pro Bowl in 2017.

Lane Johnson, RT (65), 6-6, 317, 5th season, Oklahoma

Second All-Pro on offensive line. … Was No. 4 overall pick in 2013. … Suspended 10 games in 2016 for violating NFL’s performance-enhancers policy.

—

DEFENSE

Chris Long, DE (56), 6-3, 270, 10th season, Virginia

Won Super Bowl last year with Patriots. … First season with Eagles. …. Had 5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in regular season and 8 QB pressures in NFC title game. … Similar performance could help Eagles pull upset in Super Bowl. … Second overall pick in 2008 draft by Rams. … Son of Hall of Fame DL Howie Long.

Fletcher Cox, DT (91) Luca Sbisa Jersey , 6-4, 310, 6th season, Mississippi State

Three-time Pro Bowler. … Powerful force who’s second among Eagles interior linemen with 34 sacks. … Had season-high 7 tackles and sack of Falcons’ Matt Ryan in divisional playoff win against Atlanta.

Tim Jernigan, DT (93), 6-2, 295, 4th season, Florida State

Second-round pick of Ravens in 2014 was acquired in trade in April and provides depth on defensive line. … Signed four-year extension through 2021.

Brandon Graham, DE (55), 6-2, 265, 8th season, Michigan

Led Eagles with career-high 9+ sacks. … No. 13 pick in 2010 draft and longest-tenured member of Eagles defense. … Sacked Tom Brady twice when Eagles beat Patriots in previous meeting in 2015.

Derek Barnett, DE (96), 6-3, 259, 1st season, Tennessee

Had 5 sacks in rookie season. …. Had strip-sack of Case Keenum to halt Vikings’ red zone drive in NFC title game. … First-round pick last April.

Mychal Kendricks, LB (95), 6-0, 240, 6th season, Cal

Second on team with 77 tackles. … Has thrived under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. … Had team-high 10 tackles in NFC title game.

Dannell Ellerbe, LB (57), 6-1, 245, 9th season, Georgia

Won Super Bowl 47 with Baltimore. … Joined Eagles in November and became third middle linebacker after Jordan Hicks, Joe Walker sustained season-ending injuries. … Missed NFC title game with hamstring injury.

Nigel Bradham, LB (53), 6-2, 241, 6th season, Florida State

Acquired in trade with Buffalo in 2016. … Led all Eagles LBs with 99 tackles and had career-high 7 tackles for loss and tied for team lead with 2 forced fumbles in first season with Eagles.

Jalen Mills, CB (31), 6-0, 191, 2nd season, LSU

Seventh-round pick in 2016. Made key defensive play while guarding Julio Jones on fourth down to preserve 15-10 win over Falcons in divisional round.

Patrick Robinson, CB (21), 5-11, 191, 8th season, Florida State

First season with Eagles and led them with 4 interceptions in regular season. … Had spectacular 50-yard pick-6 against Vikings in NFC title game.

Ronald Darby, CB (41), 5-11, 193, 3rd season, Florida State

Missed eight

Pearce doubled in the second inning Friday night on the first pitch he saw from CC Sabathia at Yankee Stadium. Pearce played first base against New York.

The Red Sox got the 35-year-old Pearce and cash on Thursday from Toronto for minor league infielder Santiago Espinal.

Pearce has a career average of .255 and 83 career home runs and 268 RBIs. He was hitting .291 with four homers and 16 RBIs for the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are his seventh team Dorance Armstrong Jr. Color Rush Jersey , including all five in the AL East.

Boston manager Alex Cora said Pearce gives the team more options at first base, where Mitch Moreland is having a good season, and as a designated hitter.

Pearce’s cost to the Red Sox is $1.5 million. The Blue Jays will give Boston $1,658,602 to cover part of the $3,158,602 remaining in his $6.25 million salary.

The Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds are meeting for the first time in three years, so understandably they don’t know much about each other.

But the White Sox already know this: Don’t be confused by the Reds’ place in the standings. They’re not playing like a last-place team in the NL Central, even when they’re down late in a game.

And the White Sox pitchers will be told this constantly before the second game of the three-game series Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park: Anthony DeScalfani is a pitcher — and thus wouldn’t even take a swing in the American League — but is very dangerous with a bat in his hand in an NL ballpark.

But it took the Reds only one game to learn this: You must pitch to White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia very, very carefully.

The Reds overcame a Garcia homer and a two-run deficit to beat the White Sox 5-3 Monday night in the series opener — the byproduct of an unusual four-run rally in the eighth inning keyed by a bases-loaded grounder to first base in which the White Sox tried to get two outs and ended up with none.

Pinch-hitter Alex Blandino’s two-run double to right field off Chris Volstad broke a 3-all tie with two out in the eighth gave the Reds their third straight victory — 12th in 15 games and 15th in 20 games. They also dealt the White Sox their fourth loss in five games and 13th in 18 games.

“He was living on the outside corner, nibbling out there and didn’t want to give me anything to hit, but I was able to put a good swing on it,” said Blandino, who was 3-for-21 (.143) coming into that at-bat. “This is a game of opportunities, when things don’t go as well as you hoped, you’ve got to keep fighting. And tonight is a step in the right direction.

“It’s been awesome … it’s somebody different every night, and we’re loving it right now.”

The Reds still trail first-place Milwaukee by double digits in the division, but they’re creeping closer to fourth place Pittsburgh after being in last since the day the season started. And they now have a winning record under interim manager Jim Riggleman (34-33), who took over for Bryan Price when the Reds were 3-15.

“We had some really good at-bats … and (after the play at first) the opportunity was there for us to win it Dalton Schultz Color Rush Jersey ,” Riggleman said. “There was a lot of good baseball tonight.”

On Tuesday, White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (5-7) will oppose Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (3-1) in a matchup of pitchers who have never faced the other team. Giolito is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his last seven starts, while DeSclafani has won his last three decisions.

Giolito is coming off perhaps his best start, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before leaving after giving up one run in 6 1/3 innings Thursday in what became a 2-1, 13-inning White Sox loss to the Minnesota Twins.

“I’m starting to throw the ball a lot better, I feel like it’s coming better out of my hand,” Giolito told reporters after the game. “Just take some good lessons from (this). In the seventh inning, I kind of let some pitches get away from me there. I wasn’t executing like I was earlier in the game. (I’ll) learn from that.”

DeSclafani is a pleasant surprise to the Reds after missing all of last season and the first two months of this season with multiple injuries. Not only is he pitching well, he hit a grand slam, one of the Reds’ club record-tying nine this season, during a June 23 start against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds have six grand slams in their last 17 games.

The Reds started off Monday night with a Scott Schebler leadoff homer in the first, then did very little offensively until White Sox starter James Shields was lifted with two out in the seventh.

In the eighth, the Reds had the bases loaded with one out when Adam Duvall hit a grounder to first baseman Matt Davidson, who attempted to touch the base for the force out before throwing home to try to get Scooter Gennett at the plate. But Gennett slid in safely, and Duvall was ruled safe at first because Davidson threw home before stepping on the bag. That set up Duvall’s opposite-field game-winning hit.

Reds right-hander Luis Castillo held the White Sox to a run over 6 2/3 innings, and the Reds withstood Garcia’s fifth homer, a solo shot in the eighth off Jared Hughes. Garcia is 19-for-52 (.365) during a 12-game hitting streak. He also has six hits in his last two games and is 11-for-24 with two doubles, two triples and two home runs in his last five games.

Todd Haley met his high standards.

After operating for two seasons as both Cleveland’s coach and offensive coordinator Adidas Frans Nielsen Jersey , Jackson hired Haley to take over his offense following the assistant’s six successful seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Haley wasn’t on Jackson’s radar after the Browns went 0-16 this season. But after Haley was fired by the Steelers following an opening-round loss to Jacksonville in the AFC playoffs, Jackson didn’t waste a moment and swooped in to nab the 50-year-old, who previously coached in Kansas City and is regarded as one of the league’s elite coordinators.

”He has been a guy that has adjusted his offense to successfully complement and taken advantage of the skillset of his personnel,” Jackson said.

”I’ve witnessed firsthand how prolific his offenses have been in the AFC North over the last six seasons. If I was going to turn over the play calling duties to someone else, it had to be to someone that was experienced and had a long history of success in this league. We were going to be patient about it because there is always a lot of movement in the early part of the offseason.

”When Todd became available, I jumped at the opportunity to meet with him. Once we sat down and talked, it became quickly evident that Todd would be a great fit.”

The Browns made Haley’s hiring official on Wednesday. The Associated Press and other media outlets reported the move earlier this week.

With Pittsburgh, Haley oversaw the Steelers’ talented offense featuring Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. He won’t have as much to work with in Cleveland, but the Browns are expected to take a quarterback with No. 1 overall draft pick.

”This is a great opportunity,” said Haley, who went 19-26 with the Chiefs and led them to a division title in 2010. ”The Browns have a great history, great fans and deserve to have some fun and experience some winning. I want to help be part of that process.

”There is obviously a lot of work to do in order to get there, but I’ve always been excited about facing a challenge. There is no better feeling than when you can be a part of turning an organization around.

”Hue and I have had some good battles in competing against each other as coordinators and even as a head coach.”

The Browns announced the additions of Freddie Kitchens as running backs coach/associate head coach and Amos Jones special teams coordinator. Those moves were also previously reported.

Haley’s arrival is a much-needed infusion for the Browns, who have gone 1-31 in two seasons under Jackson. He knows his way around the league and especially the AFC North after 21 years as a pro coach.

Granted Adidas Dylan Larkin Jersey , the Steelers had some elite players, but Haley got the most out of them. With Roethlisberger running the show, Pittsburgh’s offense ranked in the top 10 in scoring and yards in each of the past four seasons.

Brown has developed into perhaps the league’s top playmaker with five straight 100-catch seasons and Bell is a dual threat as runner and receiver.

Jackson was reluctant to give up play-calling duties. He was Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator for two seasons before joining the Browns, and was confident he would continue to have success as the play caller. But Cleveland’s offense has sputtered and finished last in the league in scoring this past season.

Haley knows Jackson’s thirst to succeed.

”He’s so competitive and winning is the only thing that’s important to him,” he said. ”You want to work with a coach like that. Hue and I share a lot of similar beliefs on how to be successful on offense. We have to score points, protect the ball, protect the quarterback and develop players. It’s not too complicated, but at the same time, it is a great challenge. We are really looking forward to getting to work on it.”

—

With apologies to Little Orphan Annie, the sun’ll come out today.

Considering the month the Kansas City Royals just went through, and that they’re currently in often-overcast Seattle, that was no guarantee.

No team in baseball will be happier to flip the calendar than the Royals, who are coming off the worst June in their 50-year history.

“I’m ready to turn the page and start over in July,” Royals manager Ned Yost told The Kansas City Star. “It’s just kind of a reset. We’re out of there, it’s done; it’s behind us. Let’s go on to July and see what happens.”

How bad was June?

The Royals went 5-21 Adidas Leon Draisaitl Jersey , tied for their fewest wins in the month (and that came in 1981, when they went 5-5 as the season was interrupted by a work stoppage).

They scored four or fewer runs in all but two games, including 21 of the past 22, and never won back-to-back games.

Kansas City scored a major league low 58 runs in the month, 29 fewer than runner-up Tampa Bay (87).

They batted .193 (162-for-839), the worst month in franchise history (the 1992 Royals hit .207 in April), and had 10 hits in a game just once.

“It’s not frustration,” Yost told MLB.com of his club’s rough June. “Well, that’s a lie. We’re all frustrated. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen an offensive drought like we’ve had all month long. It’s pretty puzzling. There’s no answer for it.”

One of the few bright spots for the Royals was the performance of rookie right-hander Brad Keller (2-2, 2.25 ERA), who is scheduled to face Mariners left-hander James Paxton (7-2, 3.65) in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.

In his last outing Monday, Keller pitched seven innings, allowed just two hits and struck out six in a 2-0 victory against the Angels, getting his first win as a starter.

The Angels hit just one ball out of the infield against Keller and never got a runner past first base.

“It was pretty super-duper Adidas Connor McDavid Jersey ,” Yost said. “Just banging strikes, on the attack, everything that you want. Just a great pitching performance. Never was in any real trouble and had the game in total control.”

Keller became just the second Royals starter to throw at least seven shutout innings while allowing two or fewer hits within his first five major league starts. The other was Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (now the Mariners pitching coach) in 1990.

“I was able to keep the ball down, keep them off-balance,” Keller said after his last start. “Slider felt really good and made some adjustments in the bullpen prior to this game, and it felt really good.”

Paxton, who is 2-0 with a 2.54 ERA in five career starts against Kansas City, will be facing the Royals for the second time this season. He didn’t get a decision in a 4-2 Seattle road victory on April 11, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out 10.

Paxton had nearly identical statistics in his last start Tuesday in Baltimore, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts in a 3-2 victory.

“(Paxton) came right after them, right out of the chute,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I thought he was outstanding.”

PHOENIX — The San Francisco Giants extended their best month in exactly two years with a victory at Arizona on Friday Titans Authentic Jerseys , given a huge boost by rookie outfielder Austin Slater and left-hander Andrew Suarez.

At 17-10, the Giants are having their first winning month since June 2016, and with a victory in the second game of the three-game series Saturday, they will have one more victory than they had that June.

Slater had three hits, including two RBI doubles, in a Giants 2-1 victory on Friday, his sixth day back on his fourth recall from Triple-A Sacramento this season. Suarez gave up one run in six innings and ran his streak to 13 starts without walking more than two.

“He really has that composure out there,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said of Suarez. “He’s got some savvy out there. He knows when to make his pitches. He knows when to be careful, too.”

The Diamondbacks will send right-hander Shelby Miller (0-1, 12.27 ERA) to the mound Saturday for his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery in an attempt so salvage another series win.

The D-backs are 5-0-1 in their last six series since losing two of three at San Francisco from June 4-6. Giants rookie right-hander Dereck Rodriguez (2-1, 3.82) will make his sixth start of the season on Saturday. Rodriguez has never faced Arizona, but he allowed just one run and four hits over seven innings in his most recent start, on Sunday against San Diego. He did not get a decision but the Giants won the game 3-2.

Miller, who underwent Tommy John surgery last May, made his first start of the season in Miami on Monday, when he gave up six hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings while reaching 95-96 mph on the radar gun.

“The fastball command was outstanding,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “I know he is working on his secondary stuff. That’s to be expected. Knowing that he has taken a 15-month journey to get to this point Redskins Authentic Jerseys , it’s not going to be a perfect science right away. The secondary pitches are feel pitches, and I know that he is working hard. Landing the second stuff is something that we are hoping to see. We know we see it in bullpens and at different tunes. I know that Shelby is going to be ready for that challenge.”

Miller, the key return in the trade that sent Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson to Atlanta at the 2015 winter meetings, used words of encouragement from Patrick Corbin and the Arizona training staff to get through rehab. Corbin underwent Tommy John in the spring of 2014 season and missed the whole year.

“I talked to Corbin a lot,” Miller said. “The guys in the training room, day in and day out they were giving me reassurance. What to expect. I leaned on them and relied on them a lot. They were big. I am definitely feeling good.”

Miller admitted to feeling some nerves before the Miami start.

“For sure,” he said. “It is different than any other game. It is a big day. I had some minor league rehab starts, but those don’t even compare to the games that are mattering up here. I definitely had some jitters.”

Miller is 2-5 with a 3.51 ERA in nine career starts against the Giants.

Slater has been tearing up the Pacific Coast League in his time between stints in San Francisco. He is slashing .344/.417/.564 with 24 doubles and five homers in 53 games with the River Cats. His 24 doubles were second in the league, and his batting average was sixth when was promoted again last Saturday.

With third baseman Evan Longoria expected to miss at least another month, manager Bruce Bochy mentioned the possibility of giving Slater more time, especially against left-handed pitchers.

Slater is hitting at least .300 against righties and lefties in Sacramento this season, and during his short stay wth the Giants before a leg injury in 2017 hit .333 in 38 plate appearances against lefties.

“We’re missing a right-handed bat, and he could provide that,” Bochy said. “Not that other guys can’t, but you look at what he did tonight and what he’s been doing. He’s going to help stretch out this lineup and us some added offense, which we need against lefties.”

Even with veterans in the outfield, “You have to go with the guys who are swinging the bat well Cardinals Elite Jerseys ,” Bochy said. “They dictate their lineup.”

Slater has made three starts since being recalled the most recent time Saturday.

“The first couple of times up and down, it is easy to lose focus,” Slater said. “But for me it was try to prove a point that it wasn’t a fluke, that I was here to stay.”

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

NATIONAL DECLINE

The Nationals could use a spark before the July 4 fireworks go off in D.C. Washington is at risk of falling below .500 for the first time since May 2 as it continues a series against Boston at 11 a.m. EDT. The Red Sox thumped the Nationals 11-4 on Tuesday, giving Washington its fourth straight loss and 16th in 21 games to fall to 42-42. That slide has the preseason NL East favorites chasing the Braves and Phillies in the division. Erick Fedde (1-3, 6.00) tries to stop Washington’s skid against Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 4.11).

THE SHO GOES ON

Shohei Ohtani is back from the disabled list, albeit without full use of his electric right arm. The Japanese two-way sensation has been cleared to hit and was in the Angels’ lineup as a designated hitter Tuesday night, but he won’t be pitching anytime soon due to a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament suffered more than three weeks ago. Ohtani has received stem cell therapy and a platelet-rich plasma injection on his right elbow. The Angels say they’ll re-evaluate Ohtani for pitching in three weeks.

ROTATION RESET

Gerrit Cole (9-2) will pitch on regular rest for the Astros after a slight tweak to their rotation. Lance McCullers Jr. was initially scheduled to start at Texas, but Cole will pitch instead. Justin Verlander (9-4) will follow Thursday at home against the White Sox and McCullers goes Friday. Manager A.J. Hinch said the switch keeps Cole and Verlander pitching every fifth day, and provides extra rest for McCullers (9-3) and Charlie Morton (10-2). The reset rotation means likely All-Star selection Verlander is scheduled for the final game before the break. ”This is always going to be the priority,” said Hinch, the All-Star manager who then won’t have Verlander available to pitch for the AL team on July 17 in Washington D.C.

BAUER POWER

Trevor Bauer tries to carry over an outstanding June when the Indians play at Kansas City. Bauer (7-6, 2.45) was 3-3 with a 2.18 ERA last month, striking out 62 batters in 41 1/3 innings. He gets probably his easiest test of the year against the Royals, who scored a major league-low 58 runs in June – the second-lowest output was Tampa Bay at 87.

—

Diggs has only arrived at this stage of his life and his career Dontae Johnson Color Rush Jersey , a Vikings standout on the verge of a Super Bowl, with an unrelenting diligence and a dose of humility.

For all the natural talent of a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, he’s sure had to work hard to get here.

”He’s my guy. I love him to death. I appreciate all he does for this team, and I appreciate all he’s done for me,” fellow wide receiver Adam Thielen said. ”He’s pushed me harder than anybody has pushed me in my life.”

Remember those first three regular-season games in the NFL? Not really. He was a healthy scratch on the sideline.

That’s a long way from the 61-yard catch-turn-run sequence that Diggs produced as time expired on Sunday that sent the Vikings to the NFC championship game with a 29-24 victory over New Orleans .

”He continually has gotten better over the past three years,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said.

”It’s awesome to see guys like that who work so hard have an opportunity in such a big moment and for them to make the most of it.”

Treating each practice as if it’s a game is a common response from teammates asked about Diggs and his work ethic. Thielen and Diggs are widely considered to be two of the sharpest and savviest route runners in the league.

”He wants to win. Whether he’s getting the ball or he’s not getting ball, blocking or not, whatever he’s doing, he wants to win,” Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander said, adding: ”The thing I love about Diggs is he doesn’t let the game be bigger than him. He just kind of goes in the game, and it’s just another game. That allows you to play well.”

Setbacks became a recurring theme for Diggs, who chose to stay in his home state and play for Maryland so his family could watch him more often despite offers from powerhouse programs such as Auburn, Florida and USC.

With the Terrapins, though, he caught passes from four different quarterbacks over three seasons, with more than one starter used each year.

Injuries each season kept him from playing a full schedule, including a broken leg as a sophomore and a lacerated kidney as a junior.

When he declared for the draft a year early, there were also questions from NFL teams about his attitude and compliance.

After high stepping and somersaulting into the end zone in one game in 2013, coach Randy Edsall pulled him aside for a mild admonishment to remind him about the importance of reputation.

With substandard 6-foot height also a factor, Diggs fell to the fifth round for the Vikings to find one of the true steals of that 2015 draft. He made an immediate impact in his debut at Denver, with six receptions for 87 yards. Four games in Saquon Barkley Jersey Elite , he had 419 yards and two touchdowns.

”When I was going into the combine and stuff like that, I had 100 percent confidence in myself,” Diggs said on Wednesday, as the Vikings reconvened for practice in preparation for their game Sunday at Philadelphia.

”I had a lot of support along the way. I had some great coaches and some great teammates that pushed me in the right direction. I’ll never take all the credit.”

His production waned down the stretch of his rookie season, with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater still developing on the job.

In Sam Bradford’s first game for Minnesota in 2016, the lid-lifter at U.S. Bank Stadium against rival Green Bay, Diggs hauled in 13 catches for 182 yards and a score in front of a prime time Sunday night audience.

But a groin injury cost him one game and some momentum. Then he hurt his knee and missed another game.

His first two games at home in 2017 were showstoppers, with two touchdowns apiece, but that groin injury popped up again at Chicago and kept him out for the next two weeks. Thielen, meanwhile, surpassed him as Case Keenum’s favorite target.

There was Diggs in the huddle on Sunday, though, with 10 seconds left listening to Keenum tell the receivers he was going to give somebody a shot.

”It meant so much to me to see my quarterback believe in me the last play of the game,” said Diggs, who began crying hard enough to cut short and turn away from one of his on-field TV interviews after the winning touchdown.

His younger brother, Trevon Diggs, happened to be in the stadium that evening for his first live NFL game. He’s a cornerback and punt returner for Alabama who just won a national championship. Their father, Aron Diggs, died 10 years ago of heart failure .

”He started me in football. He played a huge part in what’s going on now. That’s the biggest thing. Kind of try and thank him prior to the game, him and God,” Diggs said, ”and try and keep that thing going.”

—

Jake Arrieta and Gio Gonzalez should be happy to see the calendar flip to July.

They’ll hope to put a rough June behind them when they face off Sunday in the finale of a four-game set between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals. The Phillies will try to win the series in the 1:35 p.m. matinee.

Arrieta (5-6 Mike Daniels Jersey , 3.54 ERA) had a 6.66 ERA in five June starts. Opponents hit .305 with a .907 OPS against him in the month, and the veteran right-hander allowed at least three earned runs in each outing.

In his last start, Arrieta gave up six runs (three earned) in five innings against the New York Yankees on nine hits, two of which were homers.

“The ball is getting hit, that’s it. Making mistakes, too many mistakes,” Arrieta told MLB.com after the start. “I was throwing quality breaking balls early in the count and then when I needed to go back to a similar spot or a little bit lower in the strike zone or out of the strike zone, I just put it too much in the zone and they hit it. It’s a pretty simple explanation.”

Arrieta had a 0.90 ERA in five starts during May, and he gave up just one run and two hits in six innings against the Nationals on May 6. Arrieta is 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA in 10 career starts against the Nationals.

Gonzalez (6-5, 3.68) had an even worse June. The 32-year-old lefty had an 8.44 ERA in five starts during the month. In three of those outings, Gonzalez gave up at least four earned runs and failed to pitch more than four innings.

Gonzalez had his worst start of 2018 the last time he took the mound. He gave up six runs and walked five batters in one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

“It wasn’t my night. I couldn’t get a strike,” Gonzalez, who missed the strike zone with 33 of his 62 pitches, told reporters after the outing. “Sometimes it happens. It’s part of the game.”

Gonzalez will be facing the Phillies for the 25th time in his 11-year big league career. He is 11-7 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP against the Nationals’ divisional rival. Gonzalez threw five scoreless innings against Philadelphia on May 4.

The Phillies, who are 5-4 against the Nationals this season, have won two of the first three games against their divisional foe in the series. At 44-37, they are two games ahead of Washington for second place in the National League East. The Phillies were 28-53 through 81 games a season ago.

The Phillies hope Odubel Herrera’s bat heats up. The center fielder homered in Saturday’s 3-2 victory after going 2-for-28 in his previous seven games. Herrera is hitting .286 on the season with 14 homers and 46 RBIs.

The Nationals, meanwhile, went 9-16 in June and are 42-39 at the halfway mark of the season.