Justin Verlander’s worst start with the Houston Astros
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Ramos drove in four runs in the first two innings against Verlander and the Tampa Bay Rays went on to a 5-2 win over the Astros on Saturday.
”I wasn’t sharp Joey Bosa Jersey , but also I didn’t have luck on my side,” Verlander said. ”I made an adjustment during the third inning that I thought was good, but it was too little too late.”
Verlander (9-4) gave up the most runs (5) and hits (9) of any of his 23 starts since his trade to Houston late last summer. He struck out eight in a season-low five innings after coming in with a major league-leading 1.82 ERA – though it was 4.34 in six June starts. The Astros have lost his last three starts.
Matt Duffy finished with three hits, including two in the first two innings, to help the Rays win for the seventh time in eight tames to move to .500 (41-41) for the first time since June 1.
”I gave up three hard-hit balls, all to the same guy. The rest of `em, nobody hit the ball hard,” Verlander said.
Ramos got the Rays on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the first, and made it 5-0 with a two-run single in the second. Those two at bats summarized Verlander’s day.
”The first at bat, I put him in a 3-1 situation where Nick Bosa Jersey , bases loaded, he knows a heater’s coming, and he hit it off the wall. So that’s my fault,” Verlander said. ”His next bat I got a ground ball up the middle on a slider, which is kind of what you’re looking for. But it found a hole.”
Tampa Bay has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five straight games for only the second time in franchise history.
”The way these guys are throwing right now, we’re tough to beat,” said Kevin Kiermaier, who scored in each of the first two innings.
Alex Bregman got the Astros on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth off Vidal Nuno. It was Bregman’s 16th home run and his fifth in six games.
”They’ve been throwing the ball well over there, and we haven’t really been able to put anything together,” Bregman said. ”Verlander was a little unfortunate today with some of the weak contact that went for hits but we’ve got to do a better job of putting up runs for him.
Nuno (2-0) got the win after pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief, giving up two runs and four hits while striking out four. Sergio Romo pitched ninth for his seventh save in 11 opportunities.
Ryne Stanek pitched the first inning for Tampa Bay, giving up a single to Jose Altuve, Houston’s only hit in the first four innings.
RARE ERROR
Adeiny Hechavarria made a fielding error on George Springer’s grounder in the top of the sixth just before Bregman’s homer. It ended a streak of 94 games and 319 chances in which the Rays’ shortstop had not committed a miscue. It was the longest errorless streak in franchise history for a shortstop. Hechavarria’s last error had come on July 30, 2017 at Yankee Stadium.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHP Joe Smith (sore right elbow) will make what the Astros expect to be a final rehab appearance at Double-A Corpus Christi before being activated. … 1B Yuli Gurriel (paternity leave) is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday.
Rays: RHP Wilmer Font was placed on the 10-day disabled and RHP Hunter Wood was recalled from Triple-A Durham. Manager Kevin Cash said an optimistic timeframe has Font missing eight weeks. … Cash didn’t completely rule out RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) from returning after his first rehab start Tuesday night锟?for Class A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
The series finale will be a matchup of two of baseball’s hottest pitchers. Houston RHP Charlie Morton (10-1, 2.54) has won three straight starts and has not given up an earned run in his last two. LHP Blake Snell (10-4, 2.31) did not give up a hit until the seventh inning of the Rays’ 11-0 win against Washington on Monday night.
—
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is juggling his job on the field and his role as a husband and father as his wife, Kelly, recovers from surgery to remove a brain tumor.“There’s been some long days and some tough times Stafford said Tuesday after joining his teammates for a voluntary offseason workout. “But ton of help, ton of support and a strong wife to help me out.”Kelly Stafford had a 12-hour surgery last month after an MRI showed the tumor. She had vertigo spells within the last year.Matthew and Kelly Stafford have three daughters. They started dating at Georgia where she was a cheerleader and he was the star of the football team. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft and has spent his entire career with the Lions.She posted on Instagram on Monday, sharing that she reached a goal to attend a wedding in the Atlanta with her husband.“It’s a lot to go through for anybody, especially a mother of three and wife to somebody who’s got a high-profile job like myself,” he said. “She’s doing a heck of a job, keeping it all together. Had a lot of family and friend support, too. Her mom was in town for over a month. She was incredible. It let me do what I’m able to do here.”While at the training facility, Stafford has plenty on his mind. He’s trying to master the scheme installed by new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.“Having a new playbook to learn is kind of helping,” he said. “I’m just sitting there going, ‘M s not old hat.’ It’s a bunch of new stuff. It’s stuff I really got to dive deep into and try to make sure I’m on top of my game because I’m getting questions right and left from those guys. I’m trying to help them out as much as I can.“Not to say I’m forgetting everything that’s going on back home, but I’m for sure locked in when I’m here.”Stafford has missed very few of the team’s offseason activities.“His desire to be in this building and handle everything that he has to handle off the field, but come in here ready to work, that’s just a true professional,” coach Matt Patricia said.
”I wasn’t sharp Joey Bosa Jersey , but also I didn’t have luck on my side,” Verlander said. ”I made an adjustment during the third inning that I thought was good, but it was too little too late.”
Verlander (9-4) gave up the most runs (5) and hits (9) of any of his 23 starts since his trade to Houston late last summer. He struck out eight in a season-low five innings after coming in with a major league-leading 1.82 ERA – though it was 4.34 in six June starts. The Astros have lost his last three starts.
Matt Duffy finished with three hits, including two in the first two innings, to help the Rays win for the seventh time in eight tames to move to .500 (41-41) for the first time since June 1.
”I gave up three hard-hit balls, all to the same guy. The rest of `em, nobody hit the ball hard,” Verlander said.
Ramos got the Rays on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the first, and made it 5-0 with a two-run single in the second. Those two at bats summarized Verlander’s day.
”The first at bat, I put him in a 3-1 situation where Nick Bosa Jersey , bases loaded, he knows a heater’s coming, and he hit it off the wall. So that’s my fault,” Verlander said. ”His next bat I got a ground ball up the middle on a slider, which is kind of what you’re looking for. But it found a hole.”
Tampa Bay has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five straight games for only the second time in franchise history.
”The way these guys are throwing right now, we’re tough to beat,” said Kevin Kiermaier, who scored in each of the first two innings.
Alex Bregman got the Astros on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth off Vidal Nuno. It was Bregman’s 16th home run and his fifth in six games.
”They’ve been throwing the ball well over there, and we haven’t really been able to put anything together,” Bregman said. ”Verlander was a little unfortunate today with some of the weak contact that went for hits but we’ve got to do a better job of putting up runs for him.
Nuno (2-0) got the win after pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief, giving up two runs and four hits while striking out four. Sergio Romo pitched ninth for his seventh save in 11 opportunities.
Ryne Stanek pitched the first inning for Tampa Bay, giving up a single to Jose Altuve, Houston’s only hit in the first four innings.
RARE ERROR
Adeiny Hechavarria made a fielding error on George Springer’s grounder in the top of the sixth just before Bregman’s homer. It ended a streak of 94 games and 319 chances in which the Rays’ shortstop had not committed a miscue. It was the longest errorless streak in franchise history for a shortstop. Hechavarria’s last error had come on July 30, 2017 at Yankee Stadium.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHP Joe Smith (sore right elbow) will make what the Astros expect to be a final rehab appearance at Double-A Corpus Christi before being activated. … 1B Yuli Gurriel (paternity leave) is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday.
Rays: RHP Wilmer Font was placed on the 10-day disabled and RHP Hunter Wood was recalled from Triple-A Durham. Manager Kevin Cash said an optimistic timeframe has Font missing eight weeks. … Cash didn’t completely rule out RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) from returning after his first rehab start Tuesday night锟?for Class A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
The series finale will be a matchup of two of baseball’s hottest pitchers. Houston RHP Charlie Morton (10-1, 2.54) has won three straight starts and has not given up an earned run in his last two. LHP Blake Snell (10-4, 2.31) did not give up a hit until the seventh inning of the Rays’ 11-0 win against Washington on Monday night.
—
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is juggling his job on the field and his role as a husband and father as his wife, Kelly, recovers from surgery to remove a brain tumor.“There’s been some long days and some tough times Stafford said Tuesday after joining his teammates for a voluntary offseason workout. “But ton of help, ton of support and a strong wife to help me out.”Kelly Stafford had a 12-hour surgery last month after an MRI showed the tumor. She had vertigo spells within the last year.Matthew and Kelly Stafford have three daughters. They started dating at Georgia where she was a cheerleader and he was the star of the football team. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft and has spent his entire career with the Lions.She posted on Instagram on Monday, sharing that she reached a goal to attend a wedding in the Atlanta with her husband.“It’s a lot to go through for anybody, especially a mother of three and wife to somebody who’s got a high-profile job like myself,” he said. “She’s doing a heck of a job, keeping it all together. Had a lot of family and friend support, too. Her mom was in town for over a month. She was incredible. It let me do what I’m able to do here.”While at the training facility, Stafford has plenty on his mind. He’s trying to master the scheme installed by new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.“Having a new playbook to learn is kind of helping,” he said. “I’m just sitting there going, ‘M s not old hat.’ It’s a bunch of new stuff. It’s stuff I really got to dive deep into and try to make sure I’m on top of my game because I’m getting questions right and left from those guys. I’m trying to help them out as much as I can.“Not to say I’m forgetting everything that’s going on back home, but I’m for sure locked in when I’m here.”Stafford has missed very few of the team’s offseason activities.“His desire to be in this building and handle everything that he has to handle off the field, but come in here ready to work, that’s just a true professional,” coach Matt Patricia said.
