Another game, another loss for the Rays. They look to snap the skid at three games while going up against a guy who no one has ever heard of.
What to watch for: Wins. It doesn’t matter how they come.
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Jeff Niemann - Niemann looked much improved in his second outing of the season Thursday night when he allowed two runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out three in six innings. The 6-foot-9, 280 pound right-hander, who was the Rays’ No. 1 pick of the 2004 June Draft (fourth overall), had a slower than expected path to the Major Leagues due to injuries and problems with his mechanics. He showed marked improvement in pitching down with his fastball and with his breaking ball command, which proved exceptional all spring. While getting everything coordinated might be difficult for a taller pitcher, the downward angle of Niemann’s pitches can make the baseball extremely hard to hit. This will be Niemann’s first start and his first appearance against the Mariners.
Chris Jakubauskas - The right-handed Jakubauskas made a solid starting debut, holding the Angels scoreless for five innings before two singles in the sixth ended his strong outing. He became the tough-luck loser as the Mariners bullpen came apart, surrendering four hits and walking a batter during a five-run uprising. Jakubauskas, replacing Ryan Rowland-Smith in the rotation for a couple of weeks while the lefty recovers from triceps tendinitis, retired 15 of the first 18 batters he faced. He pounded the strike zone: 60 of his 81 pitches were strikes.
Be sure to join other fans in the chat room for some Rays talk during the game!!!
Tags: Mariners
