Dave Riggert – Page 418 – St. Joseph Post Archive

St. Louis gets blanked by Marlins 11-0

Posted on July 30, 2016July 30, 2016

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins’ big win might have come with a price.

Newly acquired Colin Rea left early with an elbow injury in his Miami debut in the Marlins’ 11-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

“We obviously needed the win, but it’s not at that cost,” Marlins reliever David Phelps said. “Hopefully, it’s nothing, but you never like to see a starter come out of the game when you’re strapped for starters to begin with.”

Rea, acquired in a trade with San Diego, pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

“I kind of felt something in my elbow and it gradually got worse throughout the game,” Rea said. “I don’t know if I could have thrown another pitch, but we’ll see. We don’t know anything yet.”

Rea initially felt a pain in his arm during warm-ups before the game, but tried to pitch through it.

“This definitely isn’t at a good time getting to a new team and you kind of feel like you let your teammates down a little bit,” Rea said. “It’s tough, but I guess it’s just part of it.”

Phelps (5-5) relieved Rea and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four, to earn the victory.

“I knew what kind of shape we were in the bullpen and I didn’t want to have guys throw that didn’t need to throw so I was going to try to eat up as much as I could,” Phelps said.

Christian Yelich and Jeff Mathis each had three hits and drove in two runs to help lead the Marlins’ offensive attack.

Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run home run and Martin Prado had a two-run double for the Marlins. They drew even with the Cardinals at 56-48 for the second NL wild-card spot.

“`O’ puts us up by four early and then we were able to add on, which is nice because they have a dangerous club that can put some runs on the board quick,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We’ve seen that over the last couple of days.”

Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki remained at 2,998 hits, going 0 for 2 after entering as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. He’s 2 for 16 on the homestand that concludes Sunday.

Mattingly was not sure if Suzuki would be in the starting lineup on Sunday or if he would go with his regular starting outfield.

“I haven’t put a lineup out and haven’t really thought it too much, but our (regular) guys are swinging the bat good,” Mattingly said.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a double in the fourth inning. Molina is hitting .385 (20 for 52) with two home runs and four RBI during the span.

St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia (7-8) also only lasted 3 1/3 innings in his first career start on only three days rest. He allowed six runs and seven hits.

“I really didn’t spend time thinking about (the short rest),” Garcia said. “No excuse. I didn’t execute pitches the way I wanted to. I made mistakes in the middle of the plate against a really good lineup and paid the consequences.”

The Marlins scored four runs in the first, sparked by Ozuna’s two-run homer — his 19th.

“We’re down four runs in the first,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “I don’t think overall ugliness is the proper description.

Miami also plated four in the fourth keyed by a two-run double by Prado to push its lead to 8-0. Prado is hitting .472 (17 for 36) with two home runs and 11 RBI in his last 10 games.

Florida added three runs in the sixth.

“It didn’t go the way we wanted from the beginning and then it was just a matter of trying to survive,” Matheny said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta (thumb) took batting practice with hopes of being reinstated from the disabled list on Tuesday when the Cardinals begin a series at Cincinnati. … IF Matt Carpenter (oblique) and 1B Brandon Moss (ankle) are also close to returning to a crowded infield. “We’ll figure out how it all comes together and how we plug them in when we get there,” Matheny said.

Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (sprained elbow) is in the process of returning, but will not make the road trip when the team heads out Aug. 1-7. “Chen is starting the process-not throwing, but with strengthening exercises,” Mattingly said. “He seems to be OK.” … RHP Tom Koehler dealt with a minor pectoral injury in his last start and was moved from his scheduled start on Sunday to Wednesday in Chicago to make way for Andrew Cashner and give him more rest. “He’s fine,” Mattingly said.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.87 ERA) will start Sunday’s series finale against the Marlins. Martinez has only allowed three extra-base hits to right-handed batters this season.

Marlins: RHP Andrew Cashner (4-7, 4.76) will make his Marlins debut after being acquired in a trade with San Diego on Friday. Cashner is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA and 23 strikeouts to just three walks over his last three starts.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs sign LT Eric Fisher to contract extension

Posted on July 30, 2016July 30, 2016

Click here to listen to Eric Fisher talk about his contract extension

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Eric Fisher could be protecting the blind side for Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks for the next six years.

The Chiefs announced they had signed the left tackle to a contract extension Saturday, the first day veterans such as Fisher joined rookies on the practice field at Missouri Western for training camp.

The Chiefs did not announce terms of the extension, but a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press it was a four-year, $48 million deal that includes $40 million guaranteed. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract terms were confidential.

Fisher is starting the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs exercised their fifth-year option on the former No. 1 overall pick in May. That means Fisher’s total deal spans six years and $63 million.

“In three seasons he’s grown significantly as a football player in our system,” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. “He’s a tough, physical presence and a leader on our offensive line. We look forward to keeping him as a part of our organization and community.”

The Chiefs hoped that Fisher would develop into a franchise left tackle when they selected him in the 2013 draft out of Central Michigan. But he struggled mightily his first couple years as he adjusted to life in the NFL, and for a while, many Chiefs fans thought that Fisher would turn out to be a bust.

He finally came into his own last season, adeptly protecting quarterback Alex Smith and helping to ensure the Chiefs’ run game remained on track even after Jamaal Charles suffered a season-ending knee injury. Fisher started both of the Chiefs’ playoff games, helping them win one for the first time since the 1993 season.

“Coach (Andy) Reid’s big thing is it all starts in the trenches with O-line, D-line and he’ll tell us that before every game,” Fisher said during the offseason. “We take that to heart, we’ve been building this thing for multiple years now and I think we’re getting to that point where we’re just about there.”

The only other first-round pick from the 2013 draft to sign an extension is Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who in January signed a six-year, $63 million deal with $35.5 million guaranteed.

Fisher’s deal means the Chiefs could have the three most prominent spots on the offensive line solidified for the foreseeable future. Mitch Morse is entering his second year at center after a dazzling rookie season, and the Chiefs signed free-agent right tackle Mitch Schwartz to a five-year, $33 million deal in March.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City’s struggles continue with 8-3 loss at Texas

Posted on July 29, 2016

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rougned Odor homered twice, and A.J. Griffin also went a little deeper for the Texas Rangers.

Odor hit a ball into the second deck of seats for the second game in a row, along with another solo shot that just cleared the wall, and Griffin had his longest outing in seven starts since coming off the disabled list in the Rangers’ 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

“I felt like that was a big step. I made a little adjustment in my delivery. I was more direct to the target,” said Griffin, who was out of the majors the past two seasons after Tommy John surgery. “Two years off from pitching is a long time. It caught up with me a little bit. I feel like I am getting that second wind. My shoulder’s responding a lot better with each outing.”

Griffin (4-1) is the only Texas starter other than All-Star lefty Cole Hamels with a win in July.

The right-hander has been back just over a month from the disabled list, getting sidelined by right shoulder stiffness after going 3-1 in six starts through the first week of May. He struck out one and walked two while throwing 66 of 98 pitches for strikes in 5 2/3 innings.

“Probably the best he’s used the up-to-down game,” manager Jeff Banister said. “The high fastball, low fastball, cutter, not really focusing on one location at the plate.”

Jurickson Profar also homered for the AL West-leading Rangers, and scored three runs.

Odor’s solo homer in the first put Texas up 3-0 against Edinson Volquez (8-9). That 443-foot drive into the second deck in right field came a night after Odor’s 465-footer that is the longest in his career. His 21st homer, in the seventh, barely cleared the 8-foot wall in right.

“I don’t try to hit homers, but if I hit it I feel good,” Odor said.

Eric Hosmer homered for the defending World Series champion Royals, who dropped to 10 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central. It is the first time Kansas City, also the AL champion in 2014, has been 10 games back in the division since a 10 1/2-game deficit on Aug. 31, 2013.

“Offense has been sporadic. It’s just been tough. You just come to the ballpark the next day ready to find a way to win a game,” manager Ned Yost said. “Keep grinding away. … Your mindset is there’s a couple months left of baseball to play.”

FROM NONE TO SOME

Texas loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth without scoring, but Profar and Nomar Mazara had consecutive doubles to start the fifth. An inning later, Profar hit his fifth homer of the season.

HOSMER HOMER

After Lorenzo Cain was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth, Hosmer snapped an 0-for-14 slump with his 14th homer. That got the Royals within 5-2 and chased Griffin.

SHORT HOPS

Volquez allowed nine hits and six runs while striking out five in six innings. .. Reliever Dario Alvarez made his Rangers debut, two days after coming in a trade from Atlanta. The lefty allowed singles to the only two batters he faced to start the seventh. … Veteran RHP Kyle Lohse, who allowed 13 runs in 9 1/3 innings while losing both of his Texas starts, declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and became a free agent.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Cain played for the first time since June 28 after missing 25 games because of a left hamstring strain. He was reactivated from the disabled list, and rookie OF Brett Eibner was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. … RHP Luke Hochevar (thoracic outlet syndrome) will get a second opinion Monday from another specialist in Kansas City after a Dallas specialist on Friday recommended season-ending surgery.

Rangers: Slugger Prince Fielder’s season-ending surgery Friday to repair a herniated disk in his neck went as expected. … LHP Derek Holland, on the 60-day DL with left shoulder inflammation and not eligible to come back before Aug. 20, said he wasn’t tired after throwing a 42-pitch bullpen session. He is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) is 0-3 in five starts this month. He is also 0-2 in three career starts against the Rangers.

Rangers: Lefty Martin Perez (7-7) was 4-0 in five starts in June, but goes into his sixth start in July still without a win. He’s 0-3 this month, and has allowed 29 runs (22 earned) his last four starts.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs’ Eric Berry doesn’t report to training camp with rest of veterans

Posted on July 29, 2016

Chiefs' FB Anthony Sherman reports to training camp Friday. (Courtesy of KCChiefs.com) — Chiefs’ FB Anthony Sherman reports to training camp Friday. (Courtesy of KCChiefs.com)

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Eric Berry arrived at Chiefs training camp before he was required to last season, so eager was the All-Pro safety to get back on the field after undergoing treatment for cancer.

He wasn’t seen reporting with the rest of the veterans on Friday.

Berry was designated the Chiefs’ franchise player but has not yet signed his contract, which means he cannot be disciplined for skipping camp. But considering the one-year deal promises to pay him more than $10.8 million, Berry is expected to sign at some point before the season. That contract would make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL this year.

“It is a business and in this business it’s next man up,” said Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley, who was among the steady stream of players who reported to Missouri Western State University. “That’s the way they coach. That’s the way it’s always been.”

The Chiefs are scheduled to hold their first full-squad workout on Saturday.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid was not available to discuss Berry’s situation, and he has largely kept out of the negotiations. While Reid handled many of the player personnel decisions when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, he has turned that responsibility over to general manager John Dorsey. Dorsey waved to reporters from his bicycle Friday but did not stop to speak.

The Chiefs and Berry’s representatives were never close to reaching a long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline, even though there was plenty of goodwill between the sides. The Chiefs stood by him during his treatment for lymphoma and Berry has been a steadfast face of the franchise.

Now, their contract talks must be shelved until after the season.

The Chiefs could still rescind the franchise tag, something that Reid did twice in Philadelphia — with linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and defensive tackle Corey Simon. But doing that would not only make Berry a free agent, it would significantly weaken the Chiefs in the defensive backfield.

Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after his cancer diagnosis. He made 55 tackles, had a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.

“I know the kind of person that he is. Whatever way you cut it, Eric Berry is a great football player and good things are going to happen for him here,” Reid said earlier this week. “I know how he’s wired and he loves to play the game. That’s just how it is.”

The Chiefs play their first regular-season game Sept. 11 against San Diego.

“It’s a weird dynamic that you are juggling with finances and playing,” Reid said, “but I’ve seen it before, guys normally come in and they just go. When it’s time to play, they just play. They put the business side aside and they get after it.”

— Associated Press —

Cardinals roll to second straight win at Miami 11-6

Posted on July 29, 2016

MIAMI (AP) — When Tommy Pham was hit by a pitch in the left hand in his first at-bat, it did not look like he would be able to stay in the game.

Not only did Pham finish, but he had an RBI single and a two-run homer to help lead the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 11-6 on Friday night.

“It didn’t affect him hitting the ball to dead center in the biggest park in the country,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That was a pretty nice sign that things should be OK, but we’ll wait to see what the medical team says.”

The pain got to be too much in Pham’s final at-bat as he struck out looking, unable to swing the bat.

“I have anti-inflammatory pills that help you get through the game, but it was sore,” Pham said. “That last swing I took my hand went numb and I couldn’t swing.”

“I literally just took the pitch strike three down the middle because I couldn’t feel my hand,” he said.

Pham said his hand is not broken and expects to be ready for Saturday’s game.

“It’s not broken, so you have to come here ready,” Pham said.

Pham was one of a number of contributors for the Cardinals. Kolten Wong had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer.

The Cardinals have won four of five and lead the Marlins by one game in the NL wild-card standings.

Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 to remain at 2,998 career hits.

Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, and Marcell Ozuna also homered for the Marlins.

Mike Leake (8-8) won despite giving up six runs and seven hits in five innings.

Jose Urena (1-3) allowed eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in what is expected to be his final start in the Marlins’ rotation after Miami acquired starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from San Diego earlier in the day.

Hazelbaker homered off Urena in the second. It was their first encounter since the two were involved in a bench-clearing brawl in a minor league game on June 27.

“That’s the thing about baseball and you usually have a chance to get back at somebody that you have a history with,” Hazelbaker said. “It was a satisfying time and I’m glad that it happened,”

In that minor league game, Urena’s pitch went sailing near Hazelbaker’s head, prompting the two to square off and punches were thrown.

“That history, you don’t forget about that stuff,” Matheny said. “That means something to guys when they get the opportunity to compete.”

St. Louis scored three in the second and six more in the fifth for a 9-1 lead, Prado’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run rally by the Marlins in the bottom of the fifth.

“For a moment after I hit it, you felt the energy in the stadium,” Prado said. “The people got into the game.”

“I know we got a tough loss today, but we’re showing signs that we are going out for 27 outs, no matter what. We’ve lost a couple of important games for us but there’s nothing we can do about it now,” he said.

Pham’s two-run homer extended the Cardinals’ lead to 11-6.

“You can’t say it’s a back-breaker because anything is possible. But when you give it right back, it’s tough on your club,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Suzuki threw out Wong at home in the fourth inning after making a running catch near the left-field line and throwing a 240-foot strike at the plate for the double play.

“We all know Ichiro is definitely someone who can hit, but you know he has a pretty good arm, too, and I knew it was going to be tough,” Wong said.

PRADO’S GROOVE

Prado went 2 for 4 and is hitting .485 (16 for 33) with two home runs and nine RBI over his last nine games to raise his average to .327.

“Martin has been locked in all year but now all of a sudden, he’s kind of showing some power,” Mattingly said. “It kind of changes his dimension.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: 1B Justin Bour (right ankle) was scheduled to begin a rehab stint with Triple-A New Orleans with hopes of joining the big league club on Monday in Chicago in a series against the Cubs.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jaime Garcia (7-7, 3.97) will take the mound Saturday. He is coming off two back-to-back productive starts, allowing three earned runs over 10 2/3 innings.

Marlins: RHP Colin Rea (5-5, 4.98) will make his Miami debut on Saturday. Rea is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Class 6, 8-Man state football championship games moving to Mizzou’s Faurot Field

Posted on July 28, 2016

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has announced that the football state championship games for Class 6 and 8-Man will be held at Faurot Field in Columbia this season.

The games will take place on Friday, November 18 at the University of Missouri after the MSHSAA Board of Directors voted in June to hold the Class 6 and 8-Man games at the same venue and eliminate the bye the two classes traditionally had between the semifinals and the championship games.

Missouri State University will still host the championship games for Classes 1-5 on November 25-26 at Plaster Stadium. Springfield was originally selected to host all of the 11-man state title games.

This will be the first time the 11-man title games haven’t been played inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis since 1995, while the 8-Man game moved to St. Louis in 2008.

Ventura allows three solo home runs, Royals lose at Texas 3-2

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mitch Moreland’s second home run of the game broke a tie in the eighth inning and Cole Hamels earned his 12th win of the season as the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Thursday night.

Hamels (12-2) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings, matching his longest start of the season. His 123 pitches were 10 more than his previous high for the year. He didn’t allow an earned run in his previous two starts, totaling 13 1/3 innings.

Sam Dyson earned his 21st save in 23 opportunities, stranding the tying run at third base.

Rougned Odor also homered for the Rangers.

Both homers by the left-handed hitting Moreland were to the opposite field. It was Moreland’s 10th career multi-homer game and second of the season. He has five homers in his last 11 hits.

Yordano Ventura (6-9) threw the first complete game of his career, pitching eight innings. He allowed only four hits, including the three homers. He is 0-5 in six starts since his last win on June 17.

Hamels’ 12 strikeouts equaled his Texas high, set last September vs. Seattle. His career high — set with Philadelphia — is 15. The 12 is the most by a Rangers pitcher this season.

Paulo Orlando’s second home run of the season, and first since May 17, was pulled well beyond the 14-foot wall in left field and gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Odor’s 465-foot homer into the upper deck in right field in the second inning increased his career-best total to 19 and was the farthest of his career.

Kansas City retook the lead with a run in the fifth when Raul Mondesi’s topper to shortstop scored Alex Gordon. Gordon had singled and advanced to third on a blooper to center by Brett Eibner that broke an 0-for-19 streak. Moreland then homered in the bottom of the fifth.

Neither team had a hit with runners in scoring position. Kansas City was 0 for 11 while Texas didn’t have an at-bat in that situation.

SHORT HOPS

The game began after a 35-minute rain delay. It was the second rain delay in three days, an unusual summer occurrence in Arlington. … The first son of Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert was born on Thursday morning in Venezuela.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Luke Hochevar was placed on the 15-day disabled list with symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Friday. One of the scheduled hitters is RF Shin Soo-Choo (hamstring strain).

UP NEXT

Friday night’s game will be a pitching rematch of Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 Texas win at Kauffman Stadium in which each starter allowed one run and got a no-decision. Royals RHP Edinson Volquez (8-8) allowed seven hits in six innings, Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin (3-1) four hits in five innings.

— Associated Press —

Diaz’s homer helps St. Louis defeat Miami and Fernandez 5-4

Posted on July 28, 2016

MIAMI (AP) — The first time Jose Fernandez faced Aledmys Diaz on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger fouled the first pitch off with a mighty swing.

“I told him, `Really? You’re going to swing first pitch like that?” Fernandez said. “That swing had a lot of bad intentions.”

It was a sign of things to come. Diaz homered, doubled and drove in three runs in the first-ever meeting between the two childhood pals from Cuba, helping the Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 5-4.

Fernandez fell behind 5-0, departed after five innings and dropped to 26-2 at Marlins Park.

“I made some mistakes and they took advantage. That’s on me,” he said. ” Every time you get four runs and have your ace on the mound, you should expect to win.”

Miami’s Dee Gordon, the 2015 NL batting and stolen bases champion, returned from an 80-game suspension for failing a drug test and went 0 for 4. Ichiro Suzuki doubled as a pinch hitter in the seventh for Miami and needs two hits for 3,000.

Michael Wacha (6-7) allowed three runs in six innings, and three relievers completed an eight-hitter. Seung Hwan Oh pitched around a one-out single in the ninth for his seventh save.

Diaz and Matt Holliday homered in the third inning against Fernandez (12-5), who had never previously given up more than one homer in a home game.

“That was a lot of fun to compete against my buddy,” Diaz said. “I just tried to be aggressive with him, he’s such a great pitcher.”

Fernandez’s only other loss at Marlins Park came on opening day this year against Detroit.

Diaz and Fernandez were neighbors growing up in Santa Clara, Cuba, and the Cardinals enjoyed their reunion. Fernandez walked Jeremy Hazelbaker to start the third inning, and Diaz followed with his 14th homer.

“This guy wants to hit it 10,000 feet,” Fernandez said. “He’s helping his team win. You can’t get mad about that.”

Two batters later, Holliday hit his 18th homer just inside the right-field foul pole, prompting a rueful grin from Fernandez. The outing was his shortest since May 4.

The Cardinals homered in 17 consecutive games before being blanked in that department Wednesday.

Hazelbaker tripled and Diaz drove in a run with a double, his 25th, in the Cardinals’ two-run fifth.

UNDER SIEGE

Marcell Ozell hit comebackers off Wacha (right foot) and Oh (left buttocks). Both stayed in the game. It’s the third game in a row Wacha has been hit on the right foot.

“It’s got a bull’s-eye on it,” Wacha said.

BALK REVERSAL

The umpires said they erroneously reversed a balk call, taking a Cardinals run off the board in the second inning.

With runners at second and third and two out, Fernandez was about to intentionally walk No. 8 hitter Kolten Wong when third base umpire D.J. Reyburn called a balk. Fernandez protested, and after the four umpires conferred, they reversed the call and decided there was no balk.

Wacha struck out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless. After the game, crew chief John Hirshbeck reviewed video and decided Reyburn’s balk call had been correct.

“D.J. called it from third, and I thought I saw (Fernandez) step off with his right foot,” Hirshbeck said. “I overruled D.J. with what I thought I saw. He was right, I was wrong.”

SUZUKI UPDATE

Suzuki received a standing ovation when he pinch-hit, and he responded with his 350th career double, raising his season average to .335. He has started only one of seven games on the homestand.

“I don’t think he’s searching to make this about him,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I think he’s comfortable with the way we’re playing it.”

CARDINALS ROTATION

Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia will start Saturday on four days’ rest, manager Mike Matheny said. Garcia threw 77 pitches Tuesday, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings and lost to the Mets.

TRAINER’S ROOM

RHP Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November, threw to hitters again Thursday, and the Cardinals haven’t ruled out his return this season.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (7-8, 4.24), who is scheduled to start Friday, is 3-0 with an 0.44 ERA in three starts at Marlins Park. RHP Jose Urena (1-2, 5.34) will start for Miami.

— Associated Press —

Missouri finalizes baseball coaching staff, adds former MLB player Brian McRae

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball head coach Steve Bieser has rounded out his staff, adding Dillon Lawson as a volunteer assistant, Joe Migliaccio as a graduate assistant and Brian McRae as a student assistant, announced Thursday (July 28). In addition, Bieser has retained Evan Pratte as director of operations, Scott Bird as director of baseball strength and conditioning, and Brett Peel as a graduate assistant.

“I am extremely excited about this staff and how it all came together,” Bieser said. “We have a mix of rising stars to go along with seasoned veterans. I feel this staff complements each other very well and will give our players everything they need to succeed and develop as both a person and player.”

Lawson will serve as Mizzou’s hitting coach and is coming off of a successful stint as the Houston Astros’ Class A affiliate hitting coach. He was the hitting coach for two Ohio Valley Conference Champion teams at Southeast Missouri from 2013-15 for Bieser.

Lawson was a key contributor to Southeast Missouri’s success under Bieser as he mentored an offense that ranked among the league’s best over his three seasons. During his second season with the Redhawks, the offense ranked ninth in the nation in batting and eighth in the nation in runs per game (7.2). Only eight teams in the nation scored more runs than SEMO that season. His offense also swiped the 10th-most bases in the nation in 2014 with 97 total steals.

His Redhawk offense was even better in 2015, ranking third in the nation in scoring, fifth in runs, sixth in on-base percentage and seventh in home runs. His team also drew the third-most walks in the nation that season and ranked 12th nationally with a .303 team average and in hits. Southeast Missouri averaged 8.0 runs per game and slugged 66 total homers.

His contributions to the Redhawk offense caught the eye of the Houston Astros, who hired Lawson away from SEMO in January of 2016 and he has served as club’s Class A affiliate in Tri-City (New York), a position he has held until taking the job on Bieser’s staff at Mizzou.

Lawson, a Louisville, Kentucky native, is a 2007 graduate of Transylvania University with a degree in Exercise Science. Lawson was a four-year starter for the Pioneers earning All-Conference honors as a junior and senior.

Lawson received his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in strength and conditioning from Lindenwood in 2008. He and his wife, Amanda, welcomed son, Asa “Ace” Dash, on April 29, 2014.

McRae will join the program as a student assistant as he will finish his undergraduate degree after a 10-year career in Major League Baseball, including stints with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays. In his nine years as a professional, McRae hit .261 with 103 home runs and 532 RBIs. He also stole 196 bases, including a career-high 37 with the Cubs in 1996. His best offensive season came in 1998 when he led the Mets in doubles, triples and steals while slugging 21 homers, 79 RBI and 80 walks, all career-bests. It was his first 20-homer, 20-steal season in the majors.

McRae is the son of former Major League All-Star and former Kansas City Royals manager Hal McRae. He was born in Bradenton, Fla., before moving to Blue Springs, Mo., where he was an All-State honoree in both baseball and football. He was selected in the first round of the 1985 MLB draft (17th overall) and bypassed a football scholarship at Kansas. He made his major league debut five years later in 1990 as the team’s center fielder, replacing an injured Bo Jackson.

Brian then played for his father, Hal, as he took over managing duties in 1991. It was just the fourth instance of a player being managed by his father in MLB history. Brian went on to play until 1999 with his final game coming in a Blue Jays uniform in 1999.

He then spent time as an analyst for WGN-TV and did five years working radio for MLB.com and appeared on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight as well.

Migliaccio comes to Mizzou after serving as Bieser’s graduate assistant at Southeast Missouri last season, working on the defensive development of position players and assisting with the offense. Before Southeast Missouri, he was at Siena, where he guided the team to its third-best fielding percentage in program history in 2015. He implemented new catching a defensive development programs while at Siena. In 2015, the infield completed conference games with a .981 fielding percentage, committing only eight errors, which was an improvement from .958 (21 errors) in 2014.

Migliaccio played college baseball at FIU and Parkland College before transferring to Oral Roberts to finish his degree, graduating with Cum Laude distinction with a degree in recreation administration and a minor in humanities while playing shortstop for the Owls.

Pratte just finished his 19th season with Mizzou Baseball in 2016, his sixth as director of operations. Serving as the director of operations, Pratte is still heavily involved in the success of the program. He handles a variety of responsibilities that ensure that the student-athletes at Mizzou get one of the best experiences possible while playing collegiate baseball. From arranging travel to handling a wide variety of daily activities, Pratte’s contributions help the entire team and coaching staff succeed. He also brings with him a wealth of baseball experience after spending years as a player and coach.

Bird has been director of baseball strength & conditioning since 2014. He has over 25 years of proven success in the field of Strength and Conditioning, has worked with a variety of men’s and women’s sports at some of the country’s highest ranked universities. Bird has coached 37 All-Americans, seven conference players of the year and has had 55 players go on to play professional baseball, as well as numerous others go on to play professionally in their respective sport. At Kansas State Bird was part of the baseball program that had the three best win totals in the programs history including a school record 43 wins in 2009. In the 6 years at K-State the program had 22 players drafted in the MLB draft and six of those were drafted in the top 10 rounds.

Peel played at Mizzou for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and will serve as a graduate manager for Bieser after coaching as a student assistant in 2016. Peel was Mizzou’s starting second baseman in 2015 and was one of the emotional leaders of the team, serving as captain. Peel started 57 games in 2015, leading off in 46 of those contests while hitting .257 with a team-high 40 runs, which were the most by a Tiger since 2012. He also stole 22 bases on the season, which ranked fifth in the SEC and tops on the team. His 22 steals rank as the fourth-most in a single season at Mizzou. Peel also just missed etching his name atop the school record list as he reached base in 30 consecutive games in 2015, falling just two short of the school record.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Mustangs’ season ends with 3-2 loss at Sedalia in MINK League playoffs

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

The St. Joseph Mustangs had their season come to an end Wednesday as they lost 3-2 at Sedalia in the MINK League North Wild Card playoff game.

St. Joe’s collegiate summer baseball team couldn’t climb out of a 3-0 hole Wednesday as the Bombers scored three in the third inning to take an early lead. The Mustangs had multiple chances to tied or take the lead but ultimately came up short in their comeback attempt.

St. Joseph left nine men on base and they finished the game 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The Mustangs’ Louis Mele scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and then Jeremiah Figueroa walked with the bases loaded in the eighth to make it a one-run game. Trailing 3-2, St. Joe still had the bases loaded with no outs after Figueroa’s walk, but they failed to score a run as the inning ended when Brady Anderson was picked off of third base.

In the ninth, Kyle Uhrich struck out to end the game with Brett Marr standing at second base.

The Mustangs out-hit Sedalia 7-6 as Marr and Matt Wollnick had two hits each.

Osvaldo Raya (0-2) suffered the loss as he struggled with his command. He walked six in 4.1 innings as he gave up three runs on four hits. John Millan kept St. Joseph in the game as he threw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

The Mustangs end the season 36-17 and they fell short of a third consecutive MINK League Championship. Sedalia advances to the MINK League Championship Series as they play a best-of-three series with South Division champion Ozark. The Generals defeated Joplin 2-1 in the South Wild Card game Wednesday. Game one of that series begins Thursday at Ozark.