PRESSURE IS ON: The Warri

[panxing18]

Justin Verlander’s worst start with the Houston Astros might have been OK if not for Wilson Ramos.

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 Phillip Dorsett 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, bases loaded, he knows a heater’s coming, and he hit it off the wall. So that’s my fault Brent Urban Jersey ,” 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 Javorius Allen Jersey , 2.31) did not give up a hit until the seventh inning of the Rays’ 11-0 win against Washington on Monday night.

—



Joel Embiid expects his first playoff game in Philadelphia to be quite a scene.

”It’s going to be lit,” Embiid said.

And if the 76ers win, there will be more games like it next week.

The 76ers can become the first team into the Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Game 5 of the only East series that isn’t tied.

Also Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors get their second chance to eliminate San Antonio, and the Celtics and Bucks return to Boston for Game 5 of a series in which the home team has won every game.

Embiid was still sidelined while recovering from a broken orbital bone around his left eye for the first two games in Philadelphia, then returned to help the 76ers win Games 3 and 4 in Miami.

Now the 76ers, who just two years ago lost 72 games in one of the worst seasons ever while the Warriors were winning an NBA-record 73, can join the defending champions in the second round on the same night. The 76ers have advanced to the East semis just twice since reaching the NBA Finals in 2001.

Golden State missed its first chance to move on when San Antonio won 103-90 on Sunday. The Warriors were disappointed, though far from devastated.

”We lost and we got another opportunity to try to close this thing out back at the crib,” Kevin Durant said, ”so no, we’re good.”

Ettore Messina will coach the Spurs again in place of Gregg Popovich, who will miss his third straight game following the death of his wife.

Some things to know about Tuesday’s matchups:

BUCKS AT CELTICS

Series tied 2-2. Game 5 Frank Zombo Jersey , 7 p.m., NBA TV.

NEED TO KNOW: Milwaukee has shot 52 percent or better in the last three games and outscored Boston 433-427 in a series in which the Celtics won the opener in overtime and the Bucks took Game 4 by two points on Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘s follow shot with 5 seconds remaining.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Jaylen Brown. He’s scored 30 or more in two of the last three games, and his 11-point outing in Game 3 was the only game in the series Boston didn’t have a chance to win. ”I want to just continue to keep helping my team and shooting the ball well,” Brown said. ”It’s something that’s on and I want to continue to do that.”

INJURY UPDATE: The Celtics are listing guard Marcus Smart, sidelined since mid-March because of right thumb surgery, as questionable. Bucks starting center John Henson has missed the last two games with a sore lower back.

PRESSURE IS ON: Jabari Parker and Thon Maker. Parker’s 16.5 points and Maker’s 5.0 blocks per game off the bench were huge keys in Milwaukee, but they have to prove they can take their show on the road. They managed all of two points in Boston, where Maker didn’t even get in Game 1.

HEAT AT 76ERS

Philadelphia leads 3-1. Game 5, 8 p.m., TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: Philadelphia is averaging 116.8 points in the series, tops among postseason teams, and the 76ers have outscored the Heat 127-85 in the fourth quarter of the four games.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Dwyane Wade, because it might be the last time to watch him play. The Heat star hasn’t committed to playing next season Shaq Lawson Jersey , so this could be the final game of his career if Miami loses.

INJURY UPDATE: Forward Josh Richardson is questionable with a left shoulder sprain, and the Heat are also dealing with injuries to fellow starters Tyler Johnson (left thumb) and Goran Dragic (sore right knee). If Johnson is limited, the Heat could insert Rodney McGruder for defense or give Wayne Ellington more minutes in hopes of getting his shot going.

PRESSURE IS ON: Miami’s starters. In what should be a raucous atmosphere in Philadelphia, the Heat have to make sure they aren’t run off the floor before Wade even gets off the bench.

SPURS AT WARRIORS

Golden State leads 3-1. Game 5, 10:30 p.m., TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: Another loss would give the Warriors more in this postseason then they had all last year. Golden State was 16-1 (an NBA-record .941 winning percentage) in storming to its second championship in three years.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Manu Ginobili. The 40-year-old Argentine may have extended not only the series but also his career when he scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4, so there’s at least one more chance to enjoy his brilliant style of play.

INJURY UPDATE: Ginobili was kneed in the thigh late in Game 4 and will be hoping to be pain-free after a day off. Also, the Spurs have ruled Kawhi Leonard out for Game 5.

PRESSURE IS ON: The Warriors, if only to avoid the aggravation of the old reminders about their big lead blown in the 2016 NBA Finals if they lose again and the series is prolonged while New Orleans, who they would play in the second round, continues to rest.

—

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami and AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower in Boston contributed to this report.

—

Authentic Womens Mike Remmers Jersey
_________________
30