PHOENIX — Right-hander Yoshihisa Hirano has been spectacularly efficient in his first season in Arizona
Authentic Jonathan Cooper Jersey , part of the reason the Diamondbacks will enter their four-game series against the San Diego Padres with the best bullpen
ERA in the majors.
Hirano may be a major league rookie, but his work the last five seasons as a closer with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan has translated well.
Hirano, 34, had a franchise-record 26-game scoreless streak broken in an 8-4 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, when he finished one scoreless appearance short
of tying former Red Sox right-hander Koji Uehara for the longest such streak by
a Japanese-born pitcher in major league history. Even that loss could not
diminish the value Hirano has had this season.
Arizona right-hander Shelby Miller is scheduled to face San Diego left-hander Eric Lauer in the first game of the series Thursday.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was Boston’s bench coach when Uehara set the record in 2013
George Foster Jersey , so he can provide a comparison of Uehara and Hirano.
“They have the same work habits, which is pretty impressive,” Lovullo said. “They both come in and get their work done pregame. They come in and get their
work done postgame. They find themselves healthy and strong and prepared for
every single one of their outings.
“They both have a fearlessness to their game and an approach to understanding what needs to happen during each at-bat. They are not afraid to put the ball on
the plate with two different pitches. They go out and expect to get outs. Very
similar mind-set. Very similar makeup. Very similar confidence.”
Hirano is 2-0 with a 1.43 ERA in 42 appearances. He has 19 holds, fourth in the majors, and he has permitted only one of his 16 inherited runners to score
while being primarily used in the seventh inning. Eighth-inning reliever Archie
Bradley leads the majors with 22 holds and closer Brad Boxberger has 20
saves.
Uehara began the 2013 season in a similar setup role in the Boston bullpen before advancing to the closer’s role after injuries thinned the relief corps.
He finished with 21 saves
Cheap Jonathan Allen Jersey , a 1.09 ERA and an 0.57 WHIP.
“As soon as he became the closer, he gave off a certain edge and a certain confidence that was noticeable,” Lovullo said.
“It’s as close to a slam dunk, shut-down ninth-inning save as I’ve ever seen. He had this ability to collect outs and get through innings in 12 pitches or
less. It was so quick, the ninth inning was over before it even started. It was
a very comfortable setting for all of us. You played the Boston Red Sox in 2013
for eight innings because the ninth inning was over. That’s what I
remember.”
Hirano has a 1.01 WHIP
Hyun-Jin Ryu Jersey , fourth among major league relievers with at least 40 appearances.
“He’s been very versatile,” Lovullo said. “He’s unfazed by any role we have asked him to do. He can pitch in traffic. He can start clean innings. He can get
left-handers and right-handers out.”
The Diamondbacks lost two of three to St. Louis and have dropped five of their past six games overall. They took two out of three games in their only
other series against the Padres this season, also at Chase Field.
San Diego has slumped over the last 2 1/2 weeks. The Padres have lost three in a row and are 3-13 since beating Atlanta 9-3 behind left-hander Clayton
Richard on June 15. They have scored 30 runs in their last 10 games.
“We’re not getting hits with runners in scoring position,” San Diego manager Andy Green told reporters after a two-game sweep in Oakland.
“Sometimes the best thing you can do is relax, go play baseball and enjoy what you’re doing. Then the hits start coming.”
Christian Villanueva hit his 17th homer for the Padres in a 4-2 loss to the A’s Wednesday.
Miller is 0-2 with an 11.42 ERA in two starts this season after returning from a 14-month absence following Tommy John surgery in last May
Larry Bowa Jersey , 2017. He has given up 15 hits and 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings.
Miller is 2-2 with a 4.54 ERA in eight career appearances, including seven starts, against the Padres. He had a strong outing against them early last
season, giving up four hits and one run in 7 1/3 innings in the third of his
four starts before suffering the elbow injury.
Rookie Lauer joined the Padres’ rotation in late April and is 3-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 13 starts this season. He was 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA in six June starts and
is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in seven road starts.
He has never faced the Diamondbacks.
.
Womens Saquon Barkley Jersey ,
Authentic Womens Anthony Averett Jersey ,
Womens Rashaad Penny Jersey ,
Adidas Jason Pominville Jersey ,
