The Atlanta Braves
Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves Jersey , tied for the best record in the National League, return home from their brief two-game road trip to host the
Baltimore Orioles, the team with the worst record in baseball.
The three-game interleague series begins on Friday at SunTrust Park.
Baltimore will start right-hander Alex Cobb (2-9, 7.14) against Atlanta left-hander Sean Newcomb (8-2, 2.70) in the series opener.
The Braves (43-30) split two games at Toronto and return home having won seven of their last 10 games. Atlanta has a three-game lead over Washington in
the National League East.
The Orioles (21-52) have lost eight of their last 10 games. They dropped two of three games at Washington, although all of the games were within three
runs.
Newcomb has made enjoyed a breakthrough season in his second year in the majors. Newcomb has posted two scoreless starts over his last three appearances,
most recently on June 16 against San Diego. He struck out seven and allowed two
hits in that six-inning start, which he won. That was a bounce-back for the
southpaw, who had allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings against Los Angeles in his
previous start.
“After you have a good one, you’ve got to be able to clear it and look forward to the next one
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you had a good one or a bad one. That allows you to go out fresh every
time.”
Newcomb leads the team in wins and has allowed two or fewer runs in ten of his 14 starts. He has never faced the Orioles.
“It’s good to see that maturity and confidence in him now,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “There’s no panic. I love how he stays pitch-to-pitch during
a game. It’s just a young pitcher who is confident in what he’s doing and has
faith in himself.”
Cobb has made five quality starts in 12 previous outings but has not pitched well in his last two starts, both losses. He allowed five runs in seven innings
against Miami on June 16 and was rocked for nine runs in 3 2/3 innings against
Toronto in June 10.
“Being out there and feeling comfortable is such a thing you take for granted,” Cobb said. “I’m just really comfortable where I’m at. I’m able to
execute a high amount of pitches. That’s going to lead to some success.”
He has one career start against the Braves in 2012. He allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out six in earning the victory.
With the series in Atlanta, Baltimore will not be able to use a designated hitter. That may be OK with Mark Trumbo, who is hitting .349 (15-for-43) in 13
games playing in the field, compared to hitting .233 in 27 games as the DH.
Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman has been among the league leaders all season. He leads the National League total bases (162) and is second in on-base
percentage (.420) and slugging percentage (.579). His 93 hits are tied with
teammate Nick Markakis for the league lead. His .332 batting average is second
only to Scooter Gennett’s .336 mark.
The Orioles are expected to get slugger Chris Davis back in the lineup on Friday. He has missed eight games while making offensive adjustments after
hitting .150 with 86 strikeouts in 57 games.
“I’m really looking forward to getting him back on the field,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “I’m really looking forward to getting the
impactful player he’s capable of being.”
Kirk Cousins was the unequivocal jewel of this year’s free agent quarterback class in just about everyone’s mind
but John Elway’s.
”We got our guy,” the Denver Broncos general manager said Friday at Case Keenum’s introductory news conference. ”We got the guy that was our target.”
Even though Keenum was No. 1 in Elway’s eyes
Cheap Joseph Noteboom Jersey , he was viewed over the last several weeks as something of a runner-up even in the Broncos locker room.
Several stars such as Von Miller, Brandon Marshall and Emmanuel Sanders campaigned for Cousins, issuing public pleas for the ex-Washington QB who
ultimately signed a three-year, $84 million deal with Minnesota.
Keenum, who led the Vikings to the NFC championship game after replacing an injured Sam Bradford and going 11-3, said his phone has ”been blowing up” with
congratulatory texts from his new teammates – Miller’s was the first – and he
brushed aside all that cajoling of Cousins, too.
”I applaud those guys for wanting to make their team better,” Keenum said after signing his two-year, $36 million deal that includes $25 million in
guarantees. ”I want guys that want their team to be great, that want to do
everything they can to help the team. So
Giants Saquon Barkley Jersey , no, it’s not awkward to me at all.”
Neither will it be clumsy, Keenum insisted, if Elway decides to use the fifth overall pick in next month’s NFL draft on another quarterback.
This year’s class is unusually deep at quarterback with as many as six teams expected to use first-round picks on passers, and Elway has a high draft pick
for the first time since selecting Miller at No. 2 in 2011.
”I’ve been around long enough to know that anything is a possibility in this league. I was a starting quarterback when a team drafted somebody No. 1 overall
and traded a bunch of draft picks. I know how that goes,” Keenum said, recalling
when the Rams selected Jared Goff in 2016.
”I know that my teammates, my coaches and the front office – everyone – is doing everything they possibly can to be the best Denver Broncos that we can
possibly be. For me, it doesn’t change my mindset. It really doesn’t.”
Elway spent the week scoping out QB prospects Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen during their pro days and issued invitations to Sam Darnold and Mayfield for
interviews at team headquarters in the coming weeks.
Yet, landing Keenum gives Elway the flexibility to draft a blue chip prospect such as Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson or North Carolina State defensive end
Bradley Chubb should there be an early run on quarterbacks.
That would give Keenum a premier pick to help him rather than his eventual replacement to fend off as long as he can.
”We have a lot of opportunities at five now
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The Broncos are coming off a 5-11 season in which they cycled through Elway’s former draft picks Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler at
quarterback. They’re sending Siemian to Minnesota. Osweiler is a free agent and
Lynch is now Keenum’s backup. He also won’t have the chance to earn the starting
job in training camp like he had the last two summers.
Coach Vance Joseph welcomes the lack of another quarterback competition, saying it’s good for players and coaches to just focus on building an offensive
scheme rather than wondering who will be running it.
Elway lauded Keenum’s renowned work ethic, his leadership and his success after going undrafted out of the University of Houston but building a strong
resume with the Texans, Rams and Vikings.
”As far as leadership qualities, the grit that he has, the way that he plays the game, the way that he competes, he was the perfect fit for us,” Elway
said.
The Broncos’ crush on Keenum goes way back
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Senior personnel adviser Gary Kubiak gave him his start in the NFL and coached him in Houston for two years when Joseph was on the Texans’ staff.
The Broncos even tried to pry Keenum away from the Rams after Peyton Manning retired two years ago only to be rebuffed.
Keenum, who only had one scholarship offer after high school, isn’t used to such fawning.
”To have a team pursue me, and like John said, to be their guy, that instills a lot of confidence in me and I am ready to be that guy,” Keenum said. ”I know I
am, and I’m excited to be the Denver Broncos’ quarterback.”
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