PITTSBURGH – Its fitting Marcus Stroman is taking Brandon Morrows place on the Blue Jays 40-man roster.
Wholesale NFL Jerseys . A top pitching prospect, one who the ball club is pinning some of its future hopes, takes the
spot of a veteran who once was viewed as a future ace but who, to this point,
hasnt realized his potential and may never. Stroman threw his first major league
pitch on Sunday, facing four Pirates hitters in the eighth inning of a 7-2 win
less than 48 hours after Morrow may have thrown his last pitch for Toronto. That
is if Morrow requires season-ending surgery on a torn tendon sheath at the base
of his right index finger. Stromans just beginning. Morrow is in the final
guaranteed year of his contract and if, for a second consecutive year, his
season has ended shortly after it started, its hard to believe the
cash-conscious Blue Jays would pick up the $10-million club option it holds on
Morrow for 2015. The 23-year-old Stroman, whos started at the Double-A and
Triple-A levels dating back to last season, will begin his big league career in
the bullpen. Its an area in which Toronto needs help. Since the second game of
an April 17 doubleheader in Minnesota, Blue Jays relievers have combined to
allow 40 earned runs on 55 hits and 33 walks in 48 1/3 innings pitched. The
bullpen has blown saves in six of the last 15 games. It was a strange scene for
Stroman. He arrived at the PNC Park and almost immediately was whisked into
manager John Gibbons office, where the skipper had called a meeting with his
struggling relief corps. The rookie was saying all the right things."I honestly
think we have one of the best bullpens in baseball between guys like Sergio
(Santos), Casey (Janssen), (Brett) Cecil, everyone thats in the pen dominates,"
said Stroman. "Its just a rough patch theyre going through but I have no doubt
in my mind that theyll get through it and get back to where they were last
year."Stroman is coming off his most dominant start of his professional career.
On Tuesday in Buffalo, pitching against Louisville, he struck out 10 Bats
hitters and didnt allow a hit over six innings. During one stretch, Stroman
retired 16-straight. In five starts for the Bisons, Stroman has two wins, a 1.69
ERA, a 1.088 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. The WHIP is even more
impressive when you consider Stroman has allowed almost a hit per inning. Hes
walked only six, a welcome walks per nine inning percentage for a staff whose
124 bases on balls is second most in the majors. "Fastball command has
definitely been a lot better; Ive been keeping the ball down in the zone much
better," said Stroman. "The development of my change has been huge and I just
feel more comfortable, more settled in. That was my first big-league spring, I
feel like I got ahead of myself sometimes, but I feel real comfortable, I feel
like Im ready to go out there and pitch well." Stroman found out about his big
league call up in an unusual way. The Bisons played an afternoon game on
Saturday, which gave Stroman an opportunity to venture with his girlfriend to
Niagara Falls for the evening. He thinks he missed a call from Blue Jays farm
director Charlie Wilson and when he did check his phone, the first message he
picked up was a congratulatory one from his mother. "Shes been saying for a
little bit, Oh, Ive got a feeling," said Stroman. "Im like, Mom, relax." Stroman
didnt sleep on Saturday night, he was excited, and he was out of bed by five
oclock on Sunday morning to meet the car service driving him from Buffalo to
Pittsburgh. "No sleep," he said. "But I feel wide awake." Stromans addition to
the starting rotation seems like an eventuality but hes not going to dwell on
his role. "Im just happy to be here," said Stroman. "Ive had experience in the
bullpen, Im not worried about it, I feel like I can come in, thats something Ive
done before in the past and thats something Im comfortable with, so its not like
its completely new."
Cheap Jersyes .7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the
left-hander appears in 60 games.
Wholesale Jerseys USA . He insists hes not counting. "If youre thinking hits, youre not paying attention to wins," Altuve
said Sunday after leading the Houston Astros past the Texas Rangers 3-2.SESTOLA,
Italy -- Pieter Weening of the Netherlands edged out Davide Malacarne to win the
ninth stage of the Giro dItalia on Sunday, while Cadel Evans retained the
overall lead. Weening had been part of a breakaway group and apologized to
Malacarne as he sprinted past him at the end of the final climb of the
172-kilometre (107-mile) leg from Lugo to Sestola for his second individual
victory. A final burst from Domenico Pozzovivo saw the Italian cyclist finish
third, 42 seconds behind, with the peloton coming in 1 minute, 8 seconds after
Weening. "The guys werent working perfect in the group and it went slightly
uphill," Weening said. "At the roundabout I saw everybody going the wrong way
around and I came full speed on the right side and I felt that this was the
moment. Normally you wait for the climb but this climb is not so steep to
attack, so I thought I would attack before the climb." The top three in the
overall standings remained unchanged and Evans has a 57-second advantage over
Rigoberto Uran. Rafal Majka is third, while Pozzovivo moved up into fourth, 1:20
behind Evans. "I think we have to be satisfied with our work so far," Evans
said. "The team, they put me in the position Im in now. Im very proud of my guys
and we will rest well tomorrow." Victorias Ryder Hesjedal finished the stage in
14th and is 17th overall. Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., was well back iin 161st
and is now last overall in the field at 181st.
China Jerseys Authentic. Despite a relatively flat opening half of the stage, the break took a while to form with the peloton holding the pace high. A group of 14
riders eventually escaped 50K (31 miles) in and swiftly built an advantage of
more than seven minutes as the peloton seemed happy to let them go, with no
threat to the overall lead among the escapees. However, with 35K (22 miles)
remaining, BMC put its foot down and the peloton started slashing the gap which
dropped to 3:19 at the top of the second and penultimate climb. Weening saw the
danger and made his move, followed by Malacarne. The pair built up an advantage
of more than 35 seconds with 12K (7.5 miles) remaining and that was up to a
minute as they approached the steepest part of the final climb, with gradients
of 14 per cent. The duo worked together before becoming more cagey in the final
kilometre, each waiting for the other to start the sprint. Malacarne made his
move with 250 metres to go, but Weening rounded him to take his second victory
in this years race, after helping Orica-GreenEdge win the opening time trial.
Pozzovivo jumped from the peloton with less than 5K (3 miles) remaining,
catching and passing Enrico Barbin to finish third. Monday is a rest day before
Tuesdays 10th stage, which is one for the sprinters -- a flat 173K (107.5-mile)
leg from Modela to Salsomaggiore.
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