ATLANTA (AP) — With their season on the line
http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-belt-jersey , the Atlanta Braves are throwing a changeup.Trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0
in their best-of-five NL Division Series, the Braves will start left-hander Sean
Newcomb in Game 3 on Sunday night rather than Kevin Gausman. Newcomb nearly
pitched a no-hitter against Los Angeles in July, and the Dodgers have beaten
right-handers in the first two games of the series.“We need to win,” Atlanta
manager Brian Snitker said Saturday. “And not that Gausman doesn’t give us that
opportunity. We like how Newcomb matches up with them and the success that he’s
had against the Dodgers this year.”Snitker said he discussed the switch with
general manager Alex Anthopoulos on the flight home after Atlanta’s 3-0 loss
Friday. They agreed to the move Saturday afternoon.“Snit came up and talked to
me on the plane before we took off, let me know that that was a possibility, so
kind of get my mind right before I kind of went to bed,” Newcomb said. “So I
kind of had a forewarning. But excited, ready to go.”Rookie right-hander Walker
Buehler is scheduled to start for the Dodgers. He allowed one hit in 6 2/3
scoreless innings Monday during a 5-2 win over Colorado in the NL West
tiebreaker and finished 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA.Atlanta has been outscored 9-0 in
the first two games of the series, and the Dodgers have scored all their runs on
four homers off Braves right-handers.The 25-year-old Newcomb threw a career-high
134 pitches when he went 8 2/3 innings against Los Angeles in a 4-1 win on July
29 in Atlanta. Chris Taylor singled to left field on a 2-2 pitch with two outs
in the ninth for the Dodgers’ first hit.Newcomb was 12-9 with a 3.90 ERA in his
first full big league season
Jeff Samardzija Jersey , but had a 5.68 ERA in 10 late-season starts after the near no-hitter. He tossed two scoreless innings Thursday in relief of
Game 1 starter Mike Foltynewicz.Gausman went 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts
for the Braves after he was acquired from Baltimore. He and every Atlanta
pitcher other than Foltynewicz will be available out of the bullpen.“We’re going
to let Newcomb get the thing off the ground,” Snitker explained. “And I talked
to Kevin, and he was like, ‘Whatever we gotta do.'”Dodgers manager Dave Roberts
doesn’t think his hitters will be surprised by Newcomb’s stuff the way they were
when they faced him for the first time and his fastball was dazzling.“Obviously,
their backs are against the wall, and they feel it’s the best chance to give
them a chance to win (Sunday). So, he’s had success against us,” Roberts said.
“I just think (the near no-hitter) was one of those things that you just don’t
know a pitcher and you really don’t know the life that it might have, and so it
kind of snuck up on us.”Newcomb hopes to build off the success he’s already had
against Los Angeles.“Yeah
http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-johnny-cueto-jersey , definitely going to use that to my advantage,” he said. “And they can use that
to their advantage, too, because they’ve seen me throw a lot of pitches. So,
it’s going to go both ways. Go out there and use my strengths and attack
them.”Atlanta has managed just nine hits in the series, and only two runners
have reached third base.Snitker hopes the return home from Los Angeles will wake
up his team’s bats.He said he might move switch-hitting second baseman Ozzie
Albies up to No. 2 in the lineup. But the manager is not anticipating any
changes to his starting eight with the Braves on the brink of elimination.“I
think in this situation, we’ve got to be aggressive,” he said. “We’ve got to
take the safety off and start firing.” NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron
Boone said All-Star slugger Aaron Judge could return to New York’s lineup this
week during a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.Boone said Sunday
that Judge is “getting real close” to returning from a broken right wrist. Judge
has been cleared to play the outfield and run the bases, and he played two
innings in right Friday night. He’s still working his way back at the
plate
Mark Melancon Jersey , though.Judge hit off a high-velocity pitching machine prior to a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Sunday. He’s been taking batting
practice on the field, and he might face rehabbing closer Aroldis Chapman in a
simulated game Monday or Tuesday.Judge said he’s experiencing no pain while
swinging, but still has some discomfort on more standard movements.“Swinging I’m
fine,” he said.Chapman is working back from left knee tendinitis. He threw a
bullpen session Saturday, and Boone says the left-hander came out of it feeling
well.Boston leads the AL East by 11½ games and has a magic number of two to
clinch the division.Top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield will join the Yankees
on Tuesday looking to make his major league debut. He and Domingo German will be
called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which finished its season
Saturday.
