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 Verfasst am: Fr Aug 10, 2018 8:44 am Titel: four straight to the Padres. |
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No roster makeover for the Utah Jazz.
Rather than spend time and money trying to make a splash by bringing in a high-profile free agent Baker Mayfield Browns Jersey , the Jazz are banking on continued internal development and continuity to boost a team that finished the 2017-18 season on a tear.
That approach is reflected in the team’s decision to bring back free agents Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto under new multi-year contracts.
”Chemistry is a hard thing,” Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey said at a press conference on Friday announcing the three free-agent signings. ”It’s a hard thing to predict. You can get five great people in the room and have it just not click for whatever reason, so we didn’t want to overthink that.”
Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Keeping Utah’s roster virtually intact going into the 2018-19 season appears to be a sound move given how the Jazz finished this past NBA season. Utah earned the fifth seed in the West with a 48-34 record, going 29-6 over their final 35 games, and advanced to the conference semifinals for the second straight year.
Utah became the first team since the 2004-05 New Jersey Nets to end the regular season with a winning record after being nine games below .500 on Jan. 22. The Jazz were 19-28 before their season-changing turnaround began.
That strong finish helped convince Favors to return to Utah rather than seek a larger role elsewhere.
”It was very important,” Favors said. ”I saw what we had and what we could accomplish in a full season when everyone’s healthy.”
Bringing back Favors became a top priority for the Jazz front office. Last season, Favors became just the 12th player to appear in at least 500 career games for Utah and returned to form after enduring a spate of injuries in the previous two seasons. He appeared in 77 games Saquon Barkley Jersey Elite , his most since the 2012-13 season, and averaged 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in averaging 28.0 minutes, posting 15 double-doubles and scoring 20 or more points six times.
Lindsey acknowledged that the veteran forward played an indispensable role in getting the Jazz out of the first round in each of the last two seasons.
The team’s continued loyalty has made an impact on Favors.
”They stuck by me through the ups and downs,” he said. ”They believed in me. When Kevin (O’ Connor) traded for me in 2011, he told me from day one he wanted me here for the long run. He wanted me to retire as a Jazz man. Hopefully, it happens.”
Despite injuries that have robbed Exum of nearly two full seasons (a torn ACL forced him to miss 2015-16), continued belief in his skills and potential made bringing him back another priority. The 22-year-old point guard out of Australia made an impact off the bench last season in a limited role after undergoing preseason surgery on his left shoulder. He averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 14 games.
Now, with a new contract and better health in this offseason Youth Lamar Jackson Jersey , he feels like he’s in a good place.
”With the ACL year, I didn’t get the opportunity to play at the end of the season and connect with the team,” said Exum, who was selected fifth overall in the 2014 NBA draft. ”I got that opportunity this last season, and I got film to go off of where I can get better, but it’s the same mentality – trying to get better in every aspect of the game.
”I need to keep improving on the stuff I’m already good at.”
Neto has spent three seasons with the Jazz as their No. 3 point guard. He played in 41 games last season and averaged 4.5 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 boards while averaging 12.1 minutes.
For Neto, coming back to a team where he’s comfortable and familiar with his role felt like a no-brainer.
”I’m always going to be ready to play, if it’s one minute or 20 http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mike-gesicki-jersey ,” Neto said.
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After two games filled flaring tempers and alleged beanballs, the Giants and Marlins finally learned to play nice together in their season series finale.
Just the way San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy expected – or at least hoped.
Brandon Belt had three hits, Gorkys Hernandez added a two-run single during a five-run sixth inning and the Giants beat the Marlins 6-5 on Wednesday.
”I didn’t think it would continue,” Bochy said. ”You’re going to have games like that and tempers are going to flare. Boys will be boys, as they say, but it’s back to baseball.”
In comparison to the games Monday and Tuesday when both teams were chippy, Wednesday’s game was tame.
There were more errors than hit batters and the only damage was self-inflicted when Giants leadoff hitter Alen Hanson fouled a ball off his left knee in the first inning.
What fireworks there were came primarily in the sixth when San Francisco chased Miami starter Jose Urena (2-9).
Kelby Tomlinson walked and took second on Joe Panik’s single. After Brandon Belt doubled in Tomlinson, Pablo Sandoval was intentionally walked and Nick Hundley struck out.
Panik scored the go-ahead run when Mac Williamson hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Miguel Rojas with one out. Rojas made a diving stop but second baseman Starlin Castro had to stretch for the throw and was unable to make the relay to first.
Hernandez capped the inning with a two-run single after a 14-pitch at-bat against Urena.
”He really grinded out that at-bat,” Bochy said. ”Just came through with a huge hit there and gave us a cushion.”
Derek Holland (5-7) had seven strikeouts and allowed three runs over six innings in his first start against the Marlins since 2011. He walked two and left after giving up back-to-back hits opening the seventh.
”(Catcher Nick Hundley) and I did a great job establishing what we needed to Bills Josh Allen Jersey , getting ahead of hitters,” Holland said. ”I know the line says I gave up three runs but at the end of the day these guys did a good job of keeping the momentum on our side.”
The Giants’ left-hander said he changed his stance on the mound, shifting from one side of the rubber to other.
”Just wanted to do something different, that’s all,” Holland said.
The Marlins scored twice in the ninth off Sam Dyson. Reyes Moronta struck out JB Shuck for his first career save.
Castro drove in a pair of runs and Brian Anderson had three hits for Miami, extending his on-base streak to a career-high 18 games.
The Marlins hit into three double plays, including when Urena was doubled up at first after mistakenly heading for third on Castro’s fly ball to center with no outs in the third.
”I’ve never seen a guy be the leadoff hitter and then lose count of the outs,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. ”He was hustling though. We had some other chances too.”
QUOTABLE
”That’s cute. I remember my first 14-pitch at-bat.” – Belt, who set a major league record with a 21-pitch at-bat against the Angels on April 22 http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dontae-johnson-jersey , talking about Hernandez’s long at-bat in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: Outfielder Garrett Cooper (wrist) was sent to Triple-A New Orleans to begin a rehab assignment.
Giants: Hanson had to be helped off the field and was diagnosed with a knee contusion after undergoing X-rays. … Buster Posey was given the day off. … RHP Jeff Samardzija (shoulder tightness) makes his second rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Following a day off Thursday, Miami heads to Colorado to begin a three-game series. LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-3, 5.91 ERA) pitches the opener seeking his second win against the Rockies this season.
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 4.67) faces San Diego on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Bumgarner has lost four straight to the Padres.
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