NEW YORK — When Gary Sanchez reached base after snapping a lengthy skid with a bases-clearing double
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This has been the worst stretch of Sanchez’s 234-game career, and while he still is slumping to the tune of four hits in his last 59 at-bats, the New York Yankees are hoping their catcher gets rolling.
After ending a 0-for-17 slide Friday, Sanchez looks to help the Yankees to a third straight win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees (45-20) are 12-3 in their last 15 games after a 5-0 win on Friday. Sanchez grounded out three times before following an intentional walk to Giancarlo Stanton with a double to right field off Jonny Venters.
“It definitely felt great,” Sanchez said through an interpreter. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to contribute.”
Sanchez’s hit ended his night at .188. His average has dropped from .231 in his last 17 games.
Since his average peaked, Sanchez has driven in five runs.
“Honestly, with Gary, I really feel like it’s every at-bat, it could be turning around,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like he’s close, he’s fighting it, wanting it so bad.”
Sanchez might be the designated hitter Saturday since it’s a day game after a night game
Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , but if he catches, he will be helping Luis Severino attempt to get to his 10th win.
Severino (9-2, 2.27 ERA)is pitching one day before the 40th anniversary of Ron Guidry’s team-record 18-strikeout game against the Los Angeles Angels. On Thursday, Guidry said he believed Severino could be the one to break the mark.
“He’s got the ability to push 20, 21,” Guidry said. “I sit down, and we watch a lot — my wife and I — we watch a lot of games. And I’ve already told her that he’s going to have a night.”
Maybe so, but when presented with Guidry’s praise, Severino was modest about it and conceded “there was no chance.”
“It gives me confidence but to strike out 18 people in a game, that’s a lot of strikeouts,” Severino said.
He already has amassed a lot of strikeouts even before Guidry weighed in. His 109 strikeouts are sixth in the American League.
Severino is coming off a rare loss when he allowed a two-run homer to former teammate Todd Frazier among five hits in five innings of a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday at Citi Field. It was his first loss since April 10 at Boston.
Severino is 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA in seven home starts this season. He also is 8-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 11 home starts. It is the longest streak of consecutive home starts without a team loss since 1999, matching Masahiro Tanaka’s 11-game streak.
The 24-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 appearances (seven starts) against the Rays.
The Rays are 4-11 in their last 15 games and are on an eight-game road losing streak after getting four hits Friday. They also have struck out 25 times in the first two games and are 2-12 in their last 14 games at Yankee Stadium.
Tampa Bay (32-37) gave Friday off to Carlos Gomez and C.J. Cron
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Gomez is batting .138 (8-for-58) in 18 games since returning from a right groin strain last month and Cron has 10 strikeouts in a 0-for-12 skid.
“I’m trying to get him rested,” Cash said of Gomez. “I don’t know if going every other day or picking a little bit more days off for him might help him a little bit. He plays so hard when he is out there, give his body a blow and see if it freshens him up.”
Tampa Bay will use a reliever as its “opening pitcher” for the 20th time. Ryne Stanek (1-1, 2.76 ERA) will do it for the fifth time this season, but Cash said Ryan Yarbrough will get the bulk of the innings.
Stanek’s last “start” was Monday when he struck out three and threw 27 pitches in two innings. None of his “starts” have lasted more than two innings. The right-hander has not thrown more than 40 pitches in those outings.
And for the Rays by now the novelty has worn off.
“I think they’ve handled it really well,” Cash said. “I think the novelty or whatever you want to call it was gone after the first day.”
Jarvis Landry is leaving one bad offense for another one.
The Miami Dolphins agreed to trade the Pro Bowl receiver to the Cleveland Browns for two draft picks, two people familiar with the deal said Friday.
The people confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because under NFL rules, no trade can be completed until Wednesday, the start of the league’s new year. The Dolphins will receive a fourth-round pick this year and a seventh-rounder in 2019, one of the people said.
Miami finished sixth-worst in scoring last season and went 6-10. Cleveland finished last in scoring and went 0-16.
The Browns were desperate to land a playmaker such as Landry, who will complement former Pro Bowl receiver Josh Gordon. Landry has been selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls and has 400 receptions, an NFL record for a fourth-year player.
”Y’all better understand (stuff) about to get SERIOUS… ON MY MAMA
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The trade was among a flurry Friday by the Browns. They agreed to acquire quarterback Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills for a third-round draft pick, and agreed to send quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers for cornerback Damarious Randall.
Landry signed a $16 million, one-year franchise tag Thursday with Miami, clearing the path for his trade. The Dolphins began shopping him when the parties were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract.
He’s likely to get that extension from the Browns.
Landry made $894,000 last year, when he completed the contract he signed as a rookie. He was by far the highest-profile Dolphins player eligible for free agency, and perhaps the best player on an offense that sputtered with quarterback Jay Cutler.
But Landry’s volatile personality became a concern for Miami. He was ejected in the fourth quarter of the season finale, a loss to Buffalo, and coach Adam Gase said the episode was embarrassing and ”extremely bad.”
Miami’s passing attack in 2017 gave Landry a bizarre stat line: 112 receptions to lead the league and break his own franchise record, but an average of 8.8 yards per catch to rank 110th. He a career-high nine touchdowns but finished 13 yards shy of 1,000.
Landry’s departure adds a receiver to the Dolphins’ long list of offseason needs. Receivers Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker are expected to return, along with quarterback Ryan Tannehill
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Cleveland is $113 million under the salary cap and was expected to seek an impact receiver in free agency. Acquiring Landry has likely changed those plans and the Browns can address a multitude of other needs.
Landry typically plays slot receiver, and the Browns have been disappointed with the production of former first-round draft pick Corey Coleman, who has been injured the past two seasons.
Gordon may benefit most from Landry’s arrival and the talented 26-year-old posted four trophy emojis on his Twitter page after the news of trade broke.
With 12 picks in this year’s draft, including the Nos. 1 and 4 overall and five in the first 64, the Browns had the ability to pull off a major deal for a major player.
Hue Jackson has handed his offense over to former Pittsburgh coordinator Todd Haley, who should know how to best use a player of Landry’s skill after coaching Antonio Brown the past few seasons.
Cleveland’s offense didn’t have a legitimate go-to receiver last season until Gordon returned from an indefinite NFL suspension with five games left. Running back Duke Johnson finished as the club’s leading receiver.
Without enough players to spread out defenses, the Browns were too often one-dimensional, and their lack of options made life more difficult for Kizer, who led the NFL with 22 interceptions
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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