P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst wasted little time providing the inside pass rush that Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted when he used two draft picks on the defensive tackles.

Hall delivered on his first snap as a pro Walter Payton Jersey , bringing down Detroit's Matt Cassel in the exhibition opener. Hurst got pressure twice with one of those leading to Hall deflecting a pass by Cassel.

That's an ingredient that has been sorely missing in Oakland for years and will go a long way toward upgrading a defense that hopes to be much improved in the first year under Gruden and coordinator Paul Guenther.

"I was pleased with it," Gruden said Monday. "I think it's an area that we've gone out to try to improve and we have a long way to go. But, there were some good signs."

The Raiders drafted Hall in the second round after he recorded 42 sacks in his college career at FCS-level Sam Houston State. Oakland then was able to add another potential impact rusher in the fifth round when Hurst fell from a projected first-round pick because of a heart issue that led him to be sent home from the combine.

Hurst was one of the most productive defensive players in the country last season at Michigan. He had 5陆 sacks as an interior rusher and led all nose tackles and defensive tackles with 49 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Hurst has had no health issues since being drafted and delivered just what the Raiders expected.

"He's going to continue to get better," Gruden said. "I think going up against (Kelechi) Osemele and Gabe Jackson and (Rodney) Hudson all camp has made him better. It's made him stronger. It's made him play with better technique and leverage. He still has a ways to go but he and P.J. Hall both give us an element that we need here."

The Raiders have the second-fewest sacks in the NFL the past two seasons with just 56 鈥?one more than the last-place New York Jets. Nearly two-thirds of those sacks have come from Khalil Mack (21 1/2) and Bruce Irvin (15), as the edge players have gotten almost no help from the inside rushers.

Oakland had just 1 1/2 sacks last year from players playing inside full-time Eddie Jackson Jersey , making the performance in the preseason opener so encouraging.

Hall's sack came on the opening drive when Cassel was forced to step up in the pocket because of outside pressure by Irvin and Fadol Brown. Hall figures more of those opportunities will come, especially once Mack ends his holdout and rejoins the team.

"I definitely feel that will help a lot," he said. "He's a great edge rusher. He will make the quarterbacks step up in the pocket so I need to make sure I get a good interior rush."

The interior rush is a key part of Guenther's defense. He had one of the best in the game at it during his time in Cincinnati when Geno Atkins anchored the Bengals defense.

Hurst said he has tried to model his game after Atkins and embraces the challenge of trying to fill that role in Oakland.

"Definitely gets me amped up," he said. "The Bengals, their best player was their 3-technique, so that's the focal point of their defense and that's what Coach Guenther is used to getting. That's what he's got his whole time in the NFL. He drafted Geno http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/christine-michael-sr-jersey , so I think it says something to him for drafting me and P.J. I think he definitely expects a lot from us and expects us to fill that role that he had while he was with the Bengals."

NOTES: CB Gareon Conley returned to practice for the first time since injuring his hip on the first day of training camp. ... CB Daryl Worley left practice after colliding with teammate Rashaan Melvin.

SAN DIEGO — Padres manager Andy Green says make nothing of the statistic. The only thing that’s important is that the Padres will be going for a series win Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park.

But here’s the stat. The Padres lost Friday night’s series opener to the Pirates — marking the 18th time in the last 19 series that the Padres have lost the opening game in the series.

Saturday night they held onto a 4-3 win to improve to 14-5 in the second game of their last 19 series. Going into Sunday, they are 11-7 in the third game.

“I don’t put much into that first game of a series statistic,” Green said Saturday. “I think it’s just one of those things that you don’t make too big a deal out of. The goal is to win the series and we have Tyson (Ross) on the mound for the rubber game.”

The right-handed Ross (5-5, 3.32 earned run average) will be opposing Pittsburgh right-hander Jameson Taillon (5-6, 3.96 ERA) in Sunday afternoon’s rubber match.

The 32-year-old Ross has been the Padres most reliable pitcher this season. The Padres are 11-5 when he starts (including a 7-2 record over his last nine starts), although they have failed to score a run for him the last three times he has started.

Ross has not allowed more than three runs in his last nine starts and he has gone five or more innings in his last 11 starts. Over his last two outings Jordan Mills Jersey , Ross has allowed three runs on nine hits and six walks in 13 innings. And his ERA over those past nine starts is 3.08.

Ross has already made one successful start against the Pirates this season. On May 18 in Pittsburgh, Ross held Pittsburgh to two runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts over six innings to get credit for the win in a 3-2 Padres victory.

Sunday will be Ross’ seventh career appearance against the Pirates. In six previous starts, Ross has a 2-2 record and a 3.24 ERA. Another thing Ross has going for him Sunday is Petco Park. He has a career 2.91 ERA in the Padres’ downtown home in 53 games (44 starts).

Taillon, 26, will be facing the Padres for the first time this season although he will be making his third career start against the Padres. He has a 1-0 record with a 1.26 ERA over 14 1/3 innings in his first two outings against the Padres. He shut out the Padres on three hits and two walks over eight innings in 2016.

Like Ross, Taillon will also be making his 17th start of the season. After starting the season 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA in his first three starts Nyheim Hines Jersey , Taillon has gone 3-6 with a 4.87 ERA in his last 13 starts. But he has won each of his past three road starts, giving up four runs in 21 innings.

The biggest plus for Taillon Sunday could be the sunlight. He is 9-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 17 career day games and 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in five daylight starts on the road.

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