Red Sox win a
World Series title. His next goal is to try to win one for the team he grew up
rooting for and defeated this October.The Dodgers on Friday officially announced
signing Kelly to a three-year deal worth $25 million that brings the 30-year old
right-hander back to Southern California. Kelly was born in Anaheim and grew up
in Corona
Babe Ruth
Jersey , where most of his family still resides.“It is one of those
things where I am at a point in my career where I have tons of family that is
local. I also wanted to be on a team that wins year in and year out,” Kelly said
during a conference call.Kelly leaves Boston, who acquired him from St. Louis in
July 2014. He is expected to be a setup man for closer Kenley Jansen, who is
still recovering from an offseason heart procedure.Kelly gets a $1 million
signing bonus and salaries of $3 million next year and $8.5 million in each of
the following two seasons. The Dodgers have a $12 million team option for 2022
with a $4 million buyout.He could earn $2 million annually in performance
bonuses for games finished: $250,000 each for 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55, and
$500
http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-dale-murphy-jersey ,000
for 60.Upgrading setup and middle relief was one of the Dodgers’ priorities
during the offseason.“The reliever market has been interesting to see. For teams
that are championship-caliber, that’s a big role and it doesn’t get magnified
until the playoffs,” Kelly said. “Without a good bullpen it is very hard to win
a World Series.”Kelly made the fourth-most appearances in the American League
last season (73) and was 4-2 with a 4.39 ERA and two saves. His numbers improved
greatly during the postseason as he allowed just one earned run in 11 1/3
innings with 13 strikeouts and no walks.In the World Series, Kelly appeared in
all five games and did not allow a run, striking out 10 in six innings.According
to Brooks Baseball, Kelly’s fastball averaged 98.7 mph this season, but he also
used his changeup more and developed a slurve after deciding to shelve his
slider and curveball. Kelly said mechanically he changed some stuff with his arm
slot in order to deliver the ball quicker.Besides the World Series, Kelly has
been a bit of a nemesis for the Dodgers. He broke Hanley Ramirez’s rib when he
hit him with a pitch in the 2013 NL Championship Series opener. Kelly said the
pitch got away from him and that both of them talked it out when Ramirez joined
the Red Sox in 2015.Kelly hit the New York Yankees’ Tyler Austin on the back
with a pitch April 11, four innings after Austin spiked Red Sox shortstop Brock
Holt when he slid into second base with a high right foot. That set off a brawl
and Kelly was suspended for six games.Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of
baseball operations
Freddie
Freeman Jersey , said he likes Kelly’s ability to provide more than
one inning out of the bullpen and that he could be used in a variety of
situations. MIAMI (AP) — Once again, Zack Wheeler looked right at home at
Marlins Park.Wheeler won his fifth straight start overall, pitching seven solid
innings and sending the New York Mets over the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Friday
night.He is 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in six career starts in Miami.“I don’t think
it’s anything in particular, maybe just pitching inside,” Wheeler said. “I don’t
know. It’s nothing in particular, but I have good numbers here and hopefully can
keep it rolling.”Wheeler (7-6) allowed four hits and two runs. He struck out
eight and walked just one for the fourth consecutive outing.“He kind of goes
after them like he knows his stuff is better than them and he’s going to make
them beat him,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.Wheeler’s scoreless-inning
streak ended at 23 when he gave up a two-run homer to Miguel Rojas with two outs
in the seventh, making it 4-2.“I don’t think that was my best, but the results
were there,” Wheeler said. “I just made that mistake to Rojas. I’m pretty sure
he was sitting on it so I’ll take that and put it in the memory bank and just go
from there.”Marlins manager Don Mattingly had a different perspective.“He looked
pretty good
http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-bobby-cox-jersey ,”
Mattingly said. “His stuff was really good. I haven’t seen him pitch that much.
This is the best I’ve ever seen him. He was on the attack tonight.”New York’s
Amed Rosario had three hits and drove in two runs to set the tone from the
leadoff spot.“He was really good,” Callaway said. “I thought he stayed on the
ball really well. He kept his hands inside the ball really well and hit the ball
up the middle, stayed up on top of it. He was really good. I thought his swing
was short and quick, and I like to continue using him in that leadoff spot. I
think it’s good for him.”Kevin Plawecki knocked in two and Austin Jackson had
three hits for the Mets, who have won three of four.Jose Urena (3-12) gave up
four runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Marlins lost for the ninth time in 10
games.The Marlins have only scored more than three runs once during that
span.“We have to go out and find a way to score some runs,” Rojas said. “It’s
going to be on us to produce runs and try to create opportunities to score runs
because we haven’t done that in a while.”Miami’s Derek Dietrich played first
base and batted cleanup, spots generally reserved for Justin Bour, who was
traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the game.Michael Conforto hit an RBI
single in the third. The Mets opened up the game with three runs in the sixth,
with Rosario having a two-run single.Plawecki added a two-run single in the
eighth.BOUR EFFECTMattingly hopes the trade of Bour, who played five seasons
with the Marlins and hit 83 home runs
http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-bob-uecker-jersey ,
did not affect the team.“I don’t want to sound badly, but if that’s what fuels
you, you’re not motivated to play as a young player and show what you can do on
a daily basis, that takes your mental side away,” Mattingly said. “If you’re
going to let a trade deadline keep you from getting ready, something’s
wrong.”THREE MORE HITSJackson tied a season-high in hits for the third time over
his last four games and has at least one RBI in five straight starts.TRAINER’S
ROOMMarlins: RHP Kyle Barraclough (back) was placed on the 10-day disabled list.
… RHP Drew Rucinski (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list.UP
NEXTMets: RHP Corey Oswalt (1-2, 5.13 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the
second game of the series on Saturday. Oswalt allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings
in his only appearance against the Marlins on June 29.Marlins: RHP Dan Straily
(4-5, 4.35) will make his third start of the season against the Mets. He is 0-1
with a 2.77 ERA against the Mets this year.