Ryan Yarbrough pitched four innings in his final spring training

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(AP) — appearance, helping the Tampa Bay Rays close out their exhibition schedule with a 9-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.The 27-year-old left-hander led major league rookies with 16 victories last season, including a 14-4 record with a 3.72 ERA in 32 appearances out of the bullpen, where he thrived in a role of following “openers” who usually got the first three to six outs of a game.Yarbough was a sidelined a portion of spring training by groin tightness, but said he feels he’s where he needs to be heading into the regular season after allowing one run and five hits during a 58-pitch outing Tuesday at Tropicana Field.“The feel has been there all spring, but I missed a little bit of time and then it’s been about getting the innings up and getting ready for that first time out,” Yarbrough said. “I set myself up to be able to do that today where I got the four innings in, and now I can go five innings next time.”Nate Lowe, Michael Perez and Carl Chester homered for the Rays, who also got big hits early from Kevin Kiermaier, Avisail Garcia and Tommy Pham while building a 4-0 lead against Tigers starter Matt Moore.Moore, who walked one and struck out three over three innings, yielded three runs in the first and a RBI triple to Pham in the second.“I’d obviously have liked to have had a better first inning http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey ,” Moore said. “But to be able to kind of calm it down in the second and third, I think, was the adjustment I was looking for.”Yarbrough finished 16-6 with a 3.91 ERA over 38 appearances, including six starts last season. With the Rays entering 2019 with a three-man rotation of AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow, manager Kevin Cash once again will rely heavily on “openers” to fill in for the customary fourth and fifth starters.“I don’t think there’s anything specific (planned) throughout the whole year,” Yarbrough said of his expected role.“We had to change things up so much as the year went on, based on who was there, who was healthy and how everyone was throwing,” the left-hander added. “So right now, I think I’m just going to be coming in after the opener and, depending on matchups, we’re going to be taking it outing by outing and go from there.”HOT BATTigers 1B Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 1 Sonny Gray Jersey , ending a six-game hitting streak. The slugger was 8 for 17 over his last seven games with two doubles, three homers and eight RBIs, finishing with a .340 spring training batting average.MOVEsThe Rays optioned RHP Emilio Pagan to Triple-A Durham, trimming the spring training roster to 28 players. Three of those players — INF Matt Duffy (left hamstring soreness), as well as LHP Anthony Banda and RHP Jose De Leon (both recovering from Tommy John surgery) — will begin the regular season on the injured list.UP NEXTTigers: Open 119th season at Toronto on Thursday, with RHP Jordan Zimmermann getting the start against RHP Marcus Stroman.Rays: Tenth consecutive opening day at Tropicana Field with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell facing last year’s runner-up for the award, Justin Verlander, and the Houston Astros. HOUSTON (AP) — Two Octobers after sparking a reliever revolution, Andrew Miller came up empty.Miller failed to get an out in relief of starter Carlos Carrasco, allowing a go-ahead double to Marwin Gonzalez as the Cleveland Indians lost to Houston 3-1 Saturday and fell into a 2-0 AL Division Series deficit.“I wasn’t good,” Miller said. “I wasn’t effective.”Miller’s ineffectual outing would have been a stunner two years ago, when manager Terry Francona leaned on him for as many as eight outs at a time while Cleveland played all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. It was game-changing when Francona called on Miller as early as the fifth inning that fall, but such aggressive bullpen management has become common around the majors since.Miller hasn’t been the same this year Luis Severino Jersey , a season that included three stints on the disabled list.Cleveland was clinging to a 1-0 lead with two on and one out in the sixth when Francona called on Miller. Gonzalez immediately drove a two-run double to deep right field.“With a one-run lead, and with Gonzalez coming up the way he had swung the bat against him prior and Andrew’s history, I felt really good about it,” manager Terry Francona said. “Didn’t work out the way we obviously planned.”Miller then walked Carlos Correa, let both runners advance on a wild pitch and intentionally walked Tyler White before Francona came for the ball.“It’s my job to get through that inning. I didn’t do it,” Miller said. “That’s what it boils down to. I got ahead, and then I didn’t get a fastball where I wanted to, and everything kind of spiraled from there. Not a good job, poor execution.”Miller had only allowed one previous inherited runner to score in his postseason career, when David Ortiz brought in Dustin Pedroia with a sacrifice fly for Boston during Game 3 of the 2016 AL Division Series. Cleveland won that game 4-3.The lanky lefty had a 4.24 ERA this season, his highest since a 5.54 mark mostly as a starting pitcher for Boston in 2011. He was sharper down the stretch until getting hit around by the last-place Kansas City in his last regular-season appearance.“It’s frustrating,” Miller said. “I don’t know about the last couple appearances. Those were a week ago. I felt like I was throwing the ball well coming into this.”Francona’s other option in that spot was right-hander Trevor Bauer, an AL Cy Young Award contender as a starter before a line drive broke a bone in his right leg in August.Francona said he didn’t consider bringing in Bauer instead of Miller for Carrasco.“We wanted Andrew http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey ,” he said. “That’s what we wanted right there.”Bauer looked sharp in three abbreviated outings at the end of the regular season, and Francona had said Bauer could be a Miller-like long-relief option this October.That hasn’t worked out, either. Bauer entered in the seventh inning of the opening 7-2 loss and allowed an RBI single to Bregman, as well as a double to Yuli Gurriel. Bauer then relieved Miller on Saturday and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam before allowing a solo homer to Bregman in the next inning.Francona is running out of reliable options.Longtime closer Cody Allen allowed Martin Maldonado’s homer in Game 1, and Dan Otero gave up a run in the eighth inning of that game. On Saturday, closer Brad Hand allowed two baserunners before pitching out of the eighth. Only sidearmer Adam Cimber has managed to avoid trouble through two games.The bullpen was an issue all season, ranking 25th in the majors with a 4.60 ERA. Cleveland still cruised to its third straight AL Central title largely by leaning on its overpowering starting rotation; its relievers accounted for the fewest innings in the majors.Yet Francona was quick to yank Carrasco, after 77 pitches.Facing elimination in Game 3 on Monday, the Indians will be hoping for more from Mike Clevinger. Otherwise, this October may be a short one for the 2016 AL champs.