Pirate Galaxy » offense against Samford couldnt mask some s

LOS ANGELES -- One of the offseasons most disappointing acquisitions will try to influence the race in the National League West when the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.Right-hander Shelby Miller, whom the Diamondbacks acquired in a five-player trade from the Atlanta Braves in December, seeks to end a four-game losing streak against the team that leads the second-place San Francisco Giants by four games.Miller has lost 10 of 12 decisions, compiled a 6.81 earned-run average and allowed 93 hits -- including 13 home runs -- in 75 1/3 innings. Things got so bad that the club optioned the 25-year old to Triple-A Reno on July 14.But pitching in the minor leagues appeared to make a difference. In eight starts at Reno, Miller went 5-1 with a shutout and 55 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.I feel like I found my old mechanics while I was down there, Miller told the Arizona Republic. I went back to the basics and didnt really think about anything, as far as staying back or whether my glove was too high or something. I was just trying to be an athletic pitcher. Usually, when you get yourself in a good position to throw a baseball, everything just kind of clicks.Recalled on Wednesday to face the San Francisco Giants, Miller recorded his first quality start since June 20. Despite suffering his fourth successive defeat, the right-hander conceded just two runs, six hits, one walk and a hit batsman in six innings while collecting three strikeouts.Im excited about the outing, Arizona manager Chip Hale told MLB.com afterward. He was in attack mode all the way. When guys got on, it didnt rattle him. He got out of it.Being in attack mode reflects a new-found sense of confidence.You have to believe in yourself, Miller told MLB.com. If you cant do that, things go wrong and you struggle even more. Its not easy. Its a grind. I obviously struggled early and had to go down, and thats never fun. Its good to be back here and part of this group.Diamondbacks catcher Welington Castillo believes Millers performance bodes well for the future.He knew how to control the tempo and the situation in the game, Castillo told the Arizona Republic. I think hes learning. He seemed like a different guy. I think its going to be way better for him now.The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Ross Stripling, who will try to break a personal three-game losing streak. In his past four starts, the 26-year-old rookie allowed 28 hits -- including four home runs -- in 23 innings and recorded a 5.09 ERA.But in his last appearance, Stripling produced a quality start against the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander permitted just three runs on nine hits and a walk in six innings, despite suffering a 7-0 loss at Denvers Coors Field.It was nice to be efficient, especially in a park like this against an offense like theirs, Stripling told MLB.com afterward. I needed to pitch inside and in a park like this, that can be intimidating. If you miss, it can go a long way. Buy Shoes Black Friday . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. 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STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi States Nick Fitzgerald had one of the most productive performances for a quarterback in SEC history last weekend.But those 417 yards passing, 119 yards rushing and seven total touchdowns came with a bit of a caveat: The game was against lower-level Samford , which plays in the Football Championship Subdivision.Still, it was a performance that got the attention of Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.Anybody in this league -- I dont care who youre playing -- who can throw for 400 and rush for 100 as a quarterback whos that big, youd better start preparing for all kinds of stuff, Sumlin said. Because he can spin it, he can put it down and run it and hes a load when he runs.No. 7 Texas A&M (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 4 CFP) travels to face Mississippi State (3-5, 1-3) on Saturday. Sumlin said figuring out a way to at least slow down Fitzgerald is paramount.The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald has been inconsistent this season, but has had some really good moments like the Samford game. Sumlin said he sees a quarterback who is improving quickly.Its another one of those deals where you get later in the season and quarterbacks who are young and inexperienced are starting to see more things and theyre getting better, Sumlin said.Texas A&M would seem to be better equipped than most when it comes to slowing down an imposing quarterback. The Aggies formidable defensive line, which includes Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, has combined for 18 quarterback hurries and 19 tackles for loss so far this season.Those guys can just cause havoc up front with a bunch of potential NFL players and possibly first rounders or first picks in the draft, Mullen said. You see why they are one of the top teams in Ameerica.dddddddddddd---Some other things to watch when Texas A&M travels to Mississippi State:DONALDS ENCORE: Fitzgeralds big day passing against Samford led to some big numbers for his receivers. Donald Gray caught four passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns in the 56-41 win. The junior is the teams second-leading receiver and could have a bigger role in the offense during the seasons final month.STATES SORRY DEFENSE: Mississippi States great performance on offense against Samford couldnt mask some serious issues on defense. The Bulldogs gave up a whopping 627 total yards one week after giving up 554 total yards in a loss to Kentucky. Mullen said most of the teams problem is that there has been poor tackling.TACKLING TREVOR: Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight has been very productive with the Aggies since coming to the school as a graduate transfer. Knights thrown for 1,868 yards and 13 touchdowns while also running for 529 yards and nine touchdowns.TRAYVEONS BIG YEAR: Texas A&M freshman running back Trayveon Williams has quickly turned into one of the SECs top backs. Hes run for 776 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He could become the first true freshman in school history to run for 1,000 yards in a season.PRODUCTIVE AGGIE DEFENSE: Texas A&M leads the nation with 77 tackles for a loss. Thats 13 more than Alabama, which is No. 2 on the list. The Aggies have had at least 7 TFLs in every game this year, with a season high of 13 against Auburn.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP .---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org . ' ' '