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Young arms clash in Rays-Mariners series

Jul 30, 2011 - 2:43 PM

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(Sports Network) - There was a time when Mariners pitcher Michael Pineda was the streaking rookie. That role now belongs to Alex Cobb of the Rays.

The two youngsters square off this afternoon as Seattle and Tampa Bay resume a three-game series from Safeco Field.

Cobb's MLB career is off to a tremendous start, as the rookie righty is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA. He was on the mound Sunday and was brilliant against Kansas City, hurling seven shutout innings of six-hit ball. Cobb has been particularly sharp on the road, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.95 ERA.

Cobb is making his first-ever start against the Mariners.

Pineda was one of the biggest surprises of the first half of the season, as the Seattle righty earned a bid to the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, he has fallen off track a bit lately.

On Sunday, Pineda was crushed by Boston in Fenway Park, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of action. He is now 8-7 with a 3.64 ERA.

Pineda has yet to pitch against Tampa Bay.

On Friday, Jeff Niemann struck out a career-high 11 batters over 6 2/3 shutout innings in Tampa Bay's 8-0 rout of the Mariners.

Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer to highlight an eight-run second inning, and the Rays took advantage of a wild Erik Bedard in possibly his final start in a Mariners uniform.

Bedard (4-7), who has been mentioned in trade rumors leading to Sunday's deadline, didn't do much to improve his stock. The lefty, who was out a month due to a sprained left knee, was activated off the disabled list Friday, but he allowed three hits and four walks. Bedard was charged with five runs before being removed with one out in the second.

"He really had to work the first couple of innings," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "We just couldn't push him any further than that. He was strong, stuff was good, but just erratic."

Niemann (5-4) sparkled by allowing just three hits. J.P. Howell recorded the final out in the seventh and Brandon Gomes tossed two scoreless frames to give the Rays back-to-back wins for the first time since July 6-7 against Minnesota and the Yankees.

Niemann moved his career mark to 4-0 in six games against the Mariners. The righty improved to 4-0 over his last seven starts overall.

"He had 11 [strikeouts] and honestly wasn't as sharp as he could be," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He had 119 pitches after 6 2/3. That's the kind of game I'm looking for him to finish off possibly or at least go eight [innings]."

Seattle is 3-2 against the Rays this season.






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