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Rays to call up infielder Nick Franklin, part of Price haul

 
Published Sept. 15, 2014

TORONTO — Obviously impressed with the work of LHP Drew Smyly, the Rays will get a look at another piece of the trade return for LHP David Price when INF Nick Franklin joins the team today.

Franklin, acquired from Seattle in the three-way deal with Detroit, was one of three players called up after Triple-A Durham's loss Saturday in the International League championship series and will get playing time at second base.

"We'll get him out there to get a decent look," manager Joe Maddon said.

RHP Alex Colome will make tonight's start against the Yankees and possibly one more, but he also will get a look in relief. LHP C.J. Riefenhauser will rejoin the bullpen.

Franklin, 23, hit .424 with two homers and three RBIs in the Bulls' nine playoff games. He hit .272-11-56 in 102 regular-season Triple-A games, though only .210-2-9 in 27 for Durham. The Lake Brantley High product played in 17 games for the Mariners, hitting .128-0-2. He is a switch-hitter but likely will start only against right-handers.

With Colome and RHP Nathan Karns aboard, Maddon said the Rays will use "kind of" a six-man rotation, planning to get each of their starters two more games. Because Colome will be out of options next season, thus likely on the team, the Rays also want to see him out of the bullpen. "We know what he looks like as a starter," Maddon said. "There's really a great amount of intrigue with him as a reliever also."

YUNI'S REVENGE: Booed, heckled and harassed by the Rogers Centre fans throughout the weekend, former Blue Jays SS Yunel Escobar answered back with a massive home run off the facing of the third deck in the eighth inning of Sunday's 6-5 win.

Escobar took his time coming out of the box, glanced at the loudest group of fans behind first and was a bit more demonstrative than usual with his hands-crossed gesture at the plate.

"It's part of the show," Escobar said, with bench coach Dave Martinez translating. "I was glad I hit the home run. I have a lot of fun coming here to play. I enjoy what I do, and hopefully they do, too."

Escobar gets hassled because his stay in Toronto ended in controversy but seems to have accepted the harsh treatment. "I have no problem with it," he said. "I enjoy playing here. They're great fans. I have no problem with the fans. I just want to come and play and help our team win."

CHANGED MAN: RHP Chris Archer threw only a handful of changeups Sunday, and only to left-handers, but was pleased with the results, striking out Colby Rasmus twice. "I feel like I used it effectively to get them off the fastball," he said. "That may have been a big difference-maker."

MISCELLANY: The Rays homered in a season-high-matching seventh straight game and scored more than five for the first time since Aug. 30. … 2B Ben Zobrist got to double-digit homers for the 10th straight season. … Maddon said LHP Jeff Beliveau showed "ice water" by going in to get the last out for his first big-league save. … With one win over the next three days, the Rays will be the first team to win 10 or more against the Yankees in three straight seasons since the 1973-75 Red Sox.