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Rays journal: Alex Cobb learning to work with what he has

 
Alex Cobb, working mainly with his fastball and curveball, is 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA over his past five starts. The Rays right-hander tries to continue his strong stretch tonight against the Angels.
Alex Cobb, working mainly with his fastball and curveball, is 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA over his past five starts. The Rays right-hander tries to continue his strong stretch tonight against the Angels.
Published May 23, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG

If this were 2012 or 2013, even 2014, RHP Alex Cobb would have problems. He would find himself working with only two of his three pitches, with the missing pitch being his trusty changeup.

But Cobb is a different pitcher after having Tommy John surgery. His old changeup has yet to return to the point where Cobb trusts it. Now he has to live with his fastball and curveball.

And lately he's living just fine.

"It's whatever shows up on that day I'm going to have to work with," Cobb, who faces the Angels tonight, said Monday afternoon.

Cobb is 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA during his past five starts after going 1-2 with a 4.88 ERA in his first four.

The difference is he no longer feels lost without his changeup.

Cobb is making the adjustment because he has no choice and because, at 29, he is mature enough and confident enough in his fastball and curveball to know he can compete against any lineup and give his team a chance to win.

Basically, Cobb is getting better at succeeding with less.

"I definitely think so," he said. "Even the beginning of this year I would only have the fastball-curveball and I would be facing the lineup maybe three, four times through the order and start second-guessing myself a little bit and not realizing that those pitches I got them out the first three times through the order are still going to work, so I've gotten a better understanding of what my stuff does. All that does is make me more aggressive with it and more confident."

Replay-less review

Rays 2B Michael Martinez signaled to the dugout for manager Kevin Cash to use his replay challenge as soon as second-base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called Angels 2B Nolan Fontana safe stealing in the third inning.

Wendelstedt and crew chief Joe West huddled, walked off the field as if they were going to the headsets, huddled some more and called Fontana out.

So, without using replay, Wendelstedt changed his safe call to out, which was the correct call based on the replays shown on TV and the Tropicana Field video board.

West told a pool reporter that Wendelstedt told him he erred in making the call too quickly, and wanted to change it himself to there was no need to use replay.

"After consulting with me, he said 'I want to change it myself. I think I erred. I think I called it too quick. I don't want to go to replay.' I said, 'Okay, it's your call.' So he changed it,'' West explained. "After consultation, and it doesn't have to be with all four umpires, we can correct what we deem as an error. And we did."

More Duffy delay

SS Matt Duffy (left heel) has been set back a few more days in resuming his rehab assignment, the result of fouling a ball off his left foot during batting practice Saturday. Duffy took ground balls Monday, but plans to test the heel by running out of the box had to be pushed back, which may delay his return to minor-league game action until the weekend.

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But can he catch? >>

Fresh off signing a contract worth more than $11 million, Bucs top pick O.J Howard, who was a decent baseball player in high school, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, just a little low and outside. "I don't want to show my fastball today," the tight end from Alabama said beforehand. "I don't want to turn any heads, so I'm probably gonna bring out the changeup."

Number of the day I

5 Leadoff home runs this season by LF/DH Corey Dickerson, tying Rocco Baldelli (2006) for the Rays' record for a season.

Number of the day II

.467 LF/DH Corey Dickerson's batting average during the first inning when leading off a game.

Quote of the day

"Looked liked me in Little League."

Manager Kevin Cash when asked about LF/DH Corey Dickerson's run of five straight games of at least two hits.

Times staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report.