Marshawn Lynch now that he’s coach of the Oakland Raiders.
After having numerous requests turned down by the media-adverse Beast Mode during his tenure as an ESPN announcer
T.J. Hockenson Jersey , Gruden now is officially Lynch’s coach after being introduced Tuesday for his second stint with the Raiders.
”You know, I’ve never met Marshawn Lynch. Even as a broadcaster, I asked for Marshawn Lynch in production meetings and I never got to meet him,” Gruden said.
”So I’m anxious to sit down with Marshawn and meet him. We’ll talk about his future and the Raiders. I can’t wait. He came back to the Raiders for similar, I think, reasons that I did. I think he loves Oakland. I think he loves the Raiders and guys like him interest me, so I’m looking forward to talking to him.”
Lynch came out of retirement this past season to join the Raiders. He said he made the move to give something back to his hometown of Oakland before the team moves to Las Vegas in 2020.
Lynch’s status is one of the questions facing the Raiders this offseason. He got off to a slow start in his return, rushing for just 266 yards in the first half of the season and getting suspended one game for shoving an official after coming off the bench during a scuffle against Kansas City.
He was a completely different player after that, rushing for 524 yards and five TDs in his final eight games. His average of 78.1 yards rushing per game in that span was tied for third best in the league.
”I thought he finished great,” general manager Reggie McKenzie said. ”Everybody was saying that he was going to tail off at the end. He did just the opposite. He ran harder at the end just like he did at the beginning. There was no drop-off there.”
Lynch has a contract for next season worth about $6 million, including a $1 million roster bonus due in March after the start of the new league year. McKenzie said any decision on Lynch’s status would come after a meeting with the new coaching staff.
—
First Justice Hill Jersey , there was a violent play at the plate that led to two ejections and a benches-clearing incident. Then the game was won on a play at the plate with an unusual tag.
Enrique Hernandez dodged home on a wild throw by pitcher Matt Bush in the 11th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Hernandez drew a leadoff walk from Jesse Chavez (2-1) and moved up on a long flyout. Yasiel Puig was intentionally walked and Chavez was yanked after a walk to Logan Forsythe loaded the bases.
Austin Barnes followed with a comebacker, and Bush reached out to grab it. But Bush hurried as he spun around, and his throw home for a potential forceout pulled catcher Carlos Perez off the plate. Hernandez stepped over Barnes’ bat, pirouetted around the catcher and touched home with his right hand, leaving Perez tagging nothing but air.
”Just bringing back my Latino roots, showing off my salsa moves,” Hernandez joked.
Matt Kemp gave Hernandez a rave review: ”Great slide, avoided the tag, very limber.”
The Rangers asked for a replay review, and the safe call was upheld. After Barnes’ at-bat, the Dodgers would’ve run out of position players – instead http://www.ravenscheapstores.c…..rsey-cheap , Bush’s error sent Texas to its season-worst sixth straight loss. The last-place Rangers got swept for the third time this season and second straight series.
Adam Liberatore (2-1) got the win in relief.
In the third, Kemp and Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos got ejected and the benches and bullpens cleared.
With two outs, Hernandez singled to right and Kemp tried to score from second base. Chirinos caught a pinpoint throw by Nomar Mazara and had his glove out to tag Kemp.
Kemp barreled into Chirinos with his arms up, leading with his shoulder. Chirinos’ helmet flew off as he got knocked over and Kemp fell, too. Chirinos held onto the ball for the out.
Chirinos and Kemp jostled as they got up. That led to both benches and bullpens clearing and forming a scrum at the plate. Kemp was restrained by Rangers starter Cole Hamels.
”I didn’t know he was going to come after me like that,” Chirinos said. ”I got mad when Kemp got up and he leaned into me and put his shoulder into me. That’s when I rushed him. Everyone knows the rule, they preach it to us in spring training. It was emotional.”
No punches were thrown.
”It’s not a big deal,” Kemp said. ”Two guys shoving each other and it’s over.”
The rules outlaw runners from plowing into catchers, and catchers have to give runners a lane to the plate in most cases. In this play, the throw home took Chirinos directly into Kemp’s path to the plate.
”I think it’s unclear to everybody,” Kemp said of the newer rule. ”He was blocking the plate. I don’t know the rule. I don’t even know how it works. I didn’t have a clear path to slide. All I could really think about when I saw him blocking the plate was Washington when I slid into home and messed up my ankle. I didn’t want to do that again.”
Crew chief Bill Welke said Kemp didn’t violate the rule Iman Marshall Jersey , and both players were ejected for their tussle after the play.
”The runner is protected by the blocking of the plate if he slides,” Welke told a pool reporter after the game. ”Kemp choose not to slide, therefore he lost his protection.”
Hernandez called the third-inning brouhaha ”a little bit of old-school baseball.”
”I’m one of the older guys now and when I first came up that’s how they slid into home, but the game has transitioned,” Hamels said. ”Sportsmanship has changed. I can’t give you definite answer if Kemp broke the rule or not. It’s a tough way to lose.”
With two outs in the ninth and Yasiel Puig on third, Delino DeShields robbed pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal of a home run at the center field wall. DeShields leaped and caught the ball before landing on his rear to send the game into extra innings.
Texas tied the game 2-all in the fourth on RBI singles by Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo.
The Dodgers led 1-0 in the first on Justin Turner’s homer. They added a run in the second on a double steal by Puig and Forsythe. Puig scored from third.
Hamels allowed two runs – one earned – and five hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked four. Turner’s homer was the 18th given up by Hamels this season.
Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda allowed two runs and five hits in five innings while facing the Rangers for the first time in his career. He walked three and struck out one in his first start since May 29 after being on the DL with a right hip strain.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: SS Elvis Andrus (right elbow fracture) went 1-for-7 in his first two rehab games at Double-A Frisco and was to set to be the DH and play seven innings on Wednesday. Manager Jeff Banister says Andrus’ return depends on when he’s in shape to play every day. Andrus isn’t expected to rejoin the team before this weekend. … LHP Matt Moore won’t start this weekend and is being sent to the bullpen to work on his delivery and make necessary adjustments.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (lower back strain) threw a bullpen for the second straight day, with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts watching. Kershaw also worked on mechanics with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. … LHP Rich Hill (left middle finger blister) will make a rehab start Thursday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. If it goes well, Hill will rejoin the rotation next week in Chicago. &#
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