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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala remained the Mets' de facto closer despite a blown save Tuesday. Interim manager Jerry Manuel said the former Nationals reliever gives the Mets "the best chance to close the game" in LHP Billy Wagner's absence. Ayala tossed a perfect ninth inning Wednesday for his second save.
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8/31/2008 11:39 AM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala, acquired from Washington on Sunday, could get a save opportunity with LHP Billy Wagner on the disabled list. "Whatever they want," said Ayala. "I'm just happy to be here in this organization and have a chance to win."
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8/19/2008 12:00 PM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala was traded to the Mets for a player to be named, expected to be INF Anderson Hernandez. Ayala was one of the most reliable setup men in the National League for four seasons but was among the worst relievers in baseball this season, going 1-8 with a 5.77 ERA in 62 appearances. Ayala, who had Tommy John surgery in 2006, insists his arm is healthy, and his velocity has remained in the low-to-mid 90s. But he said a series of off-field issues, including a divorce, kept him from maintaining his focus this season. "When you don't have the really focus on your job, you can't do a good job, you know?" the Mexican native said. "It's not like an excuse, but if you don't feel comfortable, something happens to where you can't do your job. I tried to do my best." Hernandez, 25, was hitting just .203 for the Mets' Class AAA affiliate in New Orleans, but will likely join the Nationals' roster Wednesday in Philadelphia and serve as a backup infielder.
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8/18/2008 1:42 PM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala has pitched his way out of the Nationals' setup role. Once one of the most reliable setup men in the majors, Ayala has posted a 5.77 ERA this season. His arm appears to be fine -- he continues to throw his fastball at 95 mph -- but his mechanics are out of whack and his pitch selection has been questionable. Because of all that, manager Manny Acta said he must rethink the veteran right-hander's role out of the bullpen. "Absolutely. He hasn't been successful there," Acta said. "Now we're just going to go with whoever has the hot hand and matchups."
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7/24/2008 7:13 PM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala continued what has been a disastrous 2008 season on Wednesday night, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) in 1/3 of an inning against the Angels. The appearance followed Sunday's outing, where Ayala gave up two runs in a tie game, eventually taking the loss in a 5-3 defeat to the Texas Rangers. Manager Manny Acta said he is "concerned" about the 30-year-old, who has a 5.72 ERA in his NL-leading 42 appearances.
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6/27/2008 9:24 AM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, extending his streak of scoreless innings to six. That followed a four-game stretch where he gave up eight runs in 4 1/3 innings and helped him drop his ERA from 5.96 to 4.71.
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5/26/2008 2:07 PM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala recorded a huge out in the Nationals' 5-3 win over the Mets Wednesday night. Ayala, who had been scored upon in five of his previous six outings, came on in the eighth inning to face 3B David Wright with two on and one out and proceeded to get Wright to fly out.
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5/15/2008 2:23 PM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala has been integral in keeping the Nationals' bullpen together while RHP Chad Cordero is on the disabled list. With RHP Jon Rauch thrust into Cordero's closer role, Ayala has taken over eighth-inning duties and posted a 3.44 ERA while leading the majors with 20 relief appearances. Two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Ayala appears to have regained the form that made him one of the National League's top setup men in 2004 and 2005.
Ayala, though, suffered a loss to the Astros, allowing two runs in the eighth inning and turning a 5-4 Nationals lead into a 6-5 deficit.
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5/7/2008 10:52 AM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala leads the NL with 15 relief appearances, further proof he has completely recovered from his 2006 major elbow surgery. Ayala pitched well in 2007 but was used less frequently because his arm couldn't handle work on consecutive days. But now he's feeling 100 percent healthy and can pitch as often as manager Manny Acta needs. More importantly, Ayala is pitching well, posting a 3.38 ERA in his 15 outings.
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4/29/2008 8:39 AM |
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Luis Ayala - RP -
Washington Nationals
RHP Luis Ayala (bruised nerve in left arm after December 2007 hunting accident) expects to be fully healthy for spring training.
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2/9/2008 11:22 PM |
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