Paul Posluszny to free agency. NEW LOOK: The Jaguars are expected to unveil new uniforms in April, making the two-tone helmets a collector’s edition. The black-and-gold helmets were mostly mocked the last five years.

The Los Angeles Angels haven’t faced right-hander Zack Greinke since the 2015 season http://www.dolphinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-michael-deiter-jersey , but they’ve continued to feel his effects.

Greinke (5-5. 3.97 ERA) is scheduled to start when the Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series Monday night at Angel Stadium.

The Angels (38-34) have lost five of their past six to fall eight games back of the final American League wild card.

The Diamondbacks (39-32) dropped their past two after winning six of seven. Their lead in the National League West has dwindled to 1 1/2 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Angels remain just as starved for playoff success as they were in July 2012 when they acquired Greinke in a deal that sent young infield prospect Jean Segura to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the package.

It was an exciting time in Anaheim.

Albert Pujols, a three-time NL Most Valuable Player, was in his first season with the Angels at age 32. Los Angeles center fielder Mike Trout was in his first full season in the majors and already an All-Star.

Greinke even did his part, going 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA in the last two months with the Angels, but they missed the playoffs for a third straight season and he opted to sign with the Dodgers in the offseason.

Still in his prime, Greinke went 51-15 in three seasons with the Dodgers and helped them reach the playoffs each year.

Meanwhile, Segura was named an NL All-Star a year after he was traded by the Angels and the 28-year-old shortstop continues to improve. Only now he’s in the AL West with the Seattle Mariners and playing a key part.

After Segura was traded to the Diamondbacks and he led the NL in hits in 2016, he was dealt to the Mariners, where he entered the weekend with the second-highest batting average in the majors (.344).

The Mariners lead the Angels by eight games for the final AL wild card.

Meanwhile, the Angels are still seeking their first playoff win since 2009.

They’ve had success when facing Greinke in the past. He’s 3-5 with 3.91 ERA in 12 career appearances against the Angels, including 11 starts.

Several Angels players have also hit well against Greinke during their careers.

Luis Valbuena is 11-for-26, Pujols and Justin Upton are each 10-for-29, and Trout is 5-for-15.

They’ll try to drop Greinke’s season record below .500 Garrett Bradbury Jersey , something he hasn’t experienced this late in a season since 2010.

“As long as I’m able to make good pitches, it’s fine,” Greinke told reporters after his last start.

The Angels will have one of their most successful starters this season ready to oppose Greinke.

Jaime Barria (5-2, 2.61) has solidified himself as a regular starter for the Angels, both through his performance and injuries to other pitchers.

He took the loss in his last outing, but even that performance included plenty of positives. The 21-year-old right-hander went five innings against the Mariners, allowing three runs (two earned) and eight hits in the 6-3 loss.

“I think Jaime has definitely pitched himself onto our depth chart from spring,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters last week. “We’re encouraged at how much he’s grown, where he is right now and how much he’ll help us this year. There’s no doubt, he’s pitched his way into more looks for us.”

Barria has allowed more than two earned runs in just one of eight starts this season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t shock anyone next season.

A day after a disappointing loss to New England in the AFC championship game, players packed up their belongings and headed into the offseason. They carried with them more hope than heartache.

The Jaguars were one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in 2017. They ended a six-year run with double-digit losses by winning the AFC South for the first time in franchise history.

They hosted a playoff game for the first time in 18 years, stunned Pittsburgh in the divisional round and had a 10-point lead on Tom Brady and the Patriots in the fourth quarter.

It was far from a fluke. With young and still-emerging talent on both sides of the ball, the Jaguars look poised to be a postseason participant for at least the next few years.

”Going forward http://www.vikingscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-irv-smith-jr.-jersey , we know that this team is going to be a true contender and we’re going to go out there and earn it,” All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell said Monday.

Campbell was quick to point out that meeting higher expectations will only happen if they take the same approach to next season.

”You don’t get nowhere off of what you did last year,” he said. ”It’s only what have you done for me lately. I’ve been a part of a team that went to the NFC championship and the next year we missed the playoffs. It happens quite a bit. This team is definitely, I feel like, we should be able to go out there and be a great team next year, but we’re going to have to put the work in.”

Before the next phase begins, the Jaguars will have to get over a stinging loss at New England.

They surely will be haunted by four plays that were as much a part of the outcome as Brady:

-The league’s best pass defense gave up a 21-gain on a third-and-18 play early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots went on to score a touchdown that cut the lead to 20-17.

-Linebacker Myles Jack stripped the ball from Dion Lewis at the end of a 20-yard gain in the third quarter. Jack picked up the fumble and started running the other way, but officials whistled the play dead. The Jaguars felt like it should have been a touchdown. Instead, the offense went three-and-out.

-With 55 seconds to play remaining in the first half and two timeouts, Jacksonville took a knee on consecutive plays instead of trying to make something happen.

”Let’s get ourselves going and let’s take this lead into halftime,” coach Doug Marrone said. ”That is exactly how I thought, right or wrong.”

-Blake Bortles was flagged for delay of game – following a timeout, no less – and negated a 12-yard completion to Marcedes Lewis on a third-and-7 play in the second quarter. Instead of moving the chains and milking the clock http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-drew-sample-jersey , the Patriots got the ball back and scored a momentum-turning touchdown heading into the locker room.

”It was just a lapse on our part,” Marrone said.

All of those contributed to Jacksonville’s collapse.

By Monday, players and coaches had started to recover. Soon, they will turn the page.

”Getting there and showing the world that we can play good ball and be consistent against a good team like that and not fold under pressure was big,” Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. ”We answered a lot of critics now. People want to give us our respect; they don’t have to. We proved a lot to ourselves, and I think we’re going to continue to build from there.”

Here are some other things to know about Jacksonville heading into the offseason:

QB DECISION: The biggest question centers on Bortles and his future . Jacksonville picked up the fifth-year option in his rookie contract, meaning he has one year remaining at $19.053 million. Bortles showed progress in 2017 and played well at times in the playoffs, but the Jaguars could decide they want to try to lure a free agent with fewer flaws to complement a dominant defense.

”I would love to be able to play here for as long as they would let me,” Bortles said. ”What they do and all the decisions that are made are kind of out of my control. I’d be thrilled to be able to stay here and play here, and hopefully that can happen.”

MOVING ON: Jacksonville is likely to part ways with receiver Allen Hurns ($7 million) and running back Chris Ivory ($6.97 million), and they could lose cornerback Aaron Colvin and linebacker Paul Posluszny to free agency.

NEW LOOK: The Jaguars are expected to unveil new uniforms in April, making the two-tone helmets a collector’s edition. The black-and-gold helmets were mostly mocked the last five years.

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