TNWN: Rays vs Cubs — a series preview

Sunday’s MVP: Nuke Raley. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After taking two of three from the LA Dodgers, punctuated by an 11-10 slugfest in the series finale, the Tampa Bay Rays departed the friendly confines of the Trop for the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, where they’ll start a three-game series against the Cubs on Monday. The Cubs were swept by the Reds over the weekend.

At 39-16 on the season, the Rays enter play a season-high tying 23 games over .500, and four games up on the second-place Orioles in the division.

The Rays’ offense continues to chug along, and they currently boast a .848 team OPS (.850 over the last week). Tampa Bay leads the league in home runs with 101; four players — Yandy Díaz, Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe, and Luke Raley — have collected double-digit homers, while 11 players have hit at least seven. Wander Franco is heating up, having gone 12-27 over the last week with eight runs, six RBI, with a 208 wRC+. Meanwhile, Luke Raley destroyed the ball last week, going 5-16 with a pair of homers, four runs batted in, and a 249 wRC+. They received contributions up and down the order against the Blue Jays and Dodgers and slashed a combined .285 BA/.352 OBP/.498 SLG/.850 OPS, with a .213 ISO, and a 151 wRC+ in the last two series.

Meanwhile, Chicago dropped their fourth consecutive contest, and the 11th in the last 14 games, after being swept by the Reds. The Cubs fell to 22-30 on the season and are last in the NL Central, 5.5 games behind the Pirates for the division lead. Over the last week, the Cubs have put up an underperforming .210 BA/.311 OBP/.354 SLG/.665 OPS line, with an 85 wRC+. A caveat, don’t let those numbers deceive you, the north-siders are fifth in the league in slugging.

The Rays pitching peripherals took a hit over the last week thanks in part to Tuesday’s 20-1 blowout and Sunday’s slugfest. They now have surrendered an average of 3.91 runs per game and maintain a combined 3.79 ERA and a 4.16 FIP (3.17 ERA and 3.62 FIP for the starters, 4.46 ERA and 4.80 FIP for the relievers), with a 1.22 WHIP and a 2.65 K/BB. Clearly, the relief corps has not been as strong as the starters.

Chicago’s pitching has been okay, but not great. The Cubs have surrendered 4.31 runs per game, which Tampa Bay will clearly try to take advantage of. They maintain a combined 4.38 ERA and a 3.99 FIP (4.19 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the starters, 4.65 ERA and 3.97 FIP for the relievers), with a 1.29 WHIP and a 2.75 K/BB.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Taj Bradley (3-1, 4.44 ERA, 3.33 FIP), Shane McClanahan (8-0, 1.97 ERA, 3.33 FIP), and Zach Eflin (7-1, 3.17 ERA, 3.73 FIP). David Ross will counter with Marcus Stroman (4-4, 2.95 ERA, 3.74 FIP), Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 6.23 ERA, 3.06 FIP), and Justin Steele (6-2, 2.77 ERA, 2.86 FIP).

Taj Bradley allowed four runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out seven. It certainly could’ve been worse for Bradley given that he allowed nine hits, yet he managed to hold Toronto to four runs thanks to his seven punchouts. Bradley had a mechanical flaw, which BA noted on the broadcast Tuesday, and he had difficulty locating his cutter. It will be interesting to see what adjustments he may have made in his between-start bullpen session. Bradley’s 4.44 ERA is underwhelming, although his 3.24 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, and impressive 8.5 K/BB give reasons for optimism.

Marcus Stroman allowed two runs on four hits across eight innings on Wednesday against the Mets. He walked two and struck out three. Stroman threw only 88 pitches in eight efficient innings, and he kept New York hitters off balance all night. The right-hander struggled two starts ago against Minnesota, allowing six runs over 2.2 innings, however, he’s allowed just three total runs over 14 innings in his two subsequent outings. That’s allowed Stroman to lower his season ERA to a strong 2.95, with a 3.74 FIP, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 2.35 K/BB. He relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker that has heavy sinking action and an 85 mph slider that has some two-plane movement, while also mixing in a 90 mph cutter that has heavy sink, a whiffy 92 mph fourseam fastball, and an 86 mph changeup that dives down out of the zone. Key Matchups: Wander Franco (1-3, 2B, RBI), Josh Lowe (2-3, 2B, 3B, RBI), Manuel Margot (2-5, HR, 2 RBI), Francisco Mejía (2-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Taylor Walls (2-2)

Shane McClanahan allowed one run on four hits across seven innings against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk. McClanahan tied his season high with seven innings — a mark he set in his previous start against Milwaukee — and allowed one run or fewer for the seventh time this season. The left-hander cruised to his eighth victory thanks to plenty of early run support and remains firmly in the AL Cy Young conversation, maintaining a 1.97 ERA and a 3.33 FIP, with a 1.12 WHIP, and a 3.00 K/BB across 11 outings (64 innings).

Kyle Hendricks allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings on Thursday. Hendricks had been out since last July due to a shoulder strain. He was built up, throwing 86 pitches (56 strikes, 65% strike rate), however, a combination of rust and some poor defense from his teammates made for a lackluster 2023 debut. Hendricks has slipped from a high-end starter to a pedestrian one over the last couple of years. He currently sports a 6.02 ERA and a 3.06 FIP, with a 1.85 WHIP, and a 2.50 K/BB, although take that with a grain of salt since that’s over an incredibly small sample size. He relies primarily on an 88 mph sinker that has some natural sinking action, an 81 mph changeup, and an 88 mph fourseam fastball has some natural sinking action, while also mixing in a 73 mph curveball that has sweeping glove-side movement. Key Matchups: Yandy Díaz (1-2), Josh Lowe (2-3, RBI), Francisco Mejía (1-2, HR, RBI)

Zach Eflin allowed one run on six hits and two walks over seven innings against the Blue Jays on Thursday. Eflin didn’t record a strikeout, but he was able to induce 13 groundouts and helf Toronto to just one run in the victory. Eflin has now won three consecutive turns while recording seven innings in each of his last two starts. He lowered his ERA and FIP to 3.17 and 3.73 (respectively) with a 1.02 WHIP, and an excellent 7.43 K/BB through nine starts (54 innings).

Justin Steele allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits across 3.2 innings against the Reds. He struck out four and did not issue a walk. Steele allowed a season-high 10 hits and at least five earned runs for the second time in his past three starts. Despite his recent struggles, he still sports above-average numbers with a 2.77 ERA and a 2.86 FIP, with a 1.11 WHIP, and 3.56 K/BB over 11 appearances (65 innings). Steele relies primarily on a 92 mph cutter that has strong cutting action and a 83 mph slider with strong sweeping action and two-plane movement. Key Matchups:Yandy Díaz (1-1, 2B), Wander Franco (1-2, HR, 2 RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-2, RBI)

The Music That Influenced This Preview

Bursting from Chicago’s blue collar punk scene, Conservative Military Image play rousing, beer drinking, and fist flying hardcore/oi! that should knock you from your malaise.

Rays 5/27/23 pregame notes

Who doesn’t love an orange roof?

After handily defeating the Dodgers on Friday, 9-3, the Tampa Bay Rays will go for the series win with Tyler Glasnow on the bump this afternoon.

At 38-15, the Rays enter play a season-high 23 games over .500 one-third of the way through the season.

On Friday, the Rays’ offense flexed its muscles with home runs from Yandy Díaz and Jose Siri, 13 hits overall, and four stolen bases.

They slug. They take 90 feet by the stolen base. The first part of the equation is to try and keep these guys off the bases. They homer. They run. They’re aggressive. They do a good job of using their roster and maximizing the skill sets.

— Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts

Tampa Bay will welcome co-staff ace, Tyler Glasnow, back into the fold this afternoon. In a corresponding move, right-hander Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple-A Durham.

While Glasnow will be making his first start of the season, there likely won’t be a tight leash placed on him. He’s built up to six innings, and since he missed roughly the first two months of the season, he shouldn’t have much-to-any innings limit. In other words, he should be ‘all go and no slow’ this afternoon and moving forward.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (AAA, 0-0, 0.68 ERA, 2.56 FIP) will take the mound, pitching opposite future hall-of-famer Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 2.98 ERA, 3.29 FIP).

Tyler Glasnow (oblique) covered six innings and struck out six while allowing an earned run on two hits and two walks Sunday in his final rehab start for Triple-A Durham. Making the fourth start of his rehab assignment, Glasnow built up to 67 pitches and once again looked sharp during his time on the mound. In those four outings with Durham, Glasnow maintained a 0.68 ERA and a 2.56 FIP, with a 0.98 WHIP, and a 3.99 K/BB.

Clayton Kershaw started Sunday against the Cardinals and allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six across 3.2 innings. Assuming he rejoins the team when expected, his next start lines up for next weekend in Tampa Bay. This came after he covered a season-low four innings against the Twins in which he allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven in four innings. All told, the future hall of famer maintains a 2.98 ERA and a 3.29 FIP on the season, with a 4.93 K/BB, and a 1.10 WHIP across 57.1 innings. He relies primarily on a hard 87 mph slider that has some short glove-side cut, and a 91 mph fourseam fastball, while also mixing in a 74 mph 12-6 Cooperstown curveball that has exceptional bite. Kershaw is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in two career starts against the Rays. It bears mentioning, Tampa Bay is hitting .304 against southpaws this season, so expect the team to exploit any of Kershaw’s mistakes.

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below.

TNWN: Rays vs Dodgers — a series preview

Rays 5/27/23 Starting Lineup

  1. Díaz 1B
  2. Franco SS
  3. Ramírez DH
  4. Arozarena LF
  5. Paredes 3B
  6. Bethancourt C
  7. Margot RF
  8. Walls 2B
  9. Siri CF

TNWN: Rays vs Dodgers — a series preview

El Rayo. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After taking three of four from the Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays play host to the LA Dodgers in a three-game home set starting Friday. The Dodgers are coming off a series win against Atlanta, having won two of three.

The Rays enter play 37-15, a season high tying 22 games above .500, and three games up on the second-place Orioles in the division. The Dodgers enter 31-20 on the season, and 1.5 games up on the second-place Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Despite a shellacking on Tuesday, Tampa Bay has played well over the past week, having won five of the last seven games. The Rays are averaging 5.96 runs per game, which is down but still very good, while their .271 batting average leads the league. They also maintain a league-leading .346 OBP and .501 SLG.

Over the past week, the Rays have been BABIP’d, putting up a .268 batting average on balls in play. However, they still maintain a healthy 120 wRC+ and a 3.6 wRAA across the same stretch.

Los Angeles had its two-game winning streak snapped by Atlanta in the series finale Thursday. The Dodgers are averaging 5.47 runs per game, however, their .236 batting average is 23rd in the league. They also own a middling .326 OBP and a .450 SLG.

Over the last week, the Dodgers have put up a .271 BA/.339 OBP/.467 SLG/.806 OPS line, thanks in part to a lucky .325 BABIP. Either way, across that stretch, the Dodgers have struck out more than the Rays (23.1% vs 20.5%) and walked fewer times (8.3% vs 10.0%).

Tampa Bay’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 3.78 runs per game. Opponents have a .228 batting average against the Rays, which is second in the league, while their 3.70 ERA (2.88 ERA and 3.36 FIP for the starters, 4.56 ERA and 4.88 FIP for the relievers) is fifth. Their ERA is belied by a 4.08 FIP though due to a shaky relief corps of late. Nevertheless, their 1.20 WHIP is fourth in the league.

Los Angeles’ pitching has been good, although it’s been hit with injuries. The Dodgers are surrendering 4.37 runs per game, which the Rays will clearly try to take advantage of. Their 4.25 ERA and 4.12 FIP are 17th in the league (4.07 ERA and 4.22 FIP for the starters, 4.50 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the relievers), while their 1.23 WHIP is seventh.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Cooper Criswell (0-1, 7.94 ERA, 6.01 FIP) behind an opener, Tyler Glasnow (AAA, 0-0, 0.68 ERA, 2.56 FIP), and Taj Bradley (3-1, 4.44 ERA, 3.24 FIP). Dave Roberts will counter with Noah Syndergaard (1-3, 5.88 ERA, 4.44 FIP), Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 2.98 ERA, 3.29 FIP), and Gavin Stone (0-0, 10.13 ERA, 7.03 FIP).

Cooper Criswell allowed five runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three over 4.2 innings on Sunday against the Brewers. Criswell made his first big-league appearance since April 21, going 4.2 innings in relief of Jalen Beeks, who served as an opener for Tampa Bay. Criswell served up a two-run homer to Rowdy Tellez in the fourth inning, and another to William Contreras in the fifth on the way to a season-high five runs allowed. All told he maintains a 7.94 ERA and a 6.01 FIP, with a 4.33 K/BB, and a 1.59 WHIP across 11.1 innings.

Noah Syndergaard allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four batters over five innings against St. Louis on Saturday. Syndergaard has been dealing with a cut on his index finger on his pitching hand, so there was some uncertainty about how he’d hold up after lasting just four innings in his previous turn. The right-hander gave Los Angeles moderate length Saturday, tossing 80 pitches (53 strikes, 66% strike rate) over five frames. He gave up three runs over the first two frames but finished strong, retiring the final seven batters he faced. Syndergaard has struggled to a 5.88 ERA and a 4.44 FIP through nine starts this season (41.1 IP), with a 5.00 K/BB, and a 1.33 WHIP. He relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker, a firm 87 mph changeup with some slight arm-side fade and some natural sink, and a 90 mph cutter that has some natural sink, while also mixing in a whiffy 93 mph fourseam fastball, and a 78 mph curveball that has slight glove-side movement. Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (1-2, HR, RBI), Yandy Díaz (1-3), Wander Franco (2-3, 2B), Manuel Margot (2-5, 2 BB), Francisco Mejía (1-3)

Tyler Glasnow (oblique) covered six innings and struck out six while allowing an earned run on two hits and two walks Sunday in his final rehab start for Triple-A Durham. Making the fourth start of his rehab assignment, Glasnow built up to 67 pitches and once again looked sharp during his time on the mound. In those four outings with Durham, Glasnow maintained a 0.68 ERA and a 2.56 FIP, with a 0.98 WHIP, and a 3.99 K/BB.

Clayton Kershaw started Sunday against the Cardinals and allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six across 3.2 innings. Assuming he rejoins the team when expected, his next start lines up for next weekend in Tampa Bay. This came after he covered a season-low four innings against the Twins in which he allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven in four innings. All told, the future hall of famer maintains a 2.98 ERA and a 3.29 FIP on the season, with a 4.93 K/BB, and a 1.10 WHIP across 57.1 innings. He relies primarily on a hard 87 mph slider that has some short glove-side cut, and a 91 mph fourseam fastball, while also mixing in a 74 mph 12-6 Cooperstown curveball that has exceptional bite. Kershaw is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in two career starts against the Rays.

Taj Bradley allowed four runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out seven. It certainly could’ve been worse for Bradley given that he allowed nine hits, yet he managed to hold Toronto to four runs thanks to his seven punchouts. Bradley had a mechanical flaw, which BA noted on the broadcast Tuesday, and he had difficulty locating his cutter. It will be interesting to see what adjustments he may have made in his between-start bullpen session. Bradley’s 4.44 ERA is underwhelming, although his 3.24 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, and impressive 8.5 K/BB give reasons for optimism.

Gavin Stone worked four innings while allowing five earned runs on five hits and five walks against Atlanta on Monday. His first two big-league starts have resulted in less than inspiring outcomes, with a hurler maintaining a 10.13 ERA and a 7.03 FIP, with a 0.29 K/BB, and a 2.50 WHIP across 8.00 frames. He relies primarily on a 94 mph fourseam fastball that has some natural sinking action, and a whiffy 85 mph changeup, while also mixing in an 86 mph slider that has two-plane movement.

The Music That Influenced This Preview

One of the all-time greatest power-pop/punk albums, Guitar Romantic by the Exploding Hearts, just got the remaster and re-release treatment by Third-Man Records, and we are all better for it! The full album drop should come later today. Treat yo’self if you’ve never heard them.

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — a series preview, part deux

Yandy is back! (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After taking two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Tampa Bay Rays continue their homestand on Monday when they welcome the Blue Jays into the Trop for a four-game series. Toronto was swept by Baltimore over the weekend.

At 34-14 on the season, the Rays enter play 20 games over .500 and 2.5 games up on the second-place Orioles.

Despite a loss in the series finale, preventing Tampa Bay from sweeping Milwaukee, the Rays are averaging 6.09 runs per game and boast a combined .273 batting, with a .850 OPS. They are still leading the league in home runs and have the second-most stolen bases. Over the last seven days, Tampa Bay maintains a 126 wRC+ on the back of a .253 BA/.338 OBP/.465 SLG/.803 OPS, with a beefy .212 wRAA.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.59 runs per game with a .733 OPS. And despite the pedigree of sluggers, they’re 18th in the league in homers on the season. They battled the regression monster of late, putting up an 88 wRC+ thanks to their .253 BA/.307 OBP/.368 SLG/.675 OPS over the last week, with a diminished .115 wRAA.

The Rays pitching staff has the second-lowest ERA and FIP in baseball, at 3.32 and 3.91 respectively (2.88 ERA and 3.37 FIP for the starters, and a 3.82 ERA and 4.50 FIP for the relievers) and the lowest WHIP in baseball (1.15 WHIP), along with 15 quality starts.

The Blue Jays pitching staff has a 3.99 ERA and a 4.44 FIP (4.01 ERA and 4.44 FIP for the starters, and a 3.95 ERA and 4.45 FIP for the relievers), with a 1.27 WHIP, and 23 quality starts.

The Rays are 1-2 against the Blue Jays on the season, with a -1 run differential. It should be noted that, after two consecutive extra-inning losses, Toronto’s bullpen comes in heavily taxed to an extent.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will turn to Josh Fleming (0-0, 3.68 ERA, 4.64 FIP) behind an opener, Taj Bradley (3-0, 3.54 ERA, 3.68 FIP), Shane McClanahan (7-0, 2.05 ERA, 2.58 FIP), and Zach Eflin (6-1, 3.45 ERA, 3.68 FIP). John Schneider will counter with Chris Bassitt (5-2, 3.05 ERA, 4.53 FIP), Jose Berrios (3-4, 4.61 ERA, 3.60 FIP), Yusei Kikuchi (5-1, 4.08 ERA, 5.65 FIP), and Alek Manoah (1-4, 5.15 ERA, 6.28 FIP).

Josh Fleming pitched five scoreless frames against the Mets on Wednesday, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out two. Fleming worked in a traditional starting role for just the second time this season and delivered five shutout innings to counteract a strong start by opposing hurler Kodai Senga. Fleming’s approach was the opposite of Senga’s — he coaxed just four whiffs and two strikeouts to Senga’s 18 and 12 — although the efficiency helped him get through five innings on 67 pitches. The left-hander doesn’t have dominant stuff, but he’s posted a decent 3.68 ERA and a 4.64 FIP through 36.2 innings thus far.

Chris Bassitt scattered three hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings against the Yankees on Wednesday. He struck out seven. The right-hander dazzled, as Bassitt didn’t allow a runner to get past second base while extending his scoreless streak to 27 frames — he hasn’t let a runner cross the plate since the first inning of an April 30 outing against Seattle. Bassitt tossed 66 of 97 pitches for strikes (68% strike rate) while delivering his seventh quality start of the season. He maintains a 3.05 ERA and a 4.53 FIP, with a 1.02 WHIP, and a 2.09 K/BB through 56 innings. Bassitt relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker that has slight arm-side run, while also mixing in a 76 mph slider that sweeps across the zone and has exceptional depth, an 87 mph cutter that has some natural sink, a 70 mph curveball that has exceptional bite and some slight glove-side movement, a 92 mph fourseam fastball that has some natural sinking action, and an 83 mph changeup that has slight arm-side fade. Key Matchups: Brandon Lowe (1-3, HR, RBI), Manuel Margot (1-2, BB), Francisco Mejía (1-3, 2B)

Taj Bradley allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four batters over five frames against the Mets on Thursday. The rookie right-hander tied a season-best mark by allowing just three hits, which came early in his outing. All told, Bradley maintains a 3.54 ERA and a 3.68 FIP, with a 0.93 WHIP, and a 6.75 K/BB across 20.1 innings on the season.

Jose Berrios surrendered three runs on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings on Thursday. He struck out eight. The right-hander was on the wrong end of the decision but still delivered his fourth quality start of the season, tossing 65 of 96 pitches for strikes (67% strike rate) before exiting. Since coughing up eight runs to Kansas City in his season debut, Berrios has posted a 3.64 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 4.5 K/BB through 47 innings. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (4-10, 2B, 2 RBI), Christian Bethancourt (1-2), Manuel Margot (5-12, 2B, 3 RBI), Luke Raley (1-2, RBI), Harold Ramírez (3-11, 2B, RBI), José Siri (1-4)

Shane McClanahan played the role of the stopper in his longest outing of the season, allowing no runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven. He did so with his second-lowest pitch count (83 pitches, 60 strikes, 72% strike rate) of his campaign, and worked just one inning longer than 15 pitches (only two frames required more than 11 pitches). It was a bounce-back outing for the left-hander, who walked a career-high-tying four batters in each of his past two turns on the mound. So, how did McClanahan fix things to become more effective and efficient? A tweak in his mechanics — in his words, staying behind his pitches, and spinning them rather than muscling them into the strike zone — and filling up the zone. McClanahan was able to lower both his ERA and FIP to 2.05 and 3.60 (respectively) with his outing, and he now maintains an improved 1.19 WHIP (down from 1.22) and 2.72 K/BB (up from 2.54) across 57.0 innings on the season.

Yusei Kikuchi gave up three runs on three hits and four walks over 4.2 innings on Friday. He struck out three. All three runs came on a Ryan Mountcastle long ball in the third inning, although Kikuchi was lucky to escape without more damage. He has been taken deep six times in his last four turns, and his 4.08 ERA hides an ominous 5.64 FIP while also maintaining a 1.32 WHIP, and a 3.58 K/BB through 46.1 innings. Key Matchups: Christian Bethancourt 1-2, RBI), Wander Franco (4-9), Manuel Margot (3-10, BB), Harold Ramírez (3-8, BB)

Zach Eflin allowed three runs on four hits over seven innings against Milwaukee on Saturday. He punched out eight on an efficient 84 pitches (65 strikes, 77% strike rate). Outside of a pair of homers dished out to Owen Miller and Brian Anderson, Eflin was exceptional Saturday, fanning eight and pitching into the seventh frame for just the second time this season. Overall, the right-hander maintains a 3.45 ERA and a 3.68 FIP, with a 1.00 WHIP, and a 10.40 K/BB on the season.

Alek Manoah allowed two runs on six hits and one walk over 5.2 innings on Saturday against the Orioles. He struck out five. Manoah allowed two runs or fewer while completing at least five innings for the fifth time this season, although he still holds a 5.15 ERA and a 6.28 FIP, with a 1.74 WHIP due to a couple of poor outings, with a 1.21 K/BB over his first 10 starts of the season. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (3-12, 2B), Yandy Díaz (2-8, 2B, BB), Brandon Lowe (3-12, RBI, 3 BB), Josh Lowe (2-3, 3B, 3 RBI), Luke Raley (1-3), Harold Ramírez (3-8)

The Music That Influenced This Preview

Produced by Jonah Falco of Fucked Up, Home Front blasts out of Edmonton, Canada with a potent mix of street punk mixed with synth-pop. Think the Blitz meets New Order, and you’ll get a rough approximation of what you’ll hear. A really solid and fun debut.

Rays 5/21/23 pregame notes

Day game after a matinee game…that’s how the saying goes, right? After defeating the Brewers on Saturday, 8-4 — thus earning a series win — the Tampa Bay Rays will go for the series sweep this afternoon at the Trop.

At 34-13 on the season, the Rays enter play 21 games over .500, and 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Orioles in the division.

The Rays made a pair of roster moves this morning, optioning RHP Ryan Thompson to Triple-A Durham, and recalling RHP Cooper Criswell. The moves serve dual purposes.

First, Thompson has scuffled of late, pitching to an 11.05 ERA and a 5.23 FIP in 7.5 relief innings in the month of May, with a 1.64 WHIP, and a 2.00 K/BB over that stretch. The demotion will give him an opportunity to work through his issues and return to the big league roster in short order — relatively speaking.

More importantly, though, with Tyler Glasnow slated to make his final rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham today, he is in line to be activated from the 60-Day Injured List later this week. That sets him up to make his season debut versus the Dodgers on Friday. Because of it, the Rays had two options: go with a bullpen day, or recall an arm that could give Kevin Cash some length. Given that the bullpen has been heavily relied upon of late (with the exception of the last two contests), the latter approach to this afternoon’s contest was more reasonable than the former.

In 6.2 innings with the Rays this season (across two appearances), Criswell is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and a 4.02 FIP, with a 1.35 WHIP, and a 5.00 K/BB. Across 29.1 Triple-A innings, though, Criswell has far more impressive numbers, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA and a 4.05 FIP (belied by a 2.82 xFIP).

The New What Next

Jalen Beeks (1-2, 4.70 ERA, 4.21 FIP) will open for Cooper Criswell this afternoon. The tandem will pitch opposite Freddy Peralta (4-3, 4.11 ERA, 3.91 FIP).

Jalen Beeks pitched two scoreless innings against the Mets on Tuesday. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Beeks cruised through the opening two frames on 26 pitches while allowing just an infield single to Francisco Lindor. He now has four consecutive scoreless outings and has pitched more than an inning in four of his six appearances in May. He has lowered his ERA and FIP to 4.70 and 4.21 respectively, with a 1.18 WHIP, and a 1.8 K/BB over 22 innings on the season.

Freddy Peralta allowed six runs on six hits and five walks while striking out four batters over 5.1 innings against the Cardinals. Peralta fell behind early, surrendering a three-run homer to Nolan Arenado in the first inning, although he rebounded to allow just one more run over his following four frames. Be that as it may, his outing ended after he put two of the first three batters on base in the sixth, with both runners eventually coming around to score. Peralta had been pitching well coming into the contest, notching three straight quality starts during which he allowed just five runs while posting a 4.6 K/BB over 18 innings. All told, he maintains a 4.11 ERA and a 3.91 FIP, with a 1.30 WHIP, and an 2.63 K/BB through 46.0 innings on the season. Peralta relies primarily on a whiffy 95 mph fourseam fastball that has some natural sinking action and an 82 mph slider that sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 76 mph 12-6 curveball, and an 89 mph changeup that has slight arm-side fade and some natural sink to it. He is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in one career start against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Christian Bethancourt (1-2), Yandy Díaz (1-2, HR, 2 RBI), Harold Ramírez (1-4)

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

TNWN: Rays vs Brewers — a series preview

Rays 5/21/23 Starting Lineup

  1. Díaz 1B
  2. Franco SS
  3. B. Lowe 2B
  4. Arozarena LF
  5. Ramírez DH
  6. J. Lowe RF
  7. Walls 3B
  8. Margot CF
  9. Mejía C

Noteworthiness

— Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic) dropped a bombshell (yawn) this morning, that the Rays are garnering interest from multiple potential buyers. This, however, is neither breaking news nor interesting. Rather it’s just leverage building, by way of the manufacturing consent model, amidst ongoing talks with the city of St. Pete.

Bear in mind that the Rays have ALWAYS attracted buyers. What then is the difference? The news was likely leaked by the front office or Stu himself. In other words, it’s a tacit way of moving stadium talks along by saber rattling… “Build us a stadium, or we’ll sell to someone else who could move the team.” Is it underhanded and dirty, given that Mayor Welch has been very friendly to the team? Absolutely. Is it reasonable to assume Stu would leak the news given that he, years ago, blatantly said the same thing in a presser about a new stadium? Also yes. It’s part of the owner’s playbook.

The following quote from MLB Trade Rumors‘ write-up of Rosenthal’s article is rather telling, “The interest gives Rays ownership plenty of options as they attempt to secure a ballpark in either Tampa or St. Petersburg prior to the expiration of their lease at Tropicana Field.”

In other words, don’t believe the hype. Sternberg won’t sell the team until it’s reached peak value — when a new stadium is built.