After a come from behind, 9-7 extra-inning win over the Blue Jays on Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to extend their eight-game win streak tonight, in Dunedin. Last night’s win was the Rays’ first extra-inning “W” of the season.
Tampa Bay has scored 72 runs over the life of its eight-game win streak and boasts a franchise record of five consecutive games with at least three home runs including four last night — two by Brandon Lowe, and one each by Ji-Man Choi and Francisco Mejía. All told, Tampa Bay has hit 17 home runs in the last five games.
Today marks the big-league debut of Taylor Walls. As I wrote previously, the 24-year-old Walls is a toolsy defensive infielder who earned the Rays’ Defensive Player of the Year two years in a row (2018 and 2019). He has been swinging a hot bat thus far in Durham, slashing .327 BA/.468 OBP/.490 OPS/.958 OPS with two home runs and 13 walks in his first 14 games while playing shortstop, second, and third base.
Additionally, J.P. Feyereisen will join Tampa Bay’s corps of relievers. Feyereisen, 28, came over to Milwaukee from the Yankees on September 1, 2019. He made his Major League debut last season, appearing in six games. The hurler is 0-2 with a 4.08 ERA in 27 career games, all in relief, including 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 21 appearances this season. Yet, Feyereisen pitched even better than his overall ERA might indicate, as he allowed just one earned run while striking out 19 in his first 18 innings this season.
He boasts a riding four-seam fastball that batters swing under, paired with a mid-80’s slider. Feyereisen also picked up a new changeup in the offseason, and it’s been nearly unhittable on the back of a 60% whiff rate on the pitch. If there is a criticism it’s that he has struggled with control this season, walking 14.3% of opposing batters, although he has the stuff to succeed … it’s a matter of hitting the zone to set up his offspeed stuff. The right-hander will immediately join the Rays’ bullpen, and Erik Neander, the Rays GM, believes he is “close to another gear or two upon getting here.”
The New What Next
Shane McClanahan (1-0, 4.67 ERA) will make his fifth big-league start for Tampa Bay tonight, pitching opposite of Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.79 ERA).
Shane McClanahan allowed four runs on six hits across 5-1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk on Saturday against the Mets. The left-hander surrendered two home runs on a pair of hanging sliders which accounted for all four runs. Saturday was the longest turn, albeit the one with the most runs allowed, for McClanahan, who pitched exactly four innings in each of his first three starts. McClanahan maintains a 4.67 ERA and a 3.71 FIP with a 4.32 K/BB and a 1.27 WHIP across 17-1/3 innings.
Robbie Ray allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out nine over 5-2/3 innings against the Phillies on Sunday. Ray has now struck out at least nine batters in each of his last three starts. The left-hander tossed four scoreless innings to begin Sunday’s contest but allowed four runs in the fifth and sixth innings before his exit. Ray has now posted a 3.79 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 40-1/3 innings across seven starts this season. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career starts against the Rays, and he allowed three runs on six hits (including two home runs) across six innings at the Trop on April 24. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (1-3), Mike Brosseau (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (1-2), Francisco Mejía (1-2, 2B, RBI)
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below.
Rays 5/22/21 Starting Lineup
- Arozarena LF
- Díaz DH
- Lowe 2B
- Margot RF
- Brosseau 3B
- Choi 1B
- Zunino C
- Walls SS
- Kiermaier CF
- McClanahan LHP