An orange roof for the winners. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

Shane McClanahan shoved once again, while the Tampa Bay Rays supported the southpaw with three homers, kicking off their six-game homestand with a 4-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.

At 25-17 on the season, the Rays ended the night a season-high-matching eight games over .500.

Shane McClanahan got the start Monday and tossed six shutout frames, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out nine. He threw 64 of 96 pitches for strikes (67% strike rate). That being said, McClanahan did face a few challenges in his outing.

After allowing a one-out hit in the second, he collected a pair of punchouts (Jesus Sanchez looking, Erik Gonzalez swinging) to get out of the threat.

McClanahan also coaxed a pair of double plays; one after a one-out hit in the third, and the other in the sixth. After allowing two base hits, the left-hander got Jorge Soler to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play.

Then, with Avisail Garcia at the plate, McClanahan’s first pitch sailed past Mike Zunino but deflected toward the third-base side of home plate. The ball bounded past Zunino and McClanahan, yet Isaac Paredes fielded the ball and threw home to Zunino, who tagged out Garrett Cooper and maintain the shutout — just like they practice in Spring Training.

Meanwhile, Kevin Kiermaier led off the game with a first-pitch sinking liner to center that got past a diving Jesus Sanchez and rolled all the way to the centerfield wall. Kiermaier rounded the bases for his team-leading sixth home run of the season.

In the second inning, Harold Ramirez sliced a line drive to right field that just cleared the wall. It was Ramirez’s first home run in a Rays’ uniform, putting Tampa Bay up by two runs.

The Rays doubled the lead in the sixth inning against Pablo Lopez. After Randy Arozarena doubled to right-center off the top of the wall — just inches shy of a home run — Ji Man Choi blasted a two-run homer to right-center, capping the scoring.

Tampa Bay hit three homers off Lopez, who began the night with a 1.57 ERA and had allowed just two homers in his first eight starts combined.

The New What Next

The two-game series against Miami will conclude on Wednesday with Drew Rasmussen (4-1, 2.33 ERA) starting opposite Cody Poteet (0-0, 0.78 ERA).

Drew Rasmussen allowed four hits and no walks while striking out seven across five scoreless innings Wednesday against the Tigers. Rasmussen allowed two hits in the first inning but proceeded to retire 12 of the last 14 batters he faced. He recorded more than five strikeouts in a start for only the second time this season, which was backed by an impressive 20 swinging strikes across 87 total pitches (61 strikes, 70% strike rate). Rasmussen has now allowed one run or fewer in each of his last five starts, spanning 26.2 frames. Overall, he’s maintained a 2.33 ERA and a 2.71 FIP, with a 4.25 K/BB across 38.2 innings.

Cody Poteet struck out four Nationals across 4.2 scoreless innings in his first start on May 17. He followed that with a two-inning appearance out of the ‘pen on Saturday against Atlanta, so he’ll be returning to the mound Wednesday on three days’ rest rather than the standard four. Marlins’ skipper Don Mattingly likely won’t have Poteet pitch more than twice through the order before turning the game over to the bullpen or Trevor Rogers.

Trevor Rogers coughed up five runs on eight hits — including three home runs — and two walks over four innings on Friday against Atlanta. He struck out five. The southpaw served up homers in each of the first three frames before finally getting the hook after 88 pitches (54 strikes, 61% strike rate). Rogers has not been able to duplicate his 2021 breakout, and his numbers are getting worse. He’s been tagged for six homers in 18.2 innings over his last four starts, matching his total through 133 innings all of last season. Rogers maintains a 5.20 ERA and a 4.69 FIP, with a 1.51 WHIP, and a mediocre 2.27 K/BB through 36.1 innings on the season. He relies primarily on a 94 mph four-seam fastball that has some natural sinking action and a firm 85 mph changeup that dives down and out of the zone, while also mixing in an 80 mph slider that sweeps across the zone. Rogers is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in one career start against the Rays. Key Matchup: Randy Arozarena (2-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI)

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

Rays 5/25/22 Starting Lineup

  1. Kiermaier CF
  2. Franco SS
  3. Diaz 3B
  4. Choi 1B
  5. Arozarena LF
  6. Ramirez DH
  7. Mejia C
  8. Margot RF
  9. Brujan 2B

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have reinstated OF Manuel Margot (right hamstring strain) from the 10-day Injured List and optioned RHP Dusten Knight to Triple-A Durham.