The Tampa Bay Rays returned home from a disappointing 4-5 road trip through Baltimore, New York, and Detroit. Faced with the dwindling hopes of a postseason berth ― hopes that continue to wither away with every loss ― Tampa Bay is set to start a three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox Friday night.
At the bottom of the AL East sit the Red Sox, a team that has been a massive disappointment in 2015. Yet they enter the Trop having won six of their last 10 games. Adding to the enormous chip on Boston’s shoulder, David Ortiz is two homers shy of becoming the 27th player with 500. Ortiz has 49 homers in 233 games against Tampa Bay including playoffs, however, he has gone deep only twice in 12 games versus the Rays this season while batting .190.
Tampa Bay has dropped four of six at home and earned just two wins in seven games overall following Wednesday’s 8-0 victory over Detroit. The pitching staff has been uncharacteristically sketchy of late, while the Rays offense has been pretty good for the last month-and-a-half. Consider this: Tampa Bay is 17-30 in games decided in the seventh inning or later, and they have either held a lead or came back to tie the score in 12 of their last 13 losses.
Consistency is the key for Chris Archer, Matt Moore, and Drew Smyly ― the three hurlers slated to take the mound Friday-through-Sunday. Archer (12-11, 2.88 ERA) allowed home runs on consecutive pitches to the Yankees last Sunday as he took his third loss over his last five starts. Archer has lost both his starts against the Red Sox this year, though in one he allowed just a single unearned run. Ortiz is 1-5 against Archer this season and 7-20 with two home runs lifetime. Moore (1-3, 8.04 ERA) will make his second start since returning from Triple-A Durham. He allowed two runs on three hits over 4-2/3 innings last Saturday against the Yankees. Smyly (2-2, 3.59 ERA) will make his second home start since missing more than three months with a torn labrum. He has pitched to a 4.15 ERA in five appearances since returning from the DL, though he allowed four runs over five innings in his last outing.
The Rays and Red Sox have split 12 games this season and the six in St. Pete.
Wade Miley (11-10, 4.43 ERA) is coming off the first complete game of his career, holding the Phillies to five hits and two runs. The lefty took a perfect game into the fifth inning and was efficient and around the strike zone all day, throwing 79 of his 110 pitches within the zone. Miley has fared well against the Rays in his career, going 3-1 with a 1.41 ERA. But, Boston is just 1-2 against Tampa Bay this season when Miley has taken the mound. Key matchups: Asdrubal Cabrera (3-12, 3B), Logan Forsythe (4-15, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Brandon Guyer (2-6, HR, RBI, 2 BB), Kevin Kiermaier (1-3, 3B), James Loney (2-8, 2B, BB), Rene Rivera (5-12, 2B, 2 RBI), Grady Sizemore (2-3, 2B).
Rick Porcello (7-12, 5.12 ERA) will try to continue his spate of solid pitching since returning from the DL. In his last three starts, he is 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA. In five career starts at Tropicana Field, Porcello is 2-2 with a 2.55 ERA. The righty has held the Rays to just three runs in 13 innings of work this season. Key matchups: JP Arencibia (1-2), Asdrubal Cabrera (15-50, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB), Logan Forsythe (4-9), John Jaso (2-7), James Loney (5-16, 2B, RBI, BB), Daniel Nava (1-2, BB), Rene Rivera (1-3), Steven Souza Jr. (2-6).
Rich Hill is a bit of an unknown quantity. The lefty is making his first start in the Major Leagues since 2009. Hill began his career as a starter, yet arm problems forced him to the bullpen. In 2014, the last season Hill pitched in the majors, he relied primarily on his 76 mph curveball and 91 mph sinker, while also mixing in a 92 mph four seam fastball and an 81 mph slider. Key matchups: Nick franklin (2-2, 2B), James Loney (1-4).
Noteworthiness
― Evan Longoria, batting .386 in an 11-game hit streak against Boston, is at .361 with five homers in his last 10 overall contests. He, however, is 1-8 with four strikeouts against Miley this season.
― Asdrubal Cabrera is 3-6 off Miley and has posited a .480 average in his last six matchups with Boston. He’s 9 for his last 24 overall.
― If all goes well, Steven Souza Jr. should be cleared to rejoin the Rays on Friday. The outfielder played two rehab games with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the past two days. Souza has been on the DL since August 1 due to the fractured hand.