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LBWMF: Glasnow, Rays take down the Orioles, 4-2

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  • The Rays celebrated the first of two Jackie Robinson days with a 4-2 win over Baltimore. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays (13-4) improved on the best record in baseball by beating the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Tuesday night, thanks in part to a key home run by Avisail Garcia, and a solid start by Tyler Glasnow.

The tall right-hander tied the longest outing by a Tampa Bay hurler in the first 17 games of the season, although you never would have guessed his final line based on Glasnow’s first three innings of work.

The Orioles, who have outscored opponents 16-5 in the first inning, jumped ahead early against Glasnow. With one out and none on, Trey Mancini singled to right-center and moved up to second on a Dwight Smith Junior’s single to right. Then, Rio Ruiz hit a two-out RBI single to right-center, scoring Mancini. Baltimore’s hitters spat on Glasnow’s curveball, hunted fastballs, attacked him early in the count, and worked him for 26 pitches in the first inning alone.

After Glasnow worked around a leadoff single in the second, Baltimore extended the lead in the third. Smith reached on an infield hit to second; Brandon Lowe had difficulty getting the ball out of his glove. Smith swiped second, then came home on Renato Nunez’s double that deflected off Yandy Diaz and traveled up the third base line.

From that point on, however, Glasnow quietly went to work and threw up four consecutive zeroes — working around a base hit by coaxing a double play in the fourth inning and retiring the final 10 batters he would face in a row.

Glasnow didn’t walk a batter and scattered seven hits while striking out three. He threw 87 pitches (61 strikes, 70% strike rate) total and just 61 over the final six frames.

Meanwhile, the Rays offense took a few innings to get going. They didn’t get on the board until the fourth inning when they tagged Dylan Bundy for three runs. As DeWayne and BA noted on the telecast, Bundy’s peripherals inflate from the first time through the order to the second time through — from a .235 BA/.298 OBP/.419 SLG/.717 OPS/.309 wOBA slash line against to a .274 BA/.342 OBP/.510 SLG/.852 OPS/.361 wOBA line. Tuesday night would be much the same.

Down by a pair of runs, Tommy Pham started a rally by extending his franchise record on-base streak to 48 games, earning a leadoff walk after being down in the count 0-2. Ji-Man Choi followed with a double to right, putting runners in scoring position for Yandy Diaz, who flew out to right in foul territory. Pham came home to on the sacrifice fly, splitting the difference. After Lowe struck out for the second out of the inning, Garcia hit a first-pitch homer to centerfield, his second of the season.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsFL/status/1118309535100198913

As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) noted, the homer also gave Tampa Bay two more two-out runs. The Rays have scored 35 two-out runs, or roughly two per game this season.

Garcia’s homer was enough for the Rays staff. Jose Alvarado followed Glasnow and pitched a perfect eighth inning against the top of the Orioles order. Yet Tampa Bay tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the inning.

Diaz hit a two-out single, moved into second base on a free pass of Lowe, and came home when Garcia singled to left-center — his third RBI of the contest.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsFL/status/1118328784258621440

Finally, Diego Castillo took over in the ninth and slammed the door shut on Baltimore, working a 1-2-3 inning for his second save of the season.

The New What Next

Game two of the series takes place on Wednesday. The Rays will use an opener to start the game, which will likely be followed by Ryan Yarbrough (2-1, 4.82 ERA). I will update things as the fluid situation becomes clear. The Rays will be opposed by David Hess (1-2, 3.32 ERA).

Ryan Yarbrough picked up the win after tossing two scoreless frames and striking out one on Friday. The southpaw was efficient on the mound, needing just 16 total pitches (12 strikes) to get through six batters. Yarbrough was coming off a disastrous outing Saturday against San Francisco (allowing four runs allowed across three innings) but managed to get back on track in the 11-7 victory.

David Hess allowed three runs on six hits while striking out three over 5-2/3 innings on Friday. He took the loss against Boston. Hess allowed a solo homer in the third inning and two more runs in the fourth, while the Orioles were held scoreless until the seventh. The 25-year-old right-hander came within an out of a quality start and pitched well enough to come away with the win, although he didn’t get enough run support. Hess owns a 3.32 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 19 frames in three starts this season. Hess relies primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball with added backspin and an 83 mph fly-ball coaxing slider, while also mixing in an 85 mph changeup, and a 93 mph sinker with a little sink and arm-side run. He is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in four career starts against the Rays, and is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-6, 2B), Ji-Man Choi (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Yandy Diaz (1-2, BB), Brandon Lowe (1-4, 2B), Tommy Pham (1-3, 3B)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs. Orioles — a series preview

Rays 4/17/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Diaz 3B
  5. Lowe 2B
  6. Garcia DH
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Zunino C
  9. Adames SS
  10. Stanek RHP; opener

Noteworthiness

— Things certainly got, uhh … interesting for Kevin Kiermaier Tuesday night:

Blake Snell headed to 10-day IL; 4/16/19 pre-game notes

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  • Left-hander Blake Snell has been placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday, April 13, with a fractured toe.

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is headed to the 10-day injured list (IL) with a fractured toe, retroactive to Sunday, April 13. Right-hander Emilio Pagan will take the open roster spot.

The news is less concerning than it would appear at first glance though, as the southpaw is expected to miss just one start. The Rays will hold him out longer if necessary, although the injury seems only to be nothing more than a blip. Snell will be eligible to return on April 24th, the final game of the Rays home series against the Royals.

According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times), Snell broke his toe Sunday night at home while he was getting out of the shower at which point he decided to move a decorative stand in the bathroom. Snell didn’t realize the stand was in two parts, as the bottom piece — made of granite — fell on his right foot.

The left-hander was off to a strong start, turning in 2-1 record across 25 innings, with a 2.16 ERA. He has averaged a 13 K/9 against a 1.4 BB/9 so far, entering Tuesday tied with Gerrit Cole for the AL lead in strikeouts with 36 — 33 of which have come in his past three starts (totaling 19 innings).

Pagan will make his Rays debut after spending time in the last two years with the Mariners and Athletics. The right-hander owns a 3.85 ERA across 112-1/3 big league frames up to this point. He appeared out of the ‘pen 55 times for Oakland last season, posting a 4.35 ERA and striking out more than a batter per inning. Prior to his promotion, Pagan fanned 10 batters in six scoreless innings over four relief appearances at Triple-A Durham. He could be utilized in a multi-inning capacity.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 0.53 ERA) will get the start in the series opener against the Orioles Tuesday night, pitching opposite of Dylan Bundy (0-1, 8.76 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow earned the win against Chicago on Wednesday by fanning 11 and allowing just two hits and one walk across six scoreless innings. The right-hander’s only trouble came during the third inning when he had a pair of runners in scoring position with only one out, yet Glasnow struck out Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu to end the threat. He has enjoyed a dominant first three starts to the season with a 7/1 K/BB across 17 innings.

Dylan Bundy allowed six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts over five innings of a loss to Oakland on Thursday. The eight punch outs were impressive, yet Bundy suffered thanks to the long-ball. In his last 8-2/3 innings, Bundy has served up six homers. He has also yielded 15 hits in 12-1/3 innings of work thus far. Bundy relies primarily on his 91 mph four-seam fastball that has good “rising” action and a whiffy 81 mph slider with two-plane movement, while also mixing in an 84 mph changeup. Over nine career starts against the Rays, the right-hander is 3-4 with a 6.30 ERA and is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4), Avisail Garcia (4-7), Kevin Kiermaier (4-9, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB), Micahel Perez (1-3)

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

The New What Next: Rays vs. Orioles — a series preview

Rays 4/16/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows DH
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Diaz 3B
  5. Lowe 2B
  6. Garcia RF
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Robertson SS
  9. Perez C
  10. Glasnow RHP

The New What Next: Rays vs. Orioles — a series preview

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  • That the Rays finished their nine-game road trip with a 7-2 record is reason enough to celebrate.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles will open a three-game series starting Tuesday night at the Trop. The Rays are coming off a 7-2 road trip across three different time zones, while the Orioles are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The first-place Rays are averaging 4.67 runs per game (RPG), ranking them 16th in the Majors. However, that RPG average increases to 5.75 when you take their first four games — when they averaged 2.75 runs — out of the equation. What’s more, despite a few blips and bumps, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff continues to shine, sporting a Major League-best 2.44 team ERA/2.80 team FIP.

The Orioles are currently averaging a respectable 4.44 RPG, ranking them 19th in MLB, yet Baltimore’s pitching staff has performed to a Major League-worst 6.30 team ERA/6.72 team FIP. Be that as it may, the Orioles been competitive on the road where they own a 6-4 record on the season.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Rays posted an 11-8 record against the Orioles in 2018. In an ideal world, they need to improve by at least two games this season over last.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will lean on starter Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 0.53 ERA), and likely bulk inning guys Ryan Yarbrough (2-1, 4.82 ERA), and Yonny Chirinos (2-0, 4.40 ERA). The order which they will be used, however, is still up in the air. New skipper Brandon Hyde will respond with Dylan Bundy (0-1, 8.76 ERA), David Hess (1-2, 3.32 ERA), and Andrew Cashner (3-1, 5.31 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tyler Glasnow earned the win against Chicago on Wednesday by fanning 11 and allowing just two hits and one walk across six scoreless innings. The right-hander’s only trouble came during the third inning when he had a pair of runners in scoring position with only one out, yet Glasnow struck out Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu to end the threat. He has enjoyed a dominant first three starts to the season with a 7/1 K/BB across 17 innings.

Dylan Bundy allowed six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts over five innings of a loss to Oakland on Thursday. The eight punch outs were impressive, yet Bundy suffered thanks to the long-ball. In his last 8-2/3 innings, Bundy has served up six homers. He has also yielded 15 hits in 12-1/3 innings of work thus far. Bundy relies primarily on his 91 mph four-seam fastball that has good “rising” action and a whiffy 81 mph slider with two-plane movement, while also mixing in an 84 mph changeup. Over nine career starts against the Rays, the right-hander is 3-4 with a 6.30 ERA and is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4), Avisail Garcia (4-7), Kevin Kiermaier (4-9, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB), Micahel Perez (1-3)

Ryan Yarbrough picked up the win after tossing two scoreless frames and striking out one on Friday. The southpaw was efficient on the mound, needing just 16 total pitches (12 strikes) to get through six batters. Yarbrough was coming off a disastrous outing Saturday against San Francisco (allowing four runs allowed across three innings) but managed to get back on track in the 11-7 victory.

David Hess allowed three runs on six hits while striking out three over 5-2/3 innings on Friday. He took the loss against Boston. Hess allowed a solo homer in the third inning and two more runs in the fourth, while the Orioles were held scoreless until the seventh. The 25-year-old right-hander came within an out of a quality start and pitched well enough to come away with the win, although he didn’t get enough run support. Hess owns a 3.32 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 19 frames in three starts this season. Hess relies primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball with added backspin and an 83 mph fly-ball coaxing slider, while also mixing in an 85 mph changeup, and a 93 mph sinker with a little sink and arm-side run. He is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in four career starts against the Rays, and is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-6, 2B), Ji-Man Choi (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Yandy Diaz (1-2, BB), Brandon Lowe (1-4, 2B), Tommy Pham (1-3, 3B)

Yonny Chirinos was bereft of quality stuff in his last outing against Toronto, allowing six earned runs on seven hits (including a homer) across 2-1/3 innings of work. This after the right-hander allowed just one run across his previous 12-1/3 innings of work, while striking out 11. Chirinos needs to keep his sinker down in the zone and allow his pitches, which boast a ton of movement, to play off the batters aggressiveness.

Andrew Cashner is going for his fourth straight win of the season, following his most recent victory on Saturday against Boston, when the right-hander allowed three runs on three hits and three walks across five innings of work. Cashner relies primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball and an 86 mph cutter with heavy sink and strong cutting action, while also mixing in an 84 mph changeup, a firm 81 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement, and a 92 mph two-seam sinker with little sinking action. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA in four career starts against the Rays, and 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA at Tropicana Field. Key Matchups: Guillermo Heredia (2-8, 2B, 2 BB), Kevin Kiermaier (2-6), Michael Perez (1-4, RBI), Daniel Robertson (3-4, 2B, RBI, BB)

TNWN: Rays look to win the series against Toronto on Sunday; X-Rays Spex watch party

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  • Blake Snell dominated the Blue Jays in his six innings of work on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a tough loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back and take the series this afternoon in Toronto. The Blue Jays are just 1-5 in their last six games following a win, and 1-4 in Marcus Stroman’s last five home starts.

Snell was terrific on Saturday and has allowed just one run total in his last three starts. The lefthander didn’t allow a hit over the first five innings, fanning eight while walking one. After Snell notched a ninth punch out to start the sixth, Luke Maile lined a 1-0 fastball into left field for Toronto’s first hit of the game. However, Freddy Galvis grounded into an around-the-horn double play to end the threat four pitches later. That ended Snell’s day after just 82 pitches (52 strikes, 63% strikes rate). His pitch selection and usage follows:

  • Fastball: 40 thrown, 30 Strikes (75% strike rate), 7 whiffs
  • Curveball: 25 thrown, 17 strikes (68% strike rates), 9 whiffs
  • Changeup: 15 thrown, 5 strikes (33% strike rate), 3 whiffs
  • Slider: 3 thrown, 1 strike (33% strike rate), 1 whiff

Many were befuddled by Kevin Cash’s decision to pull Snell after only six innings of work and 82 pitches thrown. On one hand, the overarching mantra going into the season has been to win that day’s ballgame, and if the Rays end up missing out on a postseason berth, who’s to say that Saturday’s contest will not make Cash and the team regret the decision? On the other hand, though, the conservative handling of Snell — which worked well in 2018, mind you — was behind yesterday’s decision and falls in line with the team’s approach to keeping the southpaw healthy all season. The Rays skipper defended his judgment call after the game.

Blake threw a tremendous ball game. He probably had more in the tank. But I like the way that we have stayed consistent to our thought process coming out of the gate. … The thought is we’re going to benefit from that throughout the season.

— Kevin Cash

Even though Snell had thrown 102 and 100 pitches in his previous two turns, he was working on four days’ rest rather than an extra day as the team would prefer to give him. As a result, pitching coach Kyle Snyder and Cash had Snell on a six-inning and/or 85 pitch limit yesterday.

We want to win the marathon, not the sprint. As important as pitching and the health of a staff is in 2019, I’m always going to err on the side of being conservative with our guys. That was the case last year, and I’m not going to change this year.

— Kyle Snyder

For his part, Snell was fine with the decision.

It was a shorter week for me to get ready. This is their plan, and I believe in it 100 percent. I think it’s all about longevity.

— Blake Snell

At the end of the day, the Rays stranded six men on base and went 1-11 wRISP. Had they taken a commanding lead with Snell on the mound, the move wouldn’t look nearly as controversial as it had. Instead, they couldn’t push across crucial runs when they needed too, while Chaz Roe — who previously allowed just one run all season — looked rusty, culminating in an ugly loss.

Turn the page.

The New What Next

The Rays will try to end their opening road trip on a high note with Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.25 ERA) on the mound. He’ll be opposed by Marcus Stroman (0-2, 2.41 ERA).

Charlie Morton gave up a two-run shot to Yoan Moncada in the bottom of the third inning, although he otherwise kept the White Sox off balance by leaning on his fastball (both two and four-seam, 46 thrown, 29 strikes, 63% strike rate), curveball (30 thrown, 15 strikes, 50% strike rate), and his cutter (14 thrown, 11 strikes, 79% strike rate).

The two runs were all that Morton allowed across five innings of work. The right-hander scattered three hits and three walks while striking out seven.

Marcus Stroman continues to look for his first win of the season. The right-hander has recorded 18 strikeouts over his first three starts of the season. In his last start against Cleveland, Stroman surrendered three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six across six innings. The right-hander relies primarily on his 85 mph sweeping slider with two-plane movement, a 93 mph sinker with natural sinking action, and a 91 mph worm-killer cutter. Stroman is 5-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 13 career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-2, RBI), Ji-Man Choi (1-4), Avisail Garcia (5-9, 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (9-31, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB), Michael Perez (1-2, 2B), Tommy Pham (1-1, RBI), Mike Zunino (1-3, HR, 2 RBI)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs. Blue Jays — a series preview

Rays 4/14/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows LF
  2. Diaz DH
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Garcia RF
  5. Lowe 2B
  6. Robertson 3B
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. Perez C
  10. Morton RHP

Noteworthiness

— Free today?

On Sunday, April 14, 2019 X-Rays Spex and Golden Dinosaurs Vegan Deli will team up to host a shirt release celebration and Rays watch party, when the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto. We’re bringing all the camaraderie of the game, and some delicious foodstuffs, at one of the areas best new restaurants!

First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 pm, so be sure to get down to Golden Dinosaurs early to grab a bite to eat and an ice-cold brew. Don’t forget to snatch our newest shirt design (pictured) titled “The Legend of Dan Johnson,” so you can wear it to the Trop the following weekend when our guys take on the reigning World Series champs.

Throughout the afternoon Golden Dinosaurs will offer some select specials. We’ll also raffle off some great Rays swag between the innings, among other fantastic things. Mention X-Rays Spex and get 10% taken off your order.

See you April 14, and be sure to tell a friend!

LBWMF: Rays look to extend their win streak after defeating Toronto Friday night, 11-7

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  • Brandon Lowe (pictured) and Austin Meadows had a blast in Toronto Friday night, combining to hit four home runs against the Blue Jays.

After holding on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, 11-7, the Tampa Bay Rays look to win their fifth straight series, as well as extend their win streak on Saturday.

The Rays set season highs in runs scored (11) and home runs (5) last night and now have plated 35 runs in the past four games. They have also scored 69 in 14 games this season, for nearly five runs per game (RPG).

Tampa Bay continued to score early runs last night, thanks in part to three home runs by Austin Meadows (2) and Brandon Lowe (1) in the first three frames.

In the first inning, Meadows hit a leadoff homer to right.

It was the seventh consecutive contest in which the Rays had scored in the first, extending a franchise record. If you’re counting, Tampa Bay has outscored opponents 18-1 in the first, making them the first American League team to score in the opening inning in seven consecutive games in 13 years (Cleveland, 2006).

Then, Meadows led off the third by belting a massive 436-foot blast to right field of Thornton. It was his sixth homer of the season and fourth in three games. Three batters later, after Yandy Diaz earned a free pass, Lowe crushed a ball essentially into the same spot.

Per Neil Solondz (Rays Radio), going into Friday’s action, only 20 homers had been hit into the 500 level at the Rogers Centre since it opened in 1989, and only three to right field. In the third inning, two Rays left-handed hitters belted balls up there.

Lowe went on to mash his second homer of the night in the seventh inning, while Willy Adames hit an important two-run blast in the ninth (his first of the season) en route to an 11 run walloping.

Still, Yonny Chirinos and Diego Castillo almost let the game slip away. For this I turn to Solondz, who succinctly recapped the dramatic seventh and eighth innings when things got out of hand:

But it almost got away, as Toronto scored six runs in the seventh against Yonny Chirinos, who threw a scoreless fifth and sixth. Justin Smoak walked, Randall Grichuk singled to center and Teoscar Hernandez doubled to left-center, scoring a run to get the Blue Jays on the board. Lourdes Gurriel Jr then doubled to left, bringing home two more runs to make it 8–3. After a Richard Urena groundout moved Gurriel to third, Alen Hanson singled in a run to make it 8–4. Former Rays player Luke Maile followed with an opposite-field homer, a two-run shot, making it 8–6.

Adam Kolarek entered, and got the second out, then allowed a double to Freddy Galvis. Diego Castillo followed, and two pitches later Galvis was thrown out trying to move to third on a ball in the dirt, ending the rally. The play looked close, but the Jays didn’t ask to have the play reviewed.

Then in the eighth against Castillo, the Jays got runners to first and third with one out. However, the righty struck out pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez, but Urena hit a ground ball through the legs of Ji-Man Choi for a two-base error. Smoak scored, making it 8–7. Hanson was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Maile had the count at 3–0, then took three straight strikes, and struck out looking to end the frame.

— Neil Solondz

Jose Alvarado came on in the ninth inning and plowed through Toronto’s lineup in order, fanning two while coaxing the game-ending ground-out from Justin Smoak on a 98 mph sinker. Alvarado pounded the zone, throwing nine of his 10 pitches for strikes. The Rays still have not allowed a ninth-inning run this season.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (2-1, 2.84 ERA) will get the start for the Rays in the second game of the series, pitching opposite of Clay Buchholz, who makes his first start for Toronto.

Blake Snell allowed just a single run on six hits across the first six frames. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 11.

Snell fanned five of the first six batters he faced and didn’t allow a runner beyond second base until the fifth inning when he gave up a two-out homer to left to Jose Rondon.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner got in trouble in the sixth inning, nevertheless, Mr. .083 BA wRISP did not break. Snell allowed a double to Leury Garcia to start the inning and an infield hit to Tim Anderson that glanced off of Snell’s glove, putting runners at the corners. However, the southpaw buckled down and struck out Jose Abreu, Welington Castillo, and Yoan Moncada to keep the lead intact.

Snell has now struck out 24 batters in his last two starts, the most he’s ever had in back-to-back outings. Snell coaxed 24 swings and misses, after a career-high 25 in his last start.

Clay Buchholz went 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts before his arm wore down last season and was placed on the injured list with a right flexor strain. After signing a $3-million deal with Toronto in the offseason, followed by a minor league rehab assignment to finish off Spring Training, Buchholz is ready for his first start of the season. In his words, expect a wily pitcher that tries to keep hitters off balance.

I’ve evolved into a different kind of pitcher. I’ve proven you don’t have to throw 98 to get guys out. You have to throw four pitches for strikes, mix it up, and keep guys off balance. That’s what I do.— Clay Buchholz

Last season Buchholz relied primarily on an 86 mph cutter, and a 91 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in a 76 mph curveball, a 78 mph circle changeup, and a 91 mph sinker. He is 9-8 with a 2.67 ERA in 23 career outings (21 starts) against Tampa Bay.

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs. Blue Jays — a series preview

Rays 4/13/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Diaz 3B
  5. Lowe 2B
  6. Garcia DH
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Zunino C
  9. Adames SS
  10. Snell LHP

Noteworthiness

— Free on Sunday?

On Sunday, April 14, 2019 X-Rays Spex and Golden Dinosaurs Vegan Deli will team up to host a shirt release celebration and Rays watch party, when the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto. We’re bringing all the camaraderie of the game, and some delicious foodstuffs, at one of the areas best new restaurants!

First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 pm, so be sure to get down to Golden Dinosaurs early to grab a bite to eat and an ice-cold brew. Don’t forget to snatch our newest shirt design (pictured) titled “The Legend of Dan Johnson,” so you can wear it to the Trop the following weekend when our guys take on the reigning World Series champs.

Throughout the afternoon Golden Dinosaurs will offer some select specials. We’ll also raffle off some great Rays swag between the innings, among other fantastic things.

See you April 14, and be sure to tell a friend!

— INF Joey Wendle reportedly had a good day running Friday at Tropicana Field and is tentatively slated to start a short rehab (or extended spring) assignment in Port Charlotte in the middle of the week, with the idea of rejoining the Rays for the weekend series vs. Boston.

— On Saturday, Jose De Leon, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will throw in a game for the first time since before being hurt in spring training 2018. He is expected to throw one inning or 25 pitches in an extended spring appearance.

— Because Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) said it … it’s narrow parameters, but the Rays are the fifth team in the past 10 years to double their opponents’ runs through the first 13 games, 58-26. What’s interesting is that the other four all made the playoffs: 2009 Dodgers, ’12 Rangers, ’13 Braves, ’16 Cubs.