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Tampa Bay Rays 9/24/18 pregame notes, etc

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In spite of a quality start by Tyler Glasnow, the Rays bats couldn’t provide any run support on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Tyler Glasnow provided a quality start, yet took the loss for the second straight time in Toronto, as the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-2, on Saturday afternoon. They look to bounce back and split the series with AL Cy Young Award contender Blake Snell on the mound.

The Rays got within a run in the seventh inning when Jesus Sucre delivered his first homer of the season, which followed a third-inning solo homer by Tommy Pham. Yet the bats went cold as they left a lot of chicken on the bone — going 0-5 wRISP.

The Rays remain mathematically alive in the AL Wildcard race, although they will need help from the Twins on Sunday, as they sit 7.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the final Wildcard spot with 8 games remaining. However, Tampa Bay’s tragic number is down to one, meaning one more Oakland win or Rays loss officially ends it.

Even if we win out, I don’t see Oakland losing six games anyway, Rays third baseman Matt Duffy said. I’ve been saying it for a while — we understand the situation.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (20-5, 1.97 ERA) will make his final road start of the season, pitching opposite of Ryan Borucki (4-4, 3.86 ERA).

Snell allowed one hit across five scoreless innings in a win over Texas on Tuesday, striking out five and walking two. Snell was stellar once again, earning his eighth consecutive win and his 20th win of his 2018 campaign. He became just the second Rays pitcher to tally 20 wins in a season (David Price won 20 games in 2012) and he’s the only pitcher thus far to reach the mark in the majors this season. Snell also became just the 12th pitcher this year to break the 200-strikeout threshold, doing so in only 169 innings pitched. The southpaw’s 1.97 ERA trails only Jacob deGrom (1.78) in the majors and his .179 batting average against leads all starting pitchers.

Snell told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) he’s so serious about not wanting to hear, read or think about what he has done that when his mom started texting him links to stories and video clips after he won his 20th Tuesday, he blocked her on his phone. His own mom!

I don’t want to hear it, he said. I know I’m going to reply to my mom, so the only way I’m not is if I don’t see it. So I gave it a couple hours where I couldn’t see it, she had no clue, and then I unblocked her. Having to do that was funny in a way, and weird ’cause it was my mother, but I just don’t like hearing it.

Borucki threw eight scoreless innings on Monday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out seven across eight innings. Borucki kept the Orioles off the board, eventually exiting the game after throwing 105 pitches (67 strikes, 64% K/BB). He’s been a reliable starter in 15 starts this season, owning a 3.86 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 57 strikeouts across 84 innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits on two walks in his last start against the Rays. Key Matchups: Carlos Gomez (1-2), Kevin Kiermaier (1-2), Mallex Smith (1-3, RBI)

Rays 9/23/18 Starting Lineup

Smith RF
Pham LF
Duffy 3B
Cron DH
Wendle SS
Lowe 2B
Kiermaier CF
Bauers 1B
Sucre C
Snell LHP

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the penultimate series preview

Noteworthiness

— Per Topkin, OF Carlos Gomez said he had not heard anything yet from Major League Baseball officials after his Twitter rant and comments criticizing home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher stemming from a called third strike and ejection on Thursday. MLB tends to look closely at those situations, and a fine or suspension would seem possible. Gomez said he wasn’t worried and would appeal any disciplinary action.

LBWMF: Rays punish Blue Jays, 11-3; Andy Fletcher’s liberal strike zone

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Austin Meadows collected three hits in his debut with the Rays Friday night. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays struck early and often Friday night, bouncing back from a soul-crushing loss to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-3.

We’ve got a bunch of guys who are quick to forget a loss, manager Kevin Cash said. They bounced right back and put pressure on the defense and the pitchers right out of the gate.

The Rays remain mathematically alive in the AL Wildcard race, although they will need help from the Twins and Orioles this weekend, as they sit 6.5 games behind the Athletics and 8 games behind the Yankees with 9 games remaining.

Austin Meadows, the 23-year-old outfielder that was acquired at the trade deadline in the Chris Archer deal, came up big, collecting three hits while driving in three and scoring twice. Meadows replaced Ji-Man Choi, who was pulled due to a knee soreness in the sixth inning and singled in his first at-bat, cashing in a pair of runs, before he swiped second and scored later in the inning.

In the inning that followed, Meadows drove in Mallex Smith from second when a ground ball found its way through a hole in the left side of the infield. Two batters later, he came around to score when Joey Wendle doubled to center.

Meadows finished the night 3-for-3 with a pair of singles and a one-out double in the ninth.

I felt pretty good up in the box (Thursday night), Meadows said. I thought I felt good as well tonight. … I was able to pull out three hits right there and help the team.

Smith affected the outcome once more, reaching base three times and scoring two runs while plating one. He was pulled from the game in the seventh inning with an ankle injury that he sustained running into the outfield wall to make a catch in the fifth.

The defensive change was a precautionary move as Rays manager Kevin Cash expects Smith to be in the lineup Saturday afternoon.

Tommy Pham continued to prove his worth in the lineup, pushing his on-base streak to 23 games with a 2-for-3 night, which included a pair of walks, two RBI and a run scored.

After the game, Pham spoke to why he has been so productive in spite of getting banged up since the trade deadline:

I’ve been driving the ball. There haven’t been as many ground balls as earlier in the season. I think that’s key for me, using the whole field because I hit the ball hard, and when I use the whole field, it’s kind of hard to defend.

According to Aaron Rose (MLB.com) Pham has increased his average launch angle by 2.9 degrees since joining the Rays on July 31, according to Statcast™. Coming into Friday night, it had led to 10.6 percent fewer ground balls and an OPS 286 points higher than the .730 he posted with St. Louis this season.

All told, the Rays plated 11 runs on 15 hits and eight walks, again without the benefit of hitting any homers.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (2-6, 4.22 ERA) will get the start for the Rays on Saturday after a disastrous seven-run, two-thirds inning performance in his last start against Toronto. He’ll pitch opposite of Thomas Pannone (3-1, 3.77).

Tyler Glasnow allowed the only hits on the night and struck out six over six scoreless innings, allowing the right-hander to pick up his first victory with Tampa Bay in nine starts. The only other baserunner against Glasnow came on a one-out hit by pitch of Rougned Odor in the first inning. Odor later swiped second base and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. He, however, struck out Adrian Beltre with two outs to escape the threat.

After the rough first inning, Glasnow found a rhythm on the mound and retired the next 11 batters he faced — taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

But with two outs In the bottom of the fifth, the right-hander allowed an infield single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Texas’ first hit on the night.

Be that as it may, outside of a bad start against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 5, in which he allowed seven runs and lasted just two-thirds of an inning, Glasnow has been strong for the Rays, allowing one run or fewer in five of his nine starts, and yielding two hits or fewer in five starts.

He was outstanding. I liked everything, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. I thought he was out of rhythm in the first inning, and I thought he did a nice job of kind of calming the situation down, getting the ball over the plate. He had the breaking balls, the fastballs going, and he threw some changeups. … He’s done just outstanding. The runs he’s given up, it seems like they come off solo home runs a lot, which is fine. Keeping guys off base, and if they’re going to get you, you’d rather it be a solo shot. With the exception of Toronto, we’ve been in every single game. He’s given us an opportunity to win every single game that he’s been out there.

Thomas Pannone allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six across seven innings on Sunday. Pannone got off to a shaky start after giving up two runs in the first inning, though he managed to bounce back and finish his day with six consecutive scoreless frames. The 24-year-old has appeared in just 10 games this season for Toronto (four starts) and owns a 3.77 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 21 punchouts through 31 innings. Pannone has appeared in two games against the Rays this season, allowing two runs on four hits across 2-2/3 innings. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Joey Wendle (1-2, 2B)

Rays 9/22/18 Starting Lineup

Smith CF
Pham LF
Duffy 3B
Cron 1B
Wendle 2B
Adames SS
Meadows RF
Gomez DH
Sucre C
Glasnow RHP

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the penultimate series preview

Noteworthiness

— Ji-Man Choi is not expected to start Saturday.

— After being tossed from Thursday’s game, Carlos Gomez went to the clubhouse and posted several tweets criticizing the performance of home plate umpire Andy Fletcher. Gomez didn’t back down Friday, accusing Fletcher of missing “more than 30” pitches.

He’s the one that should have been thrown out last night because he’s the only one who didn’t do his job, Gomez said.

Gomez will likely be punished by the league, although he does have a point. Fletcher did have a rather liberal strike zone Thursday night as illustrated by Brooks Baseball.

Note: green “dots” are balls, red “dots” are strikes.

Tampa Bay Rays 9/21/18 pre-game notes

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Pretty much CJ, pretty much. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back from a disappointing loss Thursday night and thus secure a winning record on their final road trip of the season.

In spite of the loss, the Rays remain mathematically alive in the AL Wildcard race, although they will need help from the Twins and Orioles this weekend, as they sit 6.5 games behind the Athletics and 8 games behind the Yankees with 10 games remaining.

This one (referring to Thursday night’s ballgame) definitely hurts, Matt Duffy said. It’s obviously disappointing. … This one definitely puts us in a difficult position. We’re going to bounce back, we’re going to do what we can. Mathematically, we’re still in it, so we’re going to keep going until this thing is over.

At the very least, Tampa Bay needs to win five more games to secure a 90-win season for the first time since 2013 — the last time the Rays earned a postseason berth.

The New What Next

Diego Castillo (3-2, 3.14 ERA) will open for the Rays, while Jalen Beeks (4-1, 5.32 ERA) is available to throw the bulk of the innings. They will be opposed by Sean Reid-Foley (2-3, 5.54 ERA).

Castillo’s last five appearances — and nine of his last 11 — have come as the opener. The Rays are 8-1 when Castillo opens, with the only loss coming on September 14 against the Athletics. The right-hander has allowed four earned runs over 22-2/3 innings in his last 15 appearances, punching out 24 and walking just five.

Jalen Beeks pitched two shutout innings of relief on Tuesday, allowing just two hits and no walks. It will be interesting to see if Kevin Cash lengthens his leash since Beeks has allowed just one run across four combined appearances spanning 10 innings. However, the southpaw has not thrown more than three innings in a game since August 24 against the Red Sox, although the Rays have won his last six appearances.

Sean Reid-Foley earned a win against the Yankees on Saturday, striking out 10 and allowing two hits and four walks across five scoreless innings. Reid-Foley totaled 92 pitches (55 strikes, 60% K/BB) as the walks inflated his pitch count a bit. He, however, was fantastic against a playoff-caliber offense. The right-hander was about 10 innings away from his limit for the season entering Saturday, so his start Friday will likely be the last of the season. This season he has relied primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball and an 84 mph slider, while also mixing in an 86 mph changeup and an 82 mph curveball.

Rays 9/21/18 Starting Lineup

Smith RF
Duffy 3B
Choi DH
Pham LF
Wendle 2B
Adames SS
Kiermaier CF
Bauers 1B
Ciuffo C
Castillo RHP

You can read about the series in our updated preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the penultimate series preview

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the penultimate series preview

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Tommy Pham hit two homers in the series finale against the Rangers on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After sweeping the Texas Rangers in Arlington, the Tampa Bay Rays will continue their final road series of the season in Toronto, where they are set to start a four-game set against the Blue Jays on Thursday. Toronto is coming off a series win against Baltimore, although they dropped the series finale on Wednesday.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays steamrolled over Texas in the span of the series, outscoring the Rangers 16-3, impressively driving in six two-out runs and going 10-for-36 wRISP (.278 BA). They also clubbed four home runs, including a pair from Tommy Pham on Wednesday.

Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) surmised things well on Wednesday, writing:

The Rays still have a long way to go, and they are going to need a lot of help to get there.

But they continue to do their part to try to make it a race for the final American League playoff spot, beating the Rangers 9-3 Wednesday for their fifth straight win, 14th in 17 September games, and 23rd in their past 28 overall improving to 85-66.

More importantly, they crept within five games of the second wild-card-holding A’s, who hosted the Angels late Wednesday, having gained 3½ games in the previous four days.

Meanwhile, just when it looked like Toronto could string together a successful end of the season run, winning two consecutive series against the Yankees and Orioles (respectively), the Blue Jays were limited to one run on Wednesday.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tampa Bay’s most recent wins have allowed the Rays to keep the pressure on the Athletics and Yankees. These next four games are no different. That is to say, there is no time to take the foot off the gas. Toronto has a fully capable lineup that can levy damage on opposing pitchers, and it will be incumbent on the Rays pitching staff to keep the ball in the yard, as they’ve done all season.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash has named just one pitcher in the series — Thursday’s opener, Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.49 ERA), so it’s a bit difficult to project who will be pitching. Moreover, I’m rolling with the assumption that Cash will push Blake Snell’s start back a day so he can open the series against the Yankees. That being said, it seems reasonable the Rays will employ the bullpen on Thursday and Friday, while Tyler Glasnow (2-6, 4.22 ERA) and Jalen Beeks (4-1, 5.32 ERA) should see the bulk of the innings on Saturday and Sunday. John Gibbons will counter with Sam Gaviglio (2-8, 5.38 ERA), Sean Reid-Foley (2-3, 5.54 ERA), Thomas Pannone (3-1, 4.18 ERA), and Ryan Borucki (4-4, 3.86 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryne Stanek has opened 26 games this season, compiling a 2.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 47 strikeouts across 36 innings in those appearances. He’ll pitch one or two innings before giving way to a long reliever.

Sam Gaviglio settled for a no-decision last Thursday, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one across 3-1/3 innings. Gaviglio was pulled with one out in the fourth inning after throwing 53 pitches. He gave up a homer to J.D. Martinez in the second inning, now allowing at least one home run in five consecutive starts. Gaviglio’s ERA stands at a disappointing 5.25 for the season, along with a 3.03 K/BB ratio over 108 innings. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 6.32 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay this season (eight innings of work). Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-3, 2 RBI), Jake Bauers (2-2, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Ji-Man Choi (1-2, 2B), CJ Cron (1-4), Matt Duffy (2-6), Kevin Kiermaier (1-4), Mallex Smith (2-5, 2B, RBI), Joey Wendle (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI)

Jalen Beeks pitched two shutout innings of relief on Tuesday, allowing just two hits and no walks. It will be interesting to see if Kevin Cash lengthens his leash since Beeks has allowed just one run across four combined appearances spanning 10 innings.

Sean Reid-Foley earned a win against the Yankees on Saturday, striking out 10 and allowing two hits and four walks across five scoreless innings. Reid-Foley totaled 92 pitches (55 strikes, 60% K/BB) as the walks inflated his pitch count a bit. He, however, was fantastic against a playoff-caliber offense. The right-hander was about 10 innings away from his limit for the season entering Saturday, so his start Friday will likely be the last of the season. This season he has relied primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball and an 84 mph slider, while also mixing in an 86 mph changeup and an 82 mph curveball.

Tyler Glasnow allowed the only hits on the night and struck out six over six scoreless innings, allowing the right-hander to pick up his first victory with Tampa Bay in nine starts. The only other baserunner against Glasnow came on a one-out hit by pitch of Rougned Odor in the first inning. Odor later swiped second base and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. He, however, struck out Adrian Beltre with two outs to escape the threat.

After the rough first inning, Glasnow found a rhythm on the mound and retired the next 11 batters he faced — taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

But with two outs In the bottom of the fifth, the right-hander allowed an infield single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Texas’ first hit on the night.

Be that as it may, outside of a bad start against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 5, in which he allowed seven runs and lasted just two-thirds of an inning, Glasnow has been strong for the Rays, allowing one run or fewer in five of his nine starts, and yielding two hits or fewer in five starts.

He was outstanding. I liked everything, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. I thought he was out of rhythm in the first inning, and I thought he did a nice job of kind of calming the situation down, getting the ball over the plate. He had the breaking balls, the fastballs going, and he threw some changeups. … He’s done just outstanding. The runs he’s given up, it seems like they come off solo home runs a lot, which is fine. Keeping guys off base, and if they’re going to get you, you’d rather it be a solo shot. With the exception of Toronto, we’ve been in every single game. He’s given us an opportunity to win every single game that he’s been out there.

Thomas Pannone allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six across seven innings on Sunday. Pannone got off to a shaky start after giving up two runs in the first inning, though he managed to bounce back and finish his day with six consecutive scoreless frames. The 24-year-old has appeared in just 10 games this season for Toronto (four starts) and owns a 3.77 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 21 punchouts through 31 innings. Pannone has appeared in two games against the Rays this season, allowing two runs on four hits across 2-2/3 innings. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Joey Wendle (1-2, 2B)

TBA

Ryan Borucki threw eight scoreless innings on Monday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out seven across eight innings. Borucki kept the Orioles off the board, eventually exiting the game after throwing 105 pitches (67 strikes, 64% K/BB). He’s been a reliable starter in 15 starts this season, owning a 3.86 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 57 strikeouts across 84 innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits on two walks in his last start against the Rays. Key Matchups: Carlos Gomez (1-2), Kevin Kiermaier (1-2), Mallex Smith (1-3, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Rookie outfielder Austin Meadows will be among Tampa Bay’s four additional call-ups from Triple-A Durham the club plans to make on Thursday.

The Bulls’ season ended after Tuesday night’s 14-4 loss to Memphis in the Triple-A National Championship Game.

Meadows batted .302 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI in 36 games for Durham this season. He also played in 49 games for the Pirates earlier this season, slashing .292 BA/.327 OBP/.468 SLG/.795 OPS with five home runs and 13 RBI during his first stint in the big leagues.

Very excited to see him, Kevin Cash said. I know what our staff feels about him, and the impact that he had down there in Durham for the month and a half that he was there. Excited to get him up here.

Meadows, however, may face limited playing time due to the logjam in the outfield.

It’ll be challenging, there’s no doubt, Cash said. We’ll just see how these next couple games shake out and go from there.

The team is also expected to recall LHP Hoby Milner, RHP Austin Pruitt, and RHP Chih-Wei Hu.

Tampa Bay Rays 9/18/18 pregame notes and more

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The Rays kicked off their final road trip of the season on a high note, blanking the Rangers 3-0 — their 13th shutout of the season. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

A night after Tyler Glasnow and three other hurlers shutout the Texas Rangers and allowed just two hits total, the Tampa Bay Rays look to win the series in Arlington. The Rays — who start the day 6.5 games behind the Athletics for the final AL Wildcard spot, and 8.0 games behind the Yankees, who start a three-game series against Boston on Tuesday — collected their 13th shutout on the season, and are winners of 20 out of the last 25 games.

Glasnow allowed the only hits on the night and struck out six over six scoreless innings, allowing the right-hander to pick up his first victory with Tampa Bay in nine starts. The only other baserunner against Glasnow came on a one-out hit by pitch of Rougned Odor in the first inning. Odor later swiped second base and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. He, however, struck out Adrian Beltre with two outs to escape the threat.

After the rough first inning, Glasnow found a rhythm on the mound and retired the next 11 batters he faced — taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

But with two outs In the bottom of the fifth, the right-hander allowed an infield single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Texas’ first hit on the night.

Be that as it may, outside of a bad start against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 5, in which he allowed seven runs and lasted just two-thirds of an inning, Glasnow has been strong for the Rays, allowing one run or fewer in five of his nine starts, and yielding two hits or fewer in five starts.

He was outstanding. I liked everything, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. I thought he was out of rhythm in the first inning, and I thought he did a nice job of kind of calming the situation down, getting the ball over the plate. He had the breaking balls, the fastballs going, and he threw some changeups. … He’s done just outstanding. The runs he’s given up, it seems like they come off solo home runs a lot, which is fine. Keeping guys off base, and if they’re going to get you, you’d rather it be a solo shot. With the exception of Toronto, we’ve been in every single game. He’s given us an opportunity to win every single game that he’s been out there.

Meanwhile, designated hitter Ji-Man Choi provided all the support Glasnow would need. Choi drove in Mallex Smith on a single in the first inning, then knocked Rangers starter Adrian Sampson out of the game with a solo shot in the sixth.

It was Choi’s 10th home run of the season.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (19-5, 2.03 ERA) looks to become the second player in franchise history to reach the 20-win mark in the second game of the series on Tuesday. He’ll be opposed by Yovani Gallardo (8-5. 5.94 ERA).

Blake Snell picked up his 19th win of the season on Wednesday, allowing one run on just one hit and two walks while striking out nine across seven innings. Snell was dominant, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before serving up a leadoff solo homer to Jose Ramirez on a hanging curveball. The southpaw has now won seven consecutive games, while his 19 wins are the most in the majors. Snell also owns an impressive 2.03 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 10.7 K/9 across 28 starts this season, putting him firmly in the AL Cy Young discussion.

Snell spoke about the potential for win No. 20 Monday night after the game:

Yovani Gallardo allowed six runs on six hits and one walk while fanning four over three innings of a loss to the Angels on Wednesday. Four of the six hits allowed went for extra bases, including a two-run homer by Jose Fernandez, which essentially knocked Gallardo out of the game. Gallardo’s results have gone in the opposite direction since he started the season 7-1 thanks to unsustainable run support. He has lost four of his last five decisions and resembles a pitcher with a 6.67 ERA/5.91 FIP. Key Matchups: Carlos Gomez (3-8, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (6-15, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB)

Rays 9/18/18 Starting Lineup

Wendle 2B
Duffy 3B
Choi DH
Pham LF
Lowe RF
Cron 1B
Kiermaier CF
Adames SS
Sucre C
Snell LHP

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Rangers, part two — a series preview

Noteworthiness

— Jesus Sucre will get the start behind the plate Tuesday night, as Snell likes throwing to Sucre. Brandon Lowe will get the start in right-field, while Mallex Smith gets the night off.

— Possible yes, probable no. The Rays are holding steady at a 0.2% chance to make playoffs, according to FanGraphs (0.9% per Baseball Prospectus).