Rays 5/8/15 Starting Lineup, Etc

Nathan Karns (1-1, 4.05 ERA) will take the ball against Yovani Gallardo and the Texas on Friday. Karns has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, compiling a 2.93 ERA in his last 27-2/3 innings of work. Gallardo has lost three consecutive starts while positing a 4.56 ERA and a .229 opposing batting average.

Strikeout Percentage — the One Valid Statistic You Should Consider At the Moment; Cobb to Undergo Tommy John’s Surgery

Here we are, a month plus into the season, and the everyday players in the Tampa Bay Rays lineup have racked up anywhere between 55 and 115 at-bats. While it is easy to look at a particular player’s batting average and conclude that he is performing at a certain level, be that good or bad, only one statistic offers a valid measurement at this point in the season — strikeout percentage, or K%.

Rays 5/7/15 Starting Lineup, Etc

Rays 5/7/15 Starting Lineup Kiermaier CF Forsythe 3B Loney 1B DeJesus LF Butler DH Souza RF Beckham SS Elmore 2B Wilson C Archer RHP Noteworthiness — Evan Longoria is a late scratch due to flu like symptoms. Jake Elmore gets the start tonight at second having had two at-bats since April 25. — Haven’t read our …

The New What Next: Rays vs. Rangers — A Series Preview

There’s just something about facing the Boston Red Sox that makes you feel better about things. Despite hitting just .231 with runners in scoring position, the Tampa Bay Rays walked away from Fenway Park with a series win under their collective belts. The Rays are now 4-2 against the Red Sox and 15-13 overall (14-14 Pythagorean Expectation). The team will return to the Big Top on Thursday where they’ll start a four-game set against the Texas Rangers.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Smyly Was Sharp Yet the Offense Wasn’t, Rays Fall 2-0

Mookie Betts was the offense for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The outfielder homered to lead-off the sixth inning — the first hit off Rays starter Drew Smyly — and added another in the eighth to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.