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LBWMF: Rays look for series win after 12-1 lashing

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  • 1B/DH Ji-Man Choi went 1-for-5 at the plate last night, driving in a run in the Rays 12-1 thrashing of the Diamondbacks. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After an 12-1 lashing of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to win another series tonight at the Trop. At 22-12 on the season, Tampa Bay can move 11 games over .500 with a win.

The Rays enter the day 5-2 in Interleague play; a season ago they went 7-13. Their 12 runs scored last night was a season high, thanks in part to Tommy Pham, who went 2-for-4 with a run, fur runs batted in, a walk, and a second inning grand slam — the first of his career — which blew the game wide open.

In 29 previous plate appearances with the bases loaded, Pham posted a .320 batting average with 21 runs batted in, yet all the damage was done without the benefit of a grand slam.

He’s a huge presence in our lineup. He can do damage with base hits, with the high average. He can do damage hitting balls in gaps. Knock them out of the ballpark. He works pitchers, he draws walks. He does everything.

— Kevin Cash

All told, the Rays went 5-for-11 wRISP (.455 BA) and scored nine two-out runs.

Meanwhile, Blake Snell bounced back from a pair of tough outings and cruised to his third win of the season. Snell gave up just one hit and no walks while striking out nine across six scoreless innings. The southpaw induced 19 swinging strikes (61 strikes overall, a 71% strike rate and a 31% SwStr%) on 86 total pitches. It was a phenomenal performance by Snell, who posted a 12.79 ERA in his first two starts since returning from the IL because of a fractured toe. He is now 3-3 on the season with a respectable 3.62 ERA and 5.56 K/BB over seven starts this season.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.81 ERA) will open for the Rays, and will be followed by bulk inning guy Jalen Beeks (1-0, 2.45 ERA) . They will pitch opposite of
Taylor Clarke (0–0 0.00).

Ryne Stanek has not pitched since Wednesday, when he allowed three runs in Kansas City. Those, however, are the only runs that the right-hander has allowed in the opener roll this season in his first eight appearances.

Jalen Beeks fired off 6-2/3 scoreless frames on Wednesday, allowing a hit, two walks, and a hit batsman. He fanned six. Beeks turned in a highly impressive performance after the opener, Ryne Stanek, gave up three earned runs over his sole inning of work. Beeks has excelled in the “bulk guy” role in two consecutive appearances, also blanking the Royals across 4-2/3 innings on April 23, racking up seven strikeouts along the way. The southpaw has put up good numbers, sporting an outstanding 2.45 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 2.6 K/BB across 25-2/3 innings of work.

Taylor Clarke will make his first career big-league start Tuesday. This season, Clarke tossed three scoreless innings to in relief. He has a mediocre 4.40 career ERA in 38 starts for Triple-A Reno and an ugly 7.65 ERA over four starts for the Aces … although that figure is heavily skewed by a bad outing against El Paso. The right-hander doesn’t have a true put-away pitch and needs to keep batters off balance in order to be successful. Clarke relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball and a firm 87 mph changeup, while also mixing in a 78 mph 12-6 curveball with sharp downward bite, an 86 mph slider, and a whiffy 94 mph sinker.

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

TNWN: Rays vs Diamondbacks — an Interleague series preview

Rays 5/7/19 Starting Lineup

  1. B. Lowe RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi DH
  4. Diaz 3B
  5. N. Lowe 1B
  6. Robertson 2B
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. Perez C
  10. Stanek Right-Handed Opener

Noteworthiness

— Austin Meadows (thumb sprain) worked out with the team yesterday with the plan of doing so again today. If all goes well, he could then go out on rehab for Tampa Bay.

— Hunter Wood (right shoulder soreness) continues to play catch, and is hopeful about rejoining the Rays when he’s eligible to come off the IL.

— Brandon Lowe enters play today in the midst of a 10-game hit streak.

LBWMF: Rays look to bounce back from their 3-0 loss on Saturday

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RHP Yonny Chirinos allowed three runs over 7-1/3 innings of work. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Despite a quality start by right-hander Yonny Chirinos, the Tampa Bay Rays fell to, and were shut out, by the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, 3-0. The Rays have been shut out twice this season.

With the ever-present fear of a rain delay in the back of Kevin Cash’s mind, the Rays skipper made the decision to give Chirinos an official start — as opposed to pitching behind opener Ryne Stanek — before the start of the game. Baltimore was clearly receptive of the decision, handing the right-hander a three-run deficit in his first four innings of work, yet nothing after that.

In the first inning, Jonathan Villar doubled to left-center on the first pitch of the game, moved up to third on a single into right by Trey Mancini, then scored when Dwight Smith Jr. bounced into a 4-6-3 double play.

Then in the third inning, Stevie Wilkerson singled to left-center, went to third on Austin Wynns’ single into right, and came home Villar’s RBI groundout.

Baltimore tacked on its third and final run in the fourth inning when Smith homered to center field to open the frame, his sixth home run of the season.

Yet Chirinos was able to go 7-1/3 innings, the longest outing by a Rays pitcher this season. He struck out three and kept the game close for the Rays, who couldn’t capitalize on the chances they were given.

Our chances came early on, and we didn’t capitalize. And like I say, he (Bundy) just got into a really good rhythm.

— Kevin Cash

Dylan Bundy, who had allowed nine homers over his 28-1/3 innings of work prior to Saturday’s contest, kept the Rays (who had scored seven runs the night before) off-balance by changing speeds and pitching to the four quadrants of the zone.

After giving up a leadoff single to Brandon Lowe in the first inning, and a double to Avisail Garcia to start the second, Bundy was in control of Tampa Bay’s productive lineup, retiring 10 consecutive batters over one stretch before Daniel Robertson walked with one out in the fifth.

The Rays’ best chance came in the eighth inning after Michael Perez doubled to left field chasing Bundy, and Shawn Armstrong came on in relief.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsFL/status/1124842959969574913

Willy Adames followed with a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Armstrong fielded the ball but and threw wild to first base, allowing Perez to score from second.

But the umpires ruled that Adames had run out of the baseline, into the grass on the left-hand side of the baseline, and called interference. Adames, who conceded after the game that he was unaware that was interference, was out and Perez had to return to second base.

Tampa Bay will look to win the series in the rubber match on Sunday.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.81 ERA) will open for the Rays and will be followed by either Jalen Beeks (1-0, 2.45 ERA) or Ryan Yarbrough (2-1, 8.10 ERA), who was added to the Taxi Squad on Friday. They’ll be opposed by John Means (3-3, 2.81 ERA).

Ryne Stanek is coming off his roughest outing of the season, allowing three runs in one inning against the Royals. Last season, the Orioles were Stanek’s kryptonite as he allowed six runs and five homers over 8-1/3 innings of work. The right-hander pitched a scoreless frame when he faced Baltimore at the Trop, recording three punch outs.

Ryan Yarbrough was brought back from Triple-A Durham after just one outing with the Bulls in which he gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings of work. He struck out seven.

Jalen Beeks fired off 6-2/3 scoreless frames on Wednesday, allowing a hit, two walks, and a hit batsman. He fanned six. Beeks turned in a highly impressive performance after the opener, Ryne Stanek, gave up three earned runs over his sole inning of work. Beeks has excelled in the “bulk guy” role in two consecutive appearances, also blanking the Royals across 4-2/3 innings on April 23, racking up seven strikeouts along the way. The southpaw has put up good numbers, sporting an outstanding 2.45 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 2.6 K/BB across 25-2/3 innings of work

John Means yielded four runs on six hits and a walk over five innings on Monday. He struck out two batters and allowed two homers. Means hadn’t allowed more than one run in any of his seven appearances (three starts) prior to Monday’s outing, yet he has performed to a lucky .271 BABIP, which is belied by a 4.48 FIP. Put another way, he’s been very lucky this season. Means relies on a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball with a lot of backspin and an 80 mph changeup with slight cut action, while also mixing in an 84 mph slider with little depth, and a 76 mph 12/6 curveball.

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

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview, part two

Rays 5/5/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Diaz 3B
  2. Pham DH
  3. Robertson 2B
  4. Garcia RF
  5. Choi 1B
  6. Zunino C
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Heredia LF
  9. Adames SS
  10. Stanek RHO

Noteworthiness

— Casey Sadler was optioned back to Triple-A Durham in order to make room on the 25-man roster for Yarbrough.

— RHP Jose De Leon worked 1-2/3 innings for the Class-A Charlotte Stone Crabs on Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits, two walks, and a wild pitch. De Leon, who likely would be a bulk innings guy upon his return, threw 14 of his 33 pitches for strikes (42% strike rate). He sat at 90-92 mph in his first official game since 2017, which is much harder than he was throwing in his injury-plagued 2017 season.

— OF Austin Meadows (right thumb sprain) had “a really good day,” in the words of Kevin Cash, taking batting practice at Tropicana Field off the high-velocity machine and is slated to work out with the Rays on Monday and Tuesday then begin a short rehab assignment.

— 3B Matt Duffy (hamstring, back) “felt very good” after his first rehab game with the Stone Crabs, with no issues from the hamstring or back injuries that hampered him since Spring Training. As John Vittas (media relations for the Stone Crabs) tweeted, Duffy finished the night with a good defensive play sliding to his left to field a hard grounder. He went 0-for-3 (two flyouts, one groundout) but most importantly, Duffy looked healthy. He will play next on Sunday.

LBWMF: Glasnow, Rays trounce Orioles, 7-0

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Tyler Glasnow didn’t allow a runner into scoring position Friday night, blanking the Orioles across seven frames.

After a 7-0 shellacking of the Orioles on Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays will go for the series win tonight in the second game of their three-game series against Baltimore. A win would move the Rays to 11 games over .500 for the first time this season.

Tampa Bay has yet to lose a series on the road this season, going 12-4 away from Tropicana Field. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) wrote, rain could be a factor tonight as it’s been throughout the trip. This is already only the third time the Rays have had multiple games postponed on the same road trip.

Tyler Glasnow was outstanding last night, allowing just three hits while striking out eight batters across seven scoreless innings. The right-hander retired the first 11 Orioles and didn’t allow a base runner until the fourth inning when he gave up an infield single. Glasnow mixed his pitches — a triple-digit fastball (49 thrown, 38 strikes, 4 whiffs, 78% strike rate) that he was able to move around the zone, a biting curveball (30 thrown, 17 strikes, 4 whiffs, 57% strike rate) with excellent depth, and few new-toy changeups (13 thrown, 7 strikes, 54% strike rate) — effectively and well. All eight of his strikeouts came on the curveball. He is undefeated with a shiny 1.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 6.57 K/BB across seven starts this season.

Glasnow got a lot of help from his offense, as the luck dragons appeared to be back on the side of the Rays; a .393 BABIP last night speaks to that.

One of those luck dragonesque hits — a Tommy Pham first-inning check swing RBI double down the right-field line — gave Tampa Bay all the offense it would need.

Tampa Bay now has outscored opponents 30-10 in the first inning.

The Rays were able to add on to that slim, early lead in the middle innings. In the fourth inning, Nate Lowe and Avisail Garcia started a four-run uprising with singles, before Kevin Kiermaier lined out into deep right-field, allowing Lowe to move up to third.

Mike Zunino followed by hitting a first-pitch home run into the left-center field bullpen — the third homer of the season for the Rays’ primary backstop (snapping an 0-17 skid).

They also tacked on a run when Willy Adames and Brandon Lowe hit singles, Tommy Pham walked to load the bases, and Ji-Man Choi hit a sacrifice fly to right, capping the four-run rally.

But they weren’t done, and the Rays scored two more runs in the sixth inning on just one hit. After Orioles reliever, Yefry Ramirez walked the first two batters in the frame, Pham singled to center to put the Rays up by six. Nate Lowe later picked up his first big league run batted in with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Brandon Lowe.

With last night’s win in their back pocket, the Rays enter play Saturday with the best record in baseball at 21-11.

The New What Next

Yonny Chirinos (4-0, 3.48 ERA) will get the start on Sluttering day, pitching opposite of Dylan Bundy (0-4, 6.67 ERA).

Yonny Chirinos struck out four and walked one and scattered two hits while giving up four runs (two earned) over 5-2/3 innings against the Royals. Chirinos followed Ryne Stanek as the opener and came within an out of a quality outing, tossing 73 pitches (46 strikes, 63% strike rate) en route to his fourth win of the season. The right-hander is putting up good numbers this season, sporting a solid 3.48 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and a 4.33 K/BB over 31 innings of work.

Dylan Bundy gave up four runs on five hits (including two home runs) and three walks while striking out eight over five innings on Sunday. Home runs have been a problem for Bundy, and he gave up two more solo shots in this outing. The right-hander induced 19 whiffs, however, he continues to allow too many baserunners and home runs to be effective. Bundy has a 6.67 ERA with a 2.62 K/BB over six starts this season (28-1/3 innings). The Rays got to Bundy in his last start at the Trop, tagging him for three runs on three hits (including a homer) and two walks over five innings. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4), Ji-Man Choi (1-2, 2B, 2 BB), Avaisail Garcia (5-9, HR, 2 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (4-11, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB)

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

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview, part two

Rays 5/4/19 Starting Lineup

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

Noteworthiness

— Matt Duffy (hamstring, back) played five innings and got three at-bats in a rehab game Friday for the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

It’s encouraging, (but) it’s going to be a little while, I think. In all fairness to Duff, he didn’t have a Spring Training. We’re going to look to get him a bunch of at-bats. Rays skipper Kevin Cash said the Rays will start by playing him at third base, then look at moving him around, depending on how he feels.

It’s encouraging, (but) it’s going to be a little while, I think. In all fairness to Duff, he didn’t have a Spring Training. We’re going to look to get him a bunch of at-bats.

We’ll just kind of take it day to day and see what we’re hearing from him when he tests out his hamstring, his back, all those things. He’ll play some third, (and) the thought in Spring Training (was) to get him out in the outfield. We’ll try to at least get this first week or so at third base and then see how he’s responding.

— Kevin Cash

— Outfielder Austin Meadows (right thumb sprain) has gotten his cast off and has started to swing a bat and hit off a tee. Cash said Meadows felt pretty good.

— RHP José De León (Tommy John surgery) will throw two innings tonight for the Stone Crabs. It will be his first professional outing since August of 2017.

LBWMF: Rays charge back with a 6-3 win over Kansas City

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…And all is well with the world again. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Mike Zunino gave Tampa Bay the go-ahead lead with his first home run of the season, as the Rays snapped their four-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

The ballgame got off to an inauspicious start when Alex Gordon hit a first-inning solo home run off right-hander Yonny Chirinos. But the Rays answered in the bottom half of the frame after Tommy Pham tripled to right, then scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Yandy Diaz.

The Royals took the lead back on a pair of solo homers in the fifth (Jorge Soler) and sixth innings (Hunter Dozier) respectively. Even though Tampa Bay found that scratching across another run was a tall order, at least until the sixth inning, the team barreled up more than a few balls, giving Kansas City’s starter, Brad Keller, an omen of what was to come.

Before they took the lead for good in the seventh, the Rays got within a run in the bottom of the sixth. Zunino walked to start the frame but was forced out on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Willy Adames. The unproductive out proved fortuitous for the Rays, however, as Brandon Lowe doubled into the right-center gap, scoring Adames — a far faster runner than Zunino — from first.

The real action came in the seventh inning, with the Rays down by a run. Avisail Garcia started the rally with a double to the left-center gap off Keller. Kevin Kiermaier followed with a broken-bat grounder against the shift for a single, allowing Garcia to move up 90 feet. Daniel Robertson tied the game with an RBI groundout, bringing Zunino to the plate. Zunino fell behind in the count 0-2 before he drilled a pitch off the batter’s eye in center field for a 5-3 lead.

https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1120499480795734017

It was Zunino’s first home run with the Rays and came the day he returned from the paternity list after his son Rhett Michael was born.

That put Wilmer Font, who struck out Adalberto Mondesi with two on and two out in the top of the seventh, on the winning side of the ledger.

Adam Kolarek followed with a perfect top of the eighth before Yandy Diaz added an insurance run on a homer to right off Scott Barlow in the bottom of the innings, making it a three-run contest.

It was Diaz’s sixth homer of the season … not bad for someone who “doesn’t hit home runs.”

Emilio Pagan finished out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, earning his first big league save after he collected two with Triple-A Durham.

The New What Next

Game two of the three-game series will take place on Tuesday. Ryne Stanek will open the contest and will be followed by either Ryan Yarbough (2-1, 5.84 ERA) or Jalen Beeks as the bulk inning guy for Tampa Bay. They’ll pitch opposite of Homer Bailey (2-1, 2.64 ERA). I will update this piece once any updates are made available.

Ryan Yarbrough allowed three runs on three hits, including a home run, in three innings of work against the Red Sox on Friday. It is not certain whether he will pitch on Tuesday, or if Kevin Cash will lean on someone like Jalen Beeks as the bulk innings guy. I will update this piece once any updates are made available.

Homer Bailey allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings. He struck out six, walked two, and earned his first win since last May. The veteran right-hander has a 5.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 3.5 K/BB through his first three starts (17 innings of work). Bailey relies primarily on his 94 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, and an 85 mph worm-killer splitter, while also mixing in a hard 88 mph 12-6 slider, and a 79 mph knuckle curveball. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (1-1, 2B, RBI), Tommy Pham (3-11, RBI, BB)

You can read about the series in our preview.

TNWN: Rays vs Royals — a series preview

Rays 4/23/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Lowe
  2. Pham
  3. Diaz DH
  4. Wendle
  5. Garcia
  6. Kiermaier
  7. Robertson
  8. Zunino
  9. Adames
  10. Stanek RHP

Noteworthiness

— Marc Topkin was known as the snark of Twitter, but now he has a new claim to fame: King of all baseball-related puns.

Topkin still missed the opportunity to come up with a new nom de gare after Soler turned not one, but two line drives into triples when he crashed into the wall in right and toppled over.

Really Topkin? No Kool-Aid Man reference? It’s almost like you’re wasting all of your witty one-liners on sarcastic tweets about the Rays attendance.

— 1B/DH Ji-Man Choi is headed to the Restricted List writes Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times), who broke the story.

Choi is headed to the ‘restricted list due to a “personal matter” and called up right-hander Austin Pruitt to add a fresh arm to their bullpen.

The issue with Choi is not a disciplinary matter, the Times has learned, and is only expected to keep him away from the team for a day or two. Technically, he is “attending to” a personal matter.

He has not played since leaving Saturday’s game with a left calf strain and said Monday he was feeling much better and expected to be able to play today.

Pruitt gives the Rays a right-handed option to work multiple innings tonight as they are planning to use Ryne Stanek as the opener and had only lefties Jalen Beeks and Ryan Yarbrough available to cover bulk innings.’

— Marc Topkin

— Blake Snell will get the start in Wednesday’s matinee finale against the Royals.

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: