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The New What Next: Athletics vs Yankees — a Wildcard game preview

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The AL Wildcard game takes place Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. (Photo Credit: Oakland Athletics)

The New York Yankees will host the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wildcard game Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. Oakland will send right-hander Liam Hendriks to the mound as the opener, while New York will oppose with right-hander Luis Severino. Each team won three games in the 2018 season series.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Athletics were 34-36 (.486) at the conclusion of play on June 15, and 11 games out in the Wildcard race. Yet from that point on they went 63-29 (.685) and ended up seven games ahead of the third place team in the Wildcard race (the Rays).

The keys to their success? The bullpen — like the Rays, Athletics manager Bob Melvin utilized the opener/long reliever model to great effect — and a high slugging powered offense. Oakland ranked second in the big leagues in doubles (322) and extra-base hits (569), third in home runs (227), fourth in runs (813) and slugging (.439), and fifth in OPS (.764).

True, the Yankees have scored more runs and hit more homers than the Athletics, yet they are a single faceted team in a sense because they depend heavily on the home run. Because of it, they can be pitched to and tend to strike out a lot. Expect Melvin to lean on groundball hurlers that can keep the ball in the park.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Oakland has averaged 5.02 runs per game this season, ranking fourth in all of baseball, while the pitching staff features a 3.81 team ERA, good for 11th in the Majors.

New York’s powerful lineup averaged 5.25 runs per game this season, ranking second in the big leagues. However, the Yankees have underperformed the Athletics in the second half of the season.

Pitching Probables

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Liam Hendriks served as an opener in eight of his 25 regular-season appearances, logging a 2.08 ERA and 2.33 K/BB across 8-2/3 innings in those outings. Hendricks has worked to a 0.00 ERA/2.06 FIP/0.190 OBA/.250 BABIP/0.79 FIP over the last 14 days, with a 56.3 GB% and a 37.5% FB%. He has not given up a homer over that stretch (6-1/3 innings overall). Hendriks is 2-2 with a 6.32 ERA in career nine appearances (two starts) against the Yankees. Key Matchups: Greg Bird (1-2, 2B), Brett Gardner (1-2), Didi Gregorious (1-2), Andrew McCutchen (2-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI), Giancarlo Stanton (1-2)

Oakland will use its bullpen for the entire game. After Hendriks, the Athletics could turn to either Mike Fiers or Trevor Cahill in a long relief role. Fiers had been solid across 30 starts this season, performing to a 3.56 ERA, while Cahill registered a 3.76 ERA across 110 innings of work. The A’s bullpen ranked third in the big leagues with a terrific 3.37 ERA on the season.

Luis Severino had some rough patches this season yet still finished the season with a 3.39 ERA, backed up by excellent strikeout (28.2%) and walk (5.9%) rates. He finished the season strong, allowing just four runs in 17-2/3 innings over his final three starts. He’ll look to shake the memory of his performance in last season’s AL Wildcard game against Minnesota when he allowed three runs while getting just one single out. Severino is 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics. Key Matchups: Matt Joyce (1-4, 2 BB), Ramon Laureano (1-2, 2B), Jed Lowrie (6-11, 3 RBI), Jonathan Lucroy (1-2), Chad Pinder (1-4, RBI), Stephen Piscotty (1-2, 2 RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Congratulations to Colorado for a big, extra-inning NL Wildcard win on Wednesday. The Rockies will move on to yet another area code (but same time zone) where they’ll face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

The New What Next: Rays look for 90th win Sunday afternoon

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Austin Meadows hit his first homer as a Ray on Saturday, a missile to right field. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays are set to play their final game of the season this afternoon with the hope of finishing the season with 90 victories. Tampa Bay has had five previous 90 win seasons, although this would be the first since 2013. A nice, round number like 90 would give the Rays the opportunity to join an elite club of just six teams that have won 90 games six times over an 11 season stretch.

The Rays also enter play with 50 home wins — it’s just the fourth time the team has reached that milestone. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) made mention of, Tampa Bay has gone 18-9 in the month of September, and 40-25 since the All-Star Break.

Russell Martin is slated to handle the managing duties for the Blue Jays, in what technically is the final game for Toronto’s skipper, John Gibbons. Martin will make the lineup and handle in-game moves in what is a risky, albeit fun, send off for the longtime manager of the Blue Jays.

For his part, Rays manager Kevin Cash said he won’t have a veteran player “manage” Sunday’s finale:

I don’t plan on it; I don’t know that I could deal with Sergio (Romo) standing next to me for nine innings.

Speaking of taking a gamble, the Rays did just that with Blake Snell’s Cy Young chances by starting him yesterday, especially had the game gone bad. And in all fairness, the first inning of Saturday’s ballgame appeared to be a disastrous one, as Snell labored through 29 pitches (mostly breaking balls) resulting in three walks and a run on a sac-fly. Yet Snell locked it in once he got through the initial frame, tossing five innings on 82 pitches (49 strikes, 60% strike rate) and striking out 10. When all was said and done, Zilla hit the 180-innings mark he wanted.

Even though he didn’t notch his 22nd win, as he left the game with the score tied, he still finished the season with the majors’ most wins and 221 punch outs.

I feel like I’ve put up a good case, Snell said. They’re going to pick who they pick. I don’t have a say. But the work that I did put together I feel like it’s a good case to have.

Austin Meadows came up big in the seventh inning, turning on a 0-1, 82 mph changeup and sending it to deep right field for his first homer as a Ray.

OF Austin Meadows showed the Rays a glimpse of what they hope to see more, hitting a clutch homer to put them ahead in the seventh. Manager Kevin Cash said that Triple-A skipper Jared Sandberg told him Meadows hung in well against lefties, and he did just that, writes Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times).

CJ Cron also hit his 30th home run of the season, waiting back on three consecutive high and outside fastballs only to crush a 3-0 heater that caught too much plate. Cron spoke about the milestone after the game:

He’ll get a chance to hit number 31 this afternoon.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek (2-3, 3.08 ERA) will open the Rays in a bullpen day, pitching opposite of Sam Gaviglio (3-9, 5.19 ERA).

Stanek is opening for the 29th time in 59 appearances. He has allowed runs in his last two opening roles, giving up homers in each.

Per Solondz, the Rays allowed two homers yesterday, and have given up 21 in the last 10 contests. That said, Tampa Bay has given up 164 homers this year, a total that is the second fewest in the American League, and sixth fewest in the majors.

Gaviglio will face the Rays for the fourth time this season. Gaviglio has allowed just two runs in each of the last two starts against Tampa Bay. However, he has not worked more than five innings in any of his September outings. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-3, 2 RBI, BB), Jake Bauers (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Ji-Man Choi (1-4, 2B), CJ Cron (1-4), Matt Duffy (3-9), Tommy Pham (1-2, 3B, RBI), Mallex Smith (3-8, 2B, RBI), Joey Wendle (4-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI)

Rays 9/30/18 Starting Lineup

Smith CF
Pham LF
Wendle 3B
Cron DH
Lowe 2B
Adames SS
Meadows RF
Bauers 1B
Ciuffo C
Stanek RHP

You can read about the series on our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the final series preview of the regular season

Noteworthiness

— Don’t expect to see Matty Duffy or Ji-Man Choi this afternoon in the season finale.

— Sunday also likely marks the final games (for the Rays that is) for a pair of veteran free-agents to be: Sergio Romo and Carlos Gomez.

— Thank you for another fun season, dear readers!

We’ll take a couple of days off then return with our preview of the AL Wildcard game between the Athletics and Yankees on Wednesday. We’ll also start our autopsy of the Rays season sometime thereafter. Keep checking back.

— Just sayin’:

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays — the final series preview of the regular season

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Tommy Pham and the Tampa Bay Rays look to end the 2018 campaign on a high note this weekend. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays are ready to open their season-ending series on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. Both teams are coming off series losses to the Yankees and Astros (respectively).

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays are looking to close the book on a stellar second half after starting the season with a disappointing 4-13 overall record. Tampa Bay has a legitimate shot of winning 90 games for the first time since 2013, making the small market heroes a popular pick to sneak into the postseason in 2019. More than that though, the players are looking to set some individual achievements this weekend.

Blake Snell will take the hill on Saturday with one last start to solidify his AL Cy Young Award bid. 1B/DH C.J. Cron, who had hit 16 homers in each of his three seasons with Los Angeles, enters the series with 29 and a shot to get over 30. 3B Matt Duffy has a chance to become the first qualifying Ray (3.1 plate appearance per team game, 502 for a full season) to hit .300 in seven years, since Casey Kotchman in 2011. Then there is Joey Wendle, who is vying for an AL Rookie of the Year nomination.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Recently-acquired OF Tommy Pham has been on fire since coming over at the trade deadline. Pham is batting a healthy .346 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and five triples as a member of the Rays, sporting a 2.3 fWAR and a 1.087 OPS in 35 games with his new team.

But Pham insisted you have not seen the best of him yet in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, saying:

Offensively, I’m still trying to figure out some things. And I think when I do figure it out, whether it be this year or the offseason because it will be figured out before next season, I think I could truly be the player I think I’m capable of being. I just haven’t figured out how to fix myself just yet.

I have a lot of ability. The key to this game is just putting it all together. The guys that are really good in this game, they know how to put it together. And when you showcase it consistently, you get the great you. I haven’t showcased my ability consistently like I did last year. … The key is being consistent all year.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will lean on Tyler Glasnow (2-7, 4.23 ERA), Blake Snell (21-5, 1.90 ERA), and an as of now unnamed array of hurlers in the season finale. John Gibbons, who could be managing in his last series with Toronto, will counter with Thomas Pannone (4-1, 3.86 ERA), Ryan Borucki (4-5, 3.76 ERA), and Marco Estrada (7-14, 5.64 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tyler Glasnow took the loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday despite throwing a quality start. The right-hander allowed six hits (including a home run) and two walks while striking out six across six innings. Glasnow gave up all three runs in the fourth inning on a Rowdy Tellez two-run homer and Reese McGuire’s run-scoring double. It was his fourth quality start in five outings although he is just 1-5 in his last six turns on the mound.

Thomas Pannone earned the win Saturday against Tampa Bay, pitching 6-2/3 innings while allowing two runs on six hits (including two home runs) and three walks. He struck out five. Pannone has won each of his last three outings, all quality starts. He, however, has struck out only 6.2 batters per nine innings and doesn’t boast much velocity (88.4 mph average before Saturday’s outing). The Rays seek to pay him back. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-5), CJ Cron (1-2, BB), Brandon Lowe (1-2), Tommy Pham (1-3, HR, RBI), Mallex Smith (2-4, 2B), Jesus Sucre (1-3, HR, RBI), Joey Wendle (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB)

Blake Snell blanked Toronto across 6-2/3 innings on Sunday, allowing three hits and two walks. He struck out 11. The southpaw was outstanding once again, winning his ninth consecutive start. Snell relinquished just three singles and during his nine-start winning streak has given up only six earned runs in 46 innings. He has a sterling 1.90 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP this season.

Ryan Borucki was dealt a loss on Sunday even though he allowed just two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out seven over seven innings. Borucki was solid once again, limiting the opposition to two runs or fewer for his fourth straight start. Borucki was nicked for RBI doubles in the fourth and sixth innings, saddling him with the loss. He is 0-2 but with a 2.77 ERA against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Carlos Gomez (1-2), Tommy Pham (1-4, 2 BB), Joey Wendle (1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 BB)

TBA

Marco Estrada allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk across 4-2/3 innings. He struck out one. Estrada got off to a rocky start, giving up a run in the first inning, two in the second and another in the third. Two of the four runs allowed came via the home-run ball. Estrada owns a 5.64 ERA and 103 strikeouts across 143-2/3 frames in what could be his final outing as a Blue Jay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-1, 2B, BB), Ji-Man Choi (2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI), CJ Cron (2-7, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Matt Duffy (2-6, 2B, 3 RBI), Carlos Gomez (3-6, BB), Jesus Sucre (1-2, HR, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Kevin Kiermaier was shut down for the rest of the season after he was hit on the foot by an 84 mph slider from Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday.

It didn’t feel good from the start, Kiermaier said. I hate coming out of games and I wanted to try and tough it out.

After being pulled from the game in the third inning, an X-ray revealed a hairline fracture in a small bone on the side of the foot.

It’s just an unfortunate way for me to end the season but that’s kind of my 2018, in a nutshell, Kiermaier said. I feel like everything that could’ve went wrong for me did.

I just want to let everyone know that I wasn’t the player that I know I could have been this, obviously the worst of my career dating back my whole life, ever since I was born. I take my job and what I do very seriously. But it seems like every ball I hit hard this year was an out. Every diving play that could have been made was made on me. And of course an 84 mph slider breaks a bone in my foot.

— Matt Duffy left Wednesday’s game after the first inning with right quad tightness that he said had been bothering him for several days. Duffy said he isn’t ruling out returning this weekend although he is going to be cautious.

Tampa Bay Rays 9/25/18 pregame notes, etc

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Blake Snell is donating his jersey from win No. 21 to the Rays display in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After being officially eliminated from the Wildcard race on Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.

We’re obviously proud of what we’ve accomplished this year, third baseman Matt Duffy said. It is unfortunate, you can go back and look at a game here, a game there that we let get away or should have won. The reality is that’s baseball. … With where we stood coming into the season, the expectations that were on us, I think everybody kind of expected us to have as many losses as we have wins now.

We’re not a hidden little secret anymore. I think the Red Sox and Yankees and other teams in the league are going to approach us with a little more caution going forward. That’s going to make our jobs tougher next year.

The Rays fought hard for a postseason berth, going 25-8 since August 19 and 38-22 since the All-Star Break.

Well, Marc, to answer your question, Baseball Prospectus had the Rays pegged for 84 wins (+/- six games), so my guess is them.

With the immediate postseason window settled, Tampa Bay’s focus now shifts to winning at least 90 games for the first time since 2013. The Rays will need to win three of their final six games to get to 90 victories, and two more to reach 50 wins at the Trop.

Tampa Bay is 8-8 against the Bronx Bummers and would need to take two of the final three games to take the season series. That will be a challenge, however, as the Rays will face Luis Severino tonight.

The New What Next

Jake Faria (4-3, 5.17 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Luis Severino (18-8, 3.38 ERA).

Faria threw two scoreless innings his last time out against the Rangers. The right-hander has made just three appearances in September, allowing five runs across five innings. Faria last started on August 1- against New York, allowing one run in 3-1/3 innings in a 6-1 victory. Jalen Beeks is also available to provide length today.

Beeks allowed two runs on two hits (two solo home runs) across three innings on Friday. That outing came on the heels of a two-inning shutout appearance on Wednesday in Arlington. Beeks hasn’t given up a ton of runs, just six in his last seven appearances, however, he also has thrown more than four innings just once (8/24 vs Boston).

Severino picked up his 18th win on the season on Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk across seven innings. He collected six punch outs. Severino was in control all along, allowing just one extra-base hit en route to his first win, and quality start, of September. Prior to Wednesday’s outing, the right-hander hadn’t completed seven innings since August 8. Severino has now allowed just two runs over his last two starts (totaling 12-2/3 innings). He is 2-1 with a 3.54 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season, but 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA at the Trop after a disastrous five-inning, six-run outing on July 23. Key Matchups: Jake Bauers (3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Matt Duffy (2-8), Carlos Gomez (1-4), Mallex Smith (3-10, 2B) 

Rays 9/25/18 Starting Lineup

Smith RF
Wendle 3B
Pham LF
Choi 1B
Lowe 2B
Cron DH
Kiermaier CF
Adames SS
Moore C
Faria RHP

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Yankees, one last time — a series preview

Noteworthiness

— Ji-Man Choi is getting the start at first base while Adam Moore will get the start behind the plate.

— Sure looks like the other Bay Area team, who we’ll be rooting for, is pretty excited for their playoff berth:

— Blake Snell is donating his jersey from win No. 21 to the Rays display in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rays 9/24/18 pregame notes; Carlos Gomez fined

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Diego Castillo is lined up to open for the Rays tonight.

After finishing their final road trip of the season on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to begin a four-game series against the New York Yankees. At 87-68  on the season, Tampa Bay can move to 20 games above .500 for the first time this season with a win.

Tampa Bay needs to win at least three of the final seven games to get to 90 for the first time since 2013. Two more wins would help the Rays reach 50 at home. Per Neil Solondz, so far only the Red Sox, Yankees, and Athletics have won 50 games in their home ballpark.

The Rays remain mathematically alive in the AL Wildcard race, although they will need a lot of help from Seattle this week, as they sit 6.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the final Wildcard spot with 7 games remaining. However, Tampa Bay’s tragic number is down to one, meaning one more Oakland win or Rays loss officially ends it.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are trying to stay ahead of Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, as they look to host that game.

The New What Next

Diego Castillo (3-2, 3.25 ERA) will open for the Rays, pitching opposite of Jonathan Holder (1-3, 2.97 ERA), not Luis Severino as previously thought. This could likely be due, in part, to lining up their Wildcard starter properly. Ryan Yarbrough is expected to pitch the bulk of the innings.

Castillo has been the Rays’ opener on 10 occasions so far this season, and Monday will mark the 11th. Castillo allowed one run on one hit (a home run) in one inning of work on Friday. Otherwise, the right-hander has given up just two runs in his last eight appearances (totaling 11-2/3 innings) while striking out 15 and walking just two (a 7.5 K/BB over that stretch).

Yarbrough picked up his 15th win of the season on Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks across four innings. He struck out six. The southpaw wasn’t exactly sharp, but he was able to pick up the win thanks to a plethora of run support from Tampa Bay’s offense. Working primarily as a long reliever, the southpaw has posted a 3.88 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 123 strikeouts across 139-1/3 innings this season.

Holder has faced the Rays on five occasions and has allowed runs in two of those outings.

Rays 9/24/18 Starting Lineup

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

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Yankees, one last time — a series preview

Noteworthiness

— Kevin Kiermaier, who banged his shoulder on a catch yesterday and aggravated it on a check swing, is available off the bench today. Willy Adames is sick for the second straight day, although he too is available.

— Carlos Gomez was fined by Major League Baseball for comments about umpire Andy Fletcher, although he plans to appeal. Gomez did not disclose the amount of the fine saying, “I don’t think it’s fair,” yet sources say it was for $10,000.

You can read more about what led up to the fine below.

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