X-Rays Spex

A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

TNWN: Rays look for a sweep of the Angels on Sunday

By Leave a Comment

  • Tyler Glasnow continued to build up his arm going into the final stretch of the season, throwing three innings of scoreless baseball on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After defeating the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, 3-1, the Tampa Bay Rays will look to sweep the series and continue to improve their Wildcard odds this afternoon. The Rays can equal last year’s win total with a victory with 11 games left to play.

The Rays start the day a half-game behind Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, and 2-1/2 games ahead of Cleveland for the final AL playoff spot. Per FanGraphs, Tampa Bay has an 82.1% chance of a postseason berth ⁠— up 13.6% from Friday. Baseball Prospectus gives the Rays a more favorable 91.8% chance of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Tyler Glasnow didn’t factor into the decision on Saturday, giving up two hits and a walk across three scoreless frames. He struck out five. Glasnow got stretched out to 51 pitches (29 strikes, 57% strike rate) in his second outing since returning from the IL, and looked much sharper in this one than he did last weekend against Toronto. Glasnow has a 3.33 K/BB across five innings in September, and the team will continue gradually ramp-up his workload as it tries to lock down a postseason. He is scheduled to face Boston at home, on Friday.

Meanwhile, prior to Saturday’s ballgame, the Rays averaged more than six runs a game over the last 15 contests. Yet, they were kept in check by Jaime Barria across the first five frames. Tampa Bay didn’t get a runner past first base over that stretch and collected just a pair of base hits and a walk.

That changed in the sixth inning though. Barria allowed a one-out single to Joey Wendle and a walk to Austin Meadows and was subsequently lifted for Kenyan Middleton. After Tommy Pham flew out to deep right, which allowed Wendle to move up to third, left-hander Miguel Del Pozo entered the game to face Ji-Man Choi. Meadows swiped second and Choi walked on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, loading the bases. The fourth pitcher of the inning, Taylor Cole, entered to face Travis d’Arnaud, and the Rays backstop lined a full-count pitch over the head of Michael Hermosillo in left for a three-run double.

The two-base knock gave d’Arnaud 63 RBI since joining Tampa Bay at the end of May.

While things got a little messy in the seventh inning ⁠— Nick Anderson hit a batter and uncorked a pair of wild pitches which allowed a run to cross the plate ⁠— Oliver Drake and Emilio Pagan were efficient and dominant in the eighth and ninth innings, retiring the last six hitters of the game on 20 combined pitches (15 strikes) with four strikeouts.

The New What Next

Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.51 ERA) will get the start for the Rays, pitching opposite of fellow southpaw Patrick Sandoval (0-3, 5.28 ERA).

Ryan Yarbrough allowed three runs on three hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out seven on Tuesday against the Rangers. Texas struck for all three of its runs in the fourth inning, with the big blow being a two-run homer by Nick Solak. Yarbrough exited in line for his fourth loss of the season until the Rays tied things up in the top of the eighth. The left-hander will take a 3.51 ERA and a 7.3 K/BB through 128-1/3 innings into the start in the series finale.

Patrick Sandoval gave up three earned runs on five hits over 3-1/3 innings against Cleveland on Monday. He struck out four and walked two in the 6-2 loss. Sandoval didn’t have his best stuff, with most of the damage against him coming on a two-run homer by Jason Kipnis in the second inning. The 22-year-old has a respectable 2.62 K/BB across 29 innings, but his 5.28 ERA is unimpressive. Sandoval is also on a pitch count, so don’t expect him to pitch deeply in the ballgame on Sunday. He relies primarily on a 93 mph four-seam fastball and an 83 mph swing & miss changeup, while also mixing in a 77 mph 12-6 curveball and an 86 mph worm-killer slider.

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

TNWN: Rays vs. Angels — a series preview, part two

Rays 9/15/19 Starting Lineup

    null
  1. Pham DH
  2. Meadows LF
  3. Garcia RF
  4. Aguilar 1B
  5. Wendle 2B
  6. Duffy 3B
  7. Adames SS
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Zunino C

Noteworthiness

— It isn’t clear if Mike Trout, who missed the first two games with a nerve issue in his right foot, will DH this afternoon.

TNWN: Rays look for a series win on Wednesday; pre-game notes

By Leave a Comment

  • Globe Life Park, home of the Tampa Bay Rays’ latest come-from-behind wins. The Rays beat the Rangers on Tuesday, 5-3. (Photo Credit: Texas Rangers)

After a come-from-behind, 5-3, win over the Texas Rangers in 11 innings on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their terrific run tonight.

At 28-games over .500, Tampa Bay (87-59) has won six consecutive games, and 11 of 12 to maintain their lead in the AL Wildcard race. The Rays enter play 1-1/2 games ahead of the Athletics for the top Wildcard spot, and two games in front of Cleveland for the final AL playoff spot.

FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay an 83.6% chance of a postseason berth, while Baseball Prospectus gives them an even more favorable 92.0% chance of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

In spite of the positive outcomes, the Rays are still banged up, especially on the position player side of things. Tommy Pham (sore right elbow/forearm) is back in the lineup, yet Avisail Garcia exited Tuesday’s contest with right hip tightness. He is listed as day-to-day. And while Eric Sogard pinch-hit last night — his first appearance since he fouled a ball off his foot on Friday — neither he nor Kevin Kiermaier (neck spasms) are in tonight’s lineup (below).

What’s more, Hoby Milner (cervical nerve issue) has been placed on the 60-day Injured List. Milner is the 24th different Ray to go on the IL. Due to the injuries, outfielder Johnny Davis has been promoted from Durham. Davis was signed out of the Mexican League (in late August), where he swiped 54 bases. He later stole three bases with Double-A Montgomery.

The addition of Davis could be fun heading into the home stretch of the regular and into the playoffs.

The New What Next

Andrew Kittredge (1-0, 4.17 ERA) will get the start for the Rays and could be followed by Jalen Beeks (6-3, 4.32 ERA) or Austin Pruitt. They’ll be opposed by Ariel Jurado (7-10, 5.40 ERA).

Andrew Kittredge, who threw two perfect innings in relief on Friday against Toronto, will open his seventh game of the season.

Jalen Beeks allowed four hits over three scoreless innings against Cleveland two Saturdays ago. He struck out one and walked none. Beeks worked as the primary pitcher but entered the game with a runner on first base in the second inning. He ended up with his shortest outing since June 21 even though he did not allow a run. Beeks has a 4.41 ERA on the season, with a 1.48 WHIP and a 2.16 K/BB across 98 innings on the season. With the plethora of bullpen options available right now, the southpaw will likely be on a very short leash.

Ariel Jurado allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings during against the Yankees on Tuesday. He struck out three. Edinson Volquez worked as the opener and allowed two runs. Jurado fired four scoreless frames before he fell apart in the sixth inning when he allowed five hits — including two homers — and recording zero put-outs. The 23-year-old has a 5.40 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a 2.29 K/BB over 116-2/3 innings on the season. Jurado relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker with some natural sinking action and a 93 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 86 mph 12-6 slider, a firm 85 mph changeup with armside fade, and a hard 81 mph 12-6 curveball.

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

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

Rays 9/11/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Wendle 2B
  2. Pham DH
  3. Meadows LF
  4. d’Arnaud C
  5. Choi 1B
  6. Duffy 3B
  7. Wong RF
  8. Heredia CF
  9. Adames SS

Noteworthiness

— Yonny Chirinos will throw a 20 pitch/one inning (whichever comes first) simulated game for the instructional league in Port Charlotte today. Brandon Lowe, who’s been sidelined with a quad issue, will face Chirinos.

— Blake Snell, who threw a bullpen session yesterday in Arlington, will throw two innings or 30 pitches for Triple-A Durham tomorrow. If all goes as planned, Snell could pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers after that. Durham is the only Rays affiliate remaining in the postseason.

— Hmmm, sigh…

I love when people extol the virtues of open-air stadiums, opining one should be built in Tampa (or St. Pete). Yet the always tend to forget two things:

1. Thanks to climate change, the region will be marginally warmer, and 9.1 inches of precipitation wetter in the near future, leading to maximum fan discomfort and lots of rain delays/postponements.

2. TAMPA CANNOT AFFORD TO BUILD A NEW STADIUM, HENCE THE REASON THE RAYS PULLED THE PLUG ON THE DEAD FROM THE START YBOR PROPOSAL.

It’s even funnier when people who work in the local media promote such ideas via their Twitter feeds, not realizing (and/or caring) that they are tacitly advocating for the public subsidization of a baseball stadium on behalf of a newspaper which, in all honesty, should be shining light on such things. And so it goes.

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

By Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Rays completed a four-game sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

After winning nine out of 10 games at home, including a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays hit the road for one final road trip out west. First stop Arlington, where the Rays will take on the Texas Rangers in a three-game series. The Rangers are coming off their own four-game sweep, of the Orioles.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays, led by Austin Meadows, tagged the Blue Jays for 24 runs, while the pitching staff limited Toronto just 10 (or 2-1/2 runs per game on average). Meadows, Tommy Pham, and Joey Wendle have been red hot over the last week, scoring 19 times while driving in 11.

In his last 27 plate appearances, Meadows has slugged six extra-base hits including four home runs. Pham has reached base 10 times in his last 25 plate appearances while swiping three bases. And it would appear that Daniel Robertson, who was recalled at the start of the month, may finally be finding his stroke. D-Rob has driven in four runs on four hits (including a double and a triple) in his last 12 plate appearances.

The Rangers have hit 11 homers in the last seven days, led by Rougned Odor, who bashed three long balls over that stretch. Yet, while Texas has won seven of the last 10 games, six of those wins came against the Mariners and Orioles.

In all fairness, they can score runs in bunches, although there is a reason the Rangers enter play one game under .500 with a -39 run differential overall: the pitching staff is not good. Texas’ starters have gone 4-4 over the last 14 days, posting a 4.11 ERA and a 4.73 FIP along the way. Credit where it’s due, Texas is much better at home — where it has gone 40-29 — than on the road. Still, the Rangers have a -13 run differential in Arlington.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tampa Bay holds a 1-1/2 game lead over Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, and enter play two games in front of Cleveland for the final AL playoff spot.

FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay an 83.7% chance of a postseason berth, while Baseball Prospectus gives them an even more favorable 91.4% chance of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

With the Athletics facing Houston over the next three days (following a 15-0 beatdown by the Astros in the first game of a four-game series) the Rays have an excellent opportunity to pad the win column and create some separation between them an Oakland with a series win. The key is to win games strategically, and the time is right for Tampa Bay to do just that before the team heads to California.

The Rays took two of three from the Rangers the first time the two met this season.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will throw Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.49 ERA), Jalen Beeks (6-3, 4.32 ERA) as a bulk guy, and Brendan McKay (2-3, 5.03 ERA). Chris Woodward will counter with Lance Lynn (14-10, 3.81 ERA), Ariel Jurado (7-10, 5.40 ERA), and Kolby Allard (4-0, 3.78 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryan Yarbrough got the start on Monday and battled over six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while fanning four against Baltimore. Yarbrough cruised through the first five frames, but the Orioles dinged him up for four runs in the sixth inning on a homer, three singles, and a double. Still, the 27-year-old has put together a solid 2019 campaign, posting a 3.49 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, with a 7.29 K/BB across 121-1/3 innings.

Lance Lynn allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over five innings against the Yankees, on Wednesday. He struck out seven. Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres both took Lynn deep, the first time since July 21 that the right-hander has given up multiple homers. He will take a 3.81 ERA and a 3.94 K/BB across 181-2/3 innings into his start vs. Tampa Bay, against whom he is 0-1 with a 3.49 ERA in four career starts. This season, Lynn limited the Rays to three hits and one walk across eight innings in his start at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-3, 2B), Matt Duffy (2-6, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (2-6, 2B, BB), Eric Sogard (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 3BB), Joey Wendle (2-6)

Jalen Beeks allowed four hits over three scoreless innings against Cleveland two Saturdays ago. He struck out one and walked none. Beeks worked as the primary pitcher but entered the game with a runner on first base in the second inning. He ended up with his shortest outing since June 21 even though he did not allow a run. Beeks has a 4.41 ERA on the season, with a 1.48 WHIP and a 2.16 K/BB across 98 innings on the season. With the plethora of bullpen options available right now, the southpaw will likely be on a very short leash.

Ariel Jurado allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings during against the Yankees on Tuesday. He struck out three. Edinson Volquez worked as the opener and allowed two runs. Jurado fired four scoreless frames before he fell apart in the sixth inning when he allowed five hits — including two homers — and recording zero put-outs. The 23-year-old has a 5.40 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a 2.29 K/BB over 116-2/3 innings on the season. Jurado relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker with some natural sinking action and a 93 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 86 mph 12-6 slider, a firm 85 mph changeup with armside fade, and a hard 81 mph 12-6 curveball.

Brendan McKay struck out seven and allowed just one hit across 3-2/3 scoreless frames on 59 pitches (37 strikes, 63% strike rate). The 23-year-old didn’t pitch deeply enough to capture the win, yet he was impressive, fanning seven of the 12 batters he faced, and retiring nine consecutive batters before he exited the ballgame. The outing snaps a cold spell for the left-hander, although he is still 2-3 with a 5.03 ERA.

Kolby Allard gave up one earned run on eight hits across 6-1/3 innings against the Orioles, while striking out two and walking two. Locked in a pitcher’s duel with John Means, Allard got the better of it despite having to work his way around 10 baserunners. The 22-year-old lowered his ERA to 3.78, to go along with a 1.38 WHIP and a 2.64 K/BB across 33-1/3 big-league innings on the season. Allard relies primarily on a four-seam fastball natural sinking action and an 88 mph worm-burner cutter, while also mixing in an 81 mph changeup.

Rays look for a sweep on Sunday afternoon

By Leave a Comment

  • The Rays are set for one last game on their penultimate homestand before they hit the road for western horizons. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After coming from behind to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, 5-3, the Tampa Bay Rays look to sweep the four-game set this afternoon. Tampa Bay starts the day a season-high 26-games over .500. They have won four consecutive ballgames, and are 8-1 on their current homestand.

Tampa Bay still holds a one-game lead over Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, and enter play 2-1/2 games in front of Cleveland for the final AL playoff spot, thanks to Minnesota’s 5-2 defeat of that particular ballclub.

FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay an 85.6% chance of a postseason berth — up 8.7% over yesterday. Baseball Prospectus gives the Rays an even more favorable 91.1% chance of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.86 ERA) will open for Tampa Bay, and will likely be followed by Trevor Richards (1-0, 2.70 ERA). They’ll pitch opposite of Jacob Waguespack (4-3, 3.97 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow will make his first appearance for the Rays since suffering a forearm strain on May 10th. Glasnow had made two appearances for Durham and is not expected to throw more than two-three innings this afternoon. According to Neil Solondz (Rays Radio), it is possible he could be extended to five innings by the end of the regular season. He has not faced Toronto this season.

Trevor Richards allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts across five innings on Tuesday against the Orioles. Richards shut out Baltimore through four innings but was tagged for a two-run homer from Rio Ruiz in the fifth. He was lifted after 78 pitches (54 strikes, 69% strike rate) but is still off to a decent start with Tampa Bay. In four appearances with the Rays, Richards has allowed five earned runs across 16-2/3 innings with a 4.75 K/BB.

Jacob Waguespack allowed four runs (two earned) on one hit with five walks and four strikeouts across four innings against Atlanta on Monday. While he gave up just one hit, it was a home run, while the walks just killed him. One of his five walks scored on the long ball, and two more Braves who reached with walks crossed the plate because of an error. Waguespack threw seven shutout innings two starts ago, but since he’s yielded five earned runs (nine total) in seven innings. He owns a 3.97 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts across 59 innings this season. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three outings (two starts) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Jesus Aguilar (1-3), Ji-Man Choi (2-7, RBI, BB), Travis d’Arnaud (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Avisail Garcia (1-3), Nate Lowe (1-3), Tommy Pham (2-7, 2B, RBI, BB), Eric Sogard (1-2)

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

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — one last home series preview

Rays 9/8/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Wendle 2B
  2. Pham DH
  3. Meadows LF
  4. Garcia RF
  5. Choi 1B
  6. d’Arnaud C
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. Robertson 2B

Noteworthiness

— Blake Snell went just 2/3 of an inning for Durham on Saturday, striking out two while allowing a runs on two walks and two hits. He was expected to throw one inning or 20 pitches. Snell threw 12 of 24 pitches for strikes (50% strike rate), and his velocity was said to be in the 94-96 mph range. It would appear that Snell will have another rehab outing with Durham before he rejoins Tampa Bay at some point next week.

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — one last home series preview

By Leave a Comment

  • Can Travis d’Arnaud keep up his offensive productivity when the Blue Jays come to town? (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After winning two consecutive series against Cleveland and Baltimore and going 5-1 on the current homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the Toronto Blue Jays into the Trop for a four-game set, starting Thursday. The Blue Jays dropped both games of a two-game series against Atlanta, and seven of their last 10.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

In spite of going 3-for-15 wRISP (.200 BA) and plating just nine runs total against the Orioles, Rays hitters have fared much better at the plate of late, slashing an overall .265 BA/.325 OBP/.454 SLG/.779 OPS line over the last 14 days, with a moderately powerful .189 ISO and an improved but not stellar 106 wRC+.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays seem to be going in the opposite direction, slashing a combined .213 BA/.287 OBP/.364 SLG/.651 OPS line, with a significantly below league average 72 wRC+ over the last 14 days.

Toronto’s pitching staff also hasn’t been great over the same stretch, posting an overall 3-9 record with a 4.17 ERA and a 4.64 FIP (starters: 1-5, 4.01 ERA and a 4.51 FIP, relievers: 2-4, 4.78 ERA and a 4.74 FIP).

The Rays should be able to limit the Blue Jays offense and tag the pitching staff with some runs.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

After this series, Tampa Bay will embark on a pretty big road trip which will take them out west. Before they face the mighty Dodgers on the 17th and 18th — kicking off a stretch of eight consecutive games against plus .500 teams — the Rays will have an opportunity to pad the win column while also staying relevant in the AL Wildcard race. However, that doesn’t mean they should take this series for granted … after all, Toronto took two-of-three from Tampa Bay the last time the two teams met, at the beginning of August.

The Rays are 8-4 against the Blue Jays this season, and 4-2 at home.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will throw Austin Pruitt (2-0, 4.78 ERA), Brendan McKay (2-3, 5.55 ERA), Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.06 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.49 ERA). Charlie Montoyo is expected to counter with Trent Thornton (4-9, 5.34 ERA), Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.45 ERA), a hurler to be named before Saturday’s contest, and Jacob Waguespack (4-3, 3.97 ERA).

Austin Pruitt got the start against Cleveland on Friday because the Rays had used seven pitchers against Houston the day before. Contrary to his season numbers, “Cy” Pruitt set the tone with the best outing of his big league career. Pruitt surrendered four hits while striking out six across 5-1/3 scoreless frames. The right-hander threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes (68% strike rate) as well as 14 of 20 first-pitch strikes while coaxing 11 swinging strikes. He lowered his ERA by almost a full point — from 5.57 to 4.78 — and now carries a 1.27 WHIP and a 3.67 K/BB over 37-2/3 on the season. Color me surprised … I’ll take it.

Trent Thornton yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out six over five innings on Friday against Houston. Thornton gave up all four of his runs in the fifth inning, allowing a three-run blast before getting the hook. Even though he owns a 5.34 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP, with 123 punchouts over 129-2/3 innings this season, the 25-year-old has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four consecutive outings. Be that as it may, Thornton is 0-1 with a whopping 11.12 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-6, HR, 2 RBI), Travis d’Arnaud (1-3), Matt Duffy (1-2), Avisail Garcia (4-6, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (3-6, 2B, 3B, RBI, BB), Austin Meadows (6-7, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB), Tommy Pham (1-4), Eric Sogard (1-2)

Brendan McKay was recalled by the Rays on Tuesday. The highly-touted prospect made his big league debut in late June although he hasn’t really established himself. He owns a 5.55 ERA in 35-2/3 big-league innings thus far, which led to an August demotion. However, the southpaw struck out eight and allowed just a hit and a walk across three scoreless frames in his last appearance with Triple-A Durham. McKay ripped through opposing hitters over 53 pitches, 39 of which were strikes (74% strike rate). He allowed three runs on six hits (including two home runs) and a walk across five innings in his last start against the Blue Jays.

Clay Buchholz allowed two runs on three hits and five walks with three strikeouts across 5-2/3 innings against the Astros on Saturday. It’s been a tough season for Buchholz, as he missed three months with a shoulder injury, yet he finally tallied the first win of his 2019 campaign. Buchholz also pitched well in his previous start, yielding just three hits. The right-hander owns a 3.08 ERA in two outings since his return from the shoulder ailment but is 1-3 with a 5.45 ERA, and a 1.35 WHIP, with 18 strikeouts in 36-1/3 innings this season. He is 9-8 with a 2.62 ERA in his career against the Rays, and 6-3 with a 1.87 ERA in 12 starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Ji-Man Choi (1-4), Austin Meadows (2-5, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-3), Eric Sogard (1-3, RBI, BB)

Charlie Morton gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts across 5-1/3 innings against Cleveland on Sunday. Morton guided the Rays to a huge series sweep against Cleveland after he got blasted by the Astros in his previous outing. Morton yielded an RBI double in the second inning and found himself in a bit of a jam, although he was able to escape and finish the rest of his outing cleanly. He needed 108 pitches to get through just 5-1/3 innings, which isn’t the height of efficiency, yet the bullpen got the job done over the balance of the game. Morton now sports a 3.06 ERA and a 4.18 K/BB ratio over 170-1/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts against Toronto this season.

TBA

Ryan Yarbrough got the start on Monday and battled over six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while fanning four against Baltimore. Yarbrough cruised through the first five frames, but the Orioles dinged him up for four runs in the sixth inning on a homer, three singles, and a double. Still, the 27-year-old has put together a solid 2019 campaign, posting a 3.49 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, with a 7.29 K/BB across 121-1/3 innings.

Jacob Waguespack allowed four runs (two earned) on one hit with five walks and four strikeouts across four innings against Atlanta on Monday. While he gave up just one hit, it was a home run, while the walks just killed him. One of his five walks scored on the long ball, and two more Braves who reached with walks crossed the plate because of an error. Waguespack threw seven shutout innings two starts ago, but since he’s yielded five earned runs (nine total) in seven innings. He owns a 3.97 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts across 59 innings this season. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three outings (two starts) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Jesus Aguilar (1-3), Ji-Man Choi (2-7, RBI, BB), Travis d’Arnaud (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Avisail Garcia (1-3), Nate Lowe (1-3), Tommy Pham (2-7, 2B, RBI, BB), Eric Sogard (1-2)

Noteworthiness

— Enter Tommy Pham, the smoothie king:

— After all the chatter about whether or not Orioles pitchers were trying to hit Pham, one of their hurlers did hit a Ray, Eric Sogard, late in Tuesday’s game. Fortunately, the utility player is okay.

https://twitter.com/EricSogard/status/1169090744482697217