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TNWN: Rays look to clinch the division title, take two

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Blake Snell gave up three runs in 5-2/3 innings on Tuesday.

After a 5-2 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to get back on the winning side of the ledger, take the series, and clinch the AL East title on Wednesday, in New York.

Tampa Bay enters play 16 games over .500 and with a 3-1/2 game lead over the Yankees with four games left to play. They also boast a magic number of one. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) writes, “the Rays lead Chicago by 1-1/2 games for the best record in the American League, and Tampa Bay has lost just one of the team’s last 14 series.”

This will be Tampa Bay’s last regular-season road game of the 2020 season. The Rays, who are 5-2 on the current road trip, could end the season with a 20-11 road record.

The Rays have struggled offensively of late, which is due in part to the absence of three of the team’s top four hitters — Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz (hamstring injuries), and Austin Meadows (oblique strain) — due to injury. Choi and Diaz got reps yesterday in Port Charlotte, although Rays skipper Kevin Cash said they still need to improve significantly to even be included on the team’s playoff roster.

The injuries have dealt the Rays a tough hand, as the have scored three runs or fewer in five consecutive games and seven of eight contests. There’s another reason they are scuffling though: Tampa Bay hasn’t been able to get timely hits. The team is currently in an 0-22 wRISP. With Mike Brosseau getting a few days off, as he deals with overall body soreness, the Rays only really have two hot hitters in the lineup tonight; Willy Adames, who scored twice on Tuesday and has three homers on the road trip, and Joey Wendle, who collected two hits yesterday and is 7-for-13 in the last four games.

The New What Next

Tyler Glasnow (4-1, 4.21 ERA) will get the start for the Rays tonight, pitching opposite of former Cardinal hurler Michael Wacha (1-3, 6.75 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow got the start Friday against former Ray Alex Cobb and battled, allowing one run on four hits (one home run) and two walks while fanning 10 across five innings on 95 pitches (64 strikes, 67% strike rate, 20% SwStr%) en route to his fourth win of the season.

Glasnow, however, really had to work for his outs, using 50 pitches over the first two frames. The right-hander had a runner at second with one out in the first inning, then really did some heavy lifting in the second. He loaded the bases on a walk sandwiched around a pair of singles. However, Glasnow struck out Bryan Holaday and Andrew Velazquez, then got Cedric Mullins to fly to left, keeping Baltimore off the board.

Getting out of the second inning was a big step from me. Good growth moment, like Kyle would say. I felt, like, calm … nothing sped up.

— Tyler Glasnow

The right-hander’s only mistake of the night came in the bottom of the fourth when he allowed an Austin Hays solo shot to begin the frame. Yet, Glasnow struck out the side afterward (as well as in the first) and surrendered nothing else. Glasnow came into Friday’s contest averaging 14.2 K/9 and raised it to 14.6 by the time his night was over. He again lowered his ERA, this time to 4.21 (3.47 FIP), and maintains an impressive 3.95 K/BB across 51-1/3 innings this season. Glasnow is 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in five career outings (two starts) against the Mets.

Michael Wacha was moved into the rotation for left-hander Steven Matz. Wacha gave up a run in four innings a week ago against Philadelphia. He has not thrown more than 71 pitches in a game since August 7th. Wacha is 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA in two career starts for the Rays. However, only four current Rays have ever faced Wacha. Key Matchup: Hunter Renfroe (1-1, 2B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs. Mets — a series preview

Rays 9/23/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Tsutsugo DH
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Arozarena LF
  4. N. Lowe 1B
  5. Renfroe RF
  6. Wendle 3B
  7. Adames SS
  8. Margot CF
  9. Zunino C

Noteworthiness

— Jose Alvarado (lat strain) will throw in a simulated game on Thursday and another over the weekend. From there, it will be determined whether he will be able to rejoin the Rays for the first round of the playoffs.

LBWMF: Rays on the cusp of a division title after defeating the Mets, 2-1

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Nate Lowe plated the deciding run on a homer to center off Jacob deGrom.

Jacob deGrom was fantastic against Tampa Bay on Monday night, yet the Rays pitching staff was able to outpitch both him and the Mets, allowing them to edge out New York, 2-1. Nate Lowe scored both runs in the victory.

With Tampa Bay’s win and the Yankees 11-5 loss in Buffalo, the Rays end the night 17 games over .500 on the season and with a magic number of one to clinch the division. What’s more, given the White Sox loss to Cleveland, the Rays lead the South-Siders by 1-1/2 games for the top record in the American League with five games left to play.

After abruptly leaving his previous start after two innings and three runs with a right hamstring spasm, Jacob deGrom was absolutely dominant, striking out 14 (tying a career-high) over seven frames, while walking two and scattering four hits. Tampa Bay, however, made those hits count.

deGrom struck out the side in the first inning on 10 pitches, although Nate Lowe earned a full-count walk to begin the second. Lowe moved up to third on Joey Wendle’s first-pitch double to the left-center gap before Manuel Margot hit a two-strike sacrifice-fly to center, scoring Lowe for a 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Lowe blasted a 1-0 solo solo shot to center for a two-run lead. It was Lowe’s fourth homer in 11 games.

On the mound for Tampa Bay, Pete Fairbanks opened his second game of the season and threw 1-2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander walked Brandon Nimmo to start the first, yet he was erased when he was caught stealing. All told, Fairbanks struck out two and threw 15 of 25 pitches for strikes (60% strike rate).

Ryan Thompson followed Fairbanks and struck out Pete Alonso to get the final out of the second. He took the mound again in the third inning and got the first two batters of the frame before former Rays backstop Wilson Ramos hit a single to right, signaling the end of Thompson’s night. Josh Fleming — who was slated to pitch the bulk of the innings — came in and got the final out of the third and allowed just a grounder in the fourth.

Even so, former Ray Guillermo Heredia battled back from an 0-2 count to earn a free pass, while Ramos hit a single to right on the next pitch, putting two on and moving a runner into scoring position. After Nimmo was hit by a pitch, consequently loading the bases, Jeff McNeil hit an infield RBI single that Willy Adames made a diving stop on, scoring Heredia and bringing the Mets within one. But, J.D. Davis lined to right on the very next pitch, keeping the Rays in front.

Fleming came out in the sixth and got the first two batters before Diego Castillo took over with Alonso, whom he quickly put away, stepping into the box. Castillo came out in the seventh and put down all three batters (all right-handers) in order. Ryan Sherriff worked around a two-out walk for a scoreless eighth, preserving the one-run lead.

Finally, Nick Anderson battled in the ninth to earn the save. The right-hander started the frame with an 11-pitch at-bat against Robinson Cano which resulted in a fly-ball out to deep centerfield. Alonso followed and got ahead of Anderson 3-0 before he struck out. Finally, Andrés Giménez popped out, ending the ball game.

The New What Next

The Rays will look to clinch the AL East title in game two of the series against the Mets on Tuesday. Blake Snell (4-1, 3.05 ERA) will get the start pitching opposite of right-hander Seth Lugo (2-3, 4.34 ERA).

Blake Snell allowed one run on two hits and a walk over 5-1/3 innings against the Orioles on Thursday. He struck out four. Snell was in line for his fifth win of the season in an eventual 3-1 victory, but after he exited the game with a runner on second and one out, Diego Castillo allowed the inherited runner to score. Snell tossed 73 pitches (47 strikes, 64% strike rate) in the strong outing, and carries a 3.05 ERA and a 3.6 K/BB through 44-1/3 innings into his final start of the regular season, on Tuesday. Snell is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career start (7-1/3 IP) against the Mets.

Seth Lugo allowed six runs on eight hits and no walks across 1-2/3 innings against the Phillies on Thursday. He struck out three. Lugo entered the game having posted a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings since joining the starting rotation on August 25, although he was unable to tame Philadelphia’s bats. The right-hander surrendered four home runs in the brutal outing, two of which came against Bryce Harper. In only 1-2/3 innings of work, Lugo yielded a season-worst eight hits and saw his season ERA balloon to 4.34. He relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball and a 94 mph sinker with slight arm-side run and slightly above average velocity, while also mixing in a 79 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement, an 88 mph slider with less than expected depth, and an extremely hard ground ball inducing 88 mph changeup. He has never faced the Rays. Key Matchup: Manuel Margot (5-6, 2B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs. Mets — a series preview

Rays 9/22/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Tsutsugo DH
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Arozarena LF
  4. N. Lowe 1B
  5. Wendle 3B
  6. Adames SS
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Phillips RF
  9. Perez C

Noteworthiness

— The Rays unveiled the 40-man player pool for the 2020 postseason. Below, you will find the player pool, including top overall prospect Wander Franco:

Catchers (4): Mike Zunino, Michael Perez, Kevan Smith, Ronaldo Hernández

Infielders (9): Willy Adames, Mike Brosseau, Vidal Bruján, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Díaz, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe, Nate Lowe, Joey Wendle

Outfielders (8): Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Austin Meadows, Brian O’Grady, Brett Phillips, Hunter Renfroe, Yoshi Tsutsugo

Pitchers (19): José Alvarado, Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo, John Curtiss, Oliver Drake, Pete Fairbanks, Josh Fleming, Sean Gilmartin, Tyler Glasnow, Brent Honeywell Jr., Aaron Loup, Shane McClanahan, Charlie Morton, Trevor Richards, Ryan Sherriff, Aaron Slegers, Blake Snell, Ryan Thompson, Ryan Yarbrough

TNWN: Rays look to cap the season finale against Baltimore with a win

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Charlie Morton earned a W last night even though things did not look good at the start.

After earning their fourth consecutive win against the Orioles on Saturday, 3-1, the Tampa Bay Rays look to do something rare and unusual this afternoon: sweep a five-game set.

At 35-18 on the season, the Rays enter play with the best record in the American League, while their magic number to clinch the division over the Yankees, who have won 10 straight, is down to four with seven games left to play. According to FanGraphs, the Rays have a 96% chance of winning the division.

Charlie Morton got off to an inauspicious start Saturday — getting into a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning — yet he limited the damage and battled his way to a win over Baltimore, allowing one run on five hits and two walks and two hit batters while striking out six across five innings of work on 94 pitches (61% strike rate, 26% SwStr%). For only the second time since returning from the Injured List on September 2, Morton was able to make it through five innings, surrendering a lone tally to pick up his first win since August 4. Morton’s final pitch count of 94 bodes well for his ability to throw without limitations in the postseason. Between a shoulder injury that cost him nearly three weeks and an uncharacteristic 4.64 ERA (albeit reduced from 5.13), the 2020 campaign has been somewhat disappointing for the right-hander, he could provide a significant boost to the Rays’ rotation if he’s able to peak heading into the postseason. He’ll get one last tuneup on Friday against Philadelphia.

He settled in and did a really nice job of competing, making pitches, and getting a feel for everything that he had. But most of all encouraged that we got him to that 95-pitch mark and throughout that the velocity stayed consistent.

— Kevin Cash
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1307479334756798465?s=20

Meanwhile, Yoshi Tsutsugo and Randy Arozarena provided some thunder, both of which hit right-field blasts, accounting for all three of the Rays runs.

Ryan Thompson helped the Rays tie a big-league record yesterday. The right-hander earned his first major league save and became the 12th different Tampa Bay player to collect a save this season. That’s something only the Texas Rangers have accomplished, and that was in 1973. In that particular season, the Rangers went 59-103 and saw three different managers (Whitey Herzon, Del Wilber, and Billy Martin) in all.

Tampa Bay has leaned heavily on the ‘pen over the last four days. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) noted, the pen worked 6-2/3 innings around Josh Fleming working as a bulk pitcher Wednesday, then 5-1/3 innings on Thursday in a doubleheader, and four more on Friday and Saturday.

Because of it, Ryan Yarbrough will get the start in the series finale against the Orioles, rather than pitch behind an opener as he did in his last outing.

The Rays are expected to get a roster boost, as Mike Zunino (oblique strain) is expected to be activated this afternoon. Zunino has been out since August 26th, a span of nearly four weeks.

He’s taken (batting practice), he’s faced some live pitching. It’s not the most ideal buildup, but that’s what’s at stake right now. With no (minor-league) games for him to go play in, but we feel he’s in a good spot and should be 100 percent good to go.

— Kevin Cash

With Zunino’s return, the Rays seem likely to drop a reliever (presumably Sean Gilmartin) and keep three catchers since Kevan Smith is out of options.

The New What Next

The season finale between the two ball clubs will pit Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 4.31 ERA) against fellow southpaw John Means (1-3, 5.63 ERA).

Ryan Yarbrough took over with one out in the second and quickly went to work against the Nationals, working around a Carter Kieboom single and striking out two to get out of the frame unscathed. Even though Yarbrough went just 2-2/3 innings against the Nationals in his last start, the lefty posted 5-2/3 frames of one-run ball on this night, allowing five hits, and hitting a batter while striking out five. He threw 52 of 86 pitches for strikes (60% strike rate, 17% SwStr%). Yarbrough allowed just four hard-hit balls and kept the Nationals off-balance throughout the night.

Yarbrough’s biggest frame came in the fifth inning. After he allowed back-to-back hits with just a 2-0 lead, Victor Robles laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners up to second and third. But Adam Eaton grounded to third with the infield in, and Trea Turner popped to first to end the threat.

Washington was able to get run off Yarbrough in the sixth inning when Juan Soto doubled then came around to score on a pair of groundouts. Even so, Yarbrough held the Nationals to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Yarbrough is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA in seven games (two starts) against Baltimore.

John Means allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings on Sunday against the Yankees. After posting shaky results to start the season, Means has settled into a groove over his past two outings, allowing one run over six innings in each appearance. While he was rewarded with the win his last time around, he had to settle for a no-decision Sunday as Baltimore mustered only one run. Means has had a rough time at home (9.00 ERA), allowing six of his homers at Camden Yards while giving up 16 runs in 16 innings. The right-hander relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball that has some added backspin, and an 85 mph changeup, while also mixing in a hard 87 mph slider and an 80 mph curveball with sweeping glove-side movement. Means is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four games against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Michael Brosseau (4-9, 3 HR), Nate Lowe (1-3, HR), Kevan Smith (1-3, 2B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview

Rays 9/20/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Margot CF
  2. Arozarena LF
  3. Tsutsugo 3B
  4. Smith DH
  5. Adames SS
  6. N. Lowe 1B
  7. Renfroe RF
  8. Zunino C
  9. Wendle 2B

Noteworthiness

— The possibility of a return for the playoffs for infielders Yandy Diaz and Ji-Man Choi, both sidelined with hamstring strains, is uncertain. Diaz has been out since September 1, while Choi was hurt on September 12. Both have taken swings off a tee and tossed balls in Port Charlotte, and on Sunday and Monday, they will take live batting practice on the field.

Yet both have to make a lot more progress to be ready for the postseason opener.

Taking BP is still a fairly long way away from actually being in a game. We’ll see where they’re at on Tuesday.

— Kevin Cash

— Jose Alvarado, who started throwing off the mound in Port Charlotte, is another option. The left-hander has been out since mid-August with a shoulder issue.

— As Marc Topkin writes, the Rays have some decisions to make by today. “By noon Sunday, the Rays and other teams must submit a list of the 40 players — 28 active, 12 from the injured list/alternate site camps — who will be eligible during the postseason. Because that group will enter a quarantine starting Tuesday in St. Petersburg for those local and the rest of the team after returning from New York after Wednesday’s game, changes can only be made due to “exceptional circumstances,” requiring league and player union approval. The Rays figure to go heavy with pitchers, including Edgar Garcia and Trevor Richards, who are on the 40-man roster. An interesting possibility is Brent Honeywell, who continues to progress in working back from his latest arm issues.”

LBWMF: Rays fall to the reigning World Series champs, 6-1

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Charlie Morton gave up three runs in five innings of work on Monday.

The Tampa Bay Rays put a lot of early traffic on the base paths against Max Scherzer on Monday, however, they couldn’t move ’em over or move ’em home before the right-hander found his rhythm. The Rays dropped the first of two road games against the Nationals, 6-1; it is only the third road loss for Tampa Bay in the last 17 games away from the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.

The Rays enter play Tuesday 14 games over .500 with 18 left to play.

Charlie Morton got the start for Tampa Bay, and even though he allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over five innings of work, he took a big step forward in his second start off the Injured List. Morton — who went two-plus innings and threw 36 pitches in his last turn on the mound — worked five efficient innings on Monday. Morton threw 45 of 57 pitches for strikes (79% strike rate) and retired his final seven batters.

The Nationals plated the first run of the game in the second inning after Josh Harrison walked on four pitches, then went to third when Eric Thames singled over the head of Kevin Kiermaier in centerfield. Morton was able to get Carter Kieboom to ground to short, yet Kieboom beat out the potential double play as Harrison scored for a one-run lead.

Washington struck for two more runs in the third inning. Victor Robles doubled to left-center and moved up to third when Adam Eaton hit a foul fly-ball to right. Trea Turner followed with an RBI base hit to left, pushing the Nationals lead to two. Two batters later, Kurt Suzuki sliced a double down the left-field line, driving home Turner from a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay mounted threats in each of the first three frames against Max Scherzer. However, after getting a runner to second with one out in each of those innings, the Rays were unable to advance or score him.

Scherzer ultimately posted seven or more innings for just the third time in nine starts, scattering six hits and walking one while striking out seven. Mad Max didn’t allow a runner past second, holding the Rays to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Scherzer threw 70 of 104 pitches for strikes (67% strike rate) overall.

Trevor Richards — who has allowed fewer than two runs in just two outings this season — relieved Morton in the sixth inning. And given what I just wrote, that he allowed the Nationals to put the game out of reach should come as no surprise. Brock Holt doubled to right on the first pitch from Richards then went to third on a check-swing single to right by Suzuki. Harrison followed with an RBI base hit, putting Washington up by four. Thames followed with a slow grounder into the shift. Willy Adames was able to tag Harrison for the first out, with Suzuki moving into third. Yet Richards walked Kieboom, loading the bases before Michael A. Taylor hit a jam shot into right for a two-run double, putting the reigning World Series champs up by six.

Richards was able to finish the game, allowing the Rays to use just two pitchers. Following the contest, the Rays optioned Richards to the alternate site in Port Charlotte to clear room for on the active roster Ryan Yarbrough, who will be activated from the IL on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsRays/status/1303127357180596226?s=20

The Rays were able to plate a run in the eighth inning when Randy Arozarena homered to left off Tanner Rainey, thus averting a shutout. Arozarena has hit three homers in the last two games, and four overall. He’s now 8-for-17 since being promoted from the alternate site.

Things did get interesting with two outs in the ninth inning against Will Harris. After going hitless since he was promoted from the alternate site last week, Nate Lowe finally got the monkey off his back with a double before Kevan Smith and Austin Meadows earned a pair of free passes, loading the bases. Yet Harris was pulled in favor of Daniel Hudson, who struck out Arozarena on four pitches to end the game.

Flush it.

The New What Next

The Rays will wrap up the short two-game set on Tuesday with left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (0-2, 3.65 ERA) on the mound. He’ll pitch opposite of right-hander Aníbal Sánchez (1-4, 6.48 ERA).

In his last start before hitting the IL Ryan Yarbrough (groin tightness) tossed 6-2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five. Yarbrough threw a successful bullpen session Friday, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash.

The bullpen went really, really well. I spoke with (pitching coach Kyle Snyder) during the game. He said (Yarbrough) looked great. I think now it’s just a matter of him going through the bullpen and us finding where we’re going to slot him back in.

— Kevin Cash

Aníbal Sánchez allowed four runs (one earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out one across 3-1/3 innings against the Phillies on Thursday. Sánchez was the victim of poor defense although he didn’t pitch particularly well. He allowed a home run to Rhys Hoskins and has now surrendered at least one homer in five of his seven starts this season. Sanchez also generated only eight called strikes and six swinging strikes across 74 total pitches. He now has a 6.48 ERA with a 2.4 K/BB across 33-1/3 innings this season. Sanchez relies primarily on an 82 mph changeup with some natural sink to it, an 89 mph four-seam fastball with a little natural movement, and an 88 mph cutter with good “rise”, while also mixing in a 76 mph 12-6 curveball with little depth, an 89 mph sinker little sink and arm-side run, and a 69 mph splitter. He is 3-4 with a 5.61 ERA in nine outings (51-1/3 IP) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchup: Kevin Kiermaier (2-7, 2B, 3B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs. Nationals — a series preview

Rays 9/9/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows DH
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Arozarena LF
  4. Choi 1B
  5. Tsutsugo 3B
  6. Margot RF
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. Perez C

Noteworthiness

— Well said:

LBWMF: Rays 5, Yankees 3

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Ji-Man Choi had a big night Monday, including a first-inning two-run homer off Gerrit Cole.

Tyler Glasnow followed his 13 strikeout gem a start ago against Baltimore by spinning another fantastic start, while the offense tagged Gerrit Cole for four runs en route to the Tampa Bay Rays sixth consecutive win, 5-3 over the New York Yankees.

The Rays walked out of New Yankee Stadium a season-high 14 games over .500, and 4-1/2 games ahead of New York in the AL East.

Glasnow got the start posted six innings of scoreless ball against New York, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine on 87 pitches (55 strikes, 63% strike rate). The right-hander kept the Yankees’ offense off-balance for most of the night by leaning on all three of his pitches. He threw his 97 mph four-seam fastball 55 times, his curveball 24 times (nine swings and misses, 16% SwStr%) — eight at-bats ended on the curveball, resulting in seven K’s and a groundout — and eight 92 mph changeups which he threw to whomever regardless of handedness. All told, New York hit just four hard-hit balls against Glasnow.

I just feel like every time he gets on the mound, especially his last couple starts, he’s figured something out — I’m playing behind greatness out there. I am.

Watching what he does and how silly he makes guys look every inning he’s out there, it’s incredible.

— Kevin Kiermaier

Offensively, the Rays pounced on Cole’s mistakes which proved costly for the +$300-million man, as his time on the mound was limited to just five innings and an incredibly inefficient 103 pitches.

In the first inning, after the right-hander retired the first two batters, Yandy Diaz lined a single off the wall in right then went to second when Clint Frazier bobbled the ball for an error. Ji-Man Choi — who entered play 7-15 against Cole with three doubles and two home runs — lined a 1-2 slider into the seats in right for a two-run homer.

One inning later, Kevin Kiermaier unleashed his second homer in as many days, this time a 411-foot blast to right that registered 110 mph off his bat.

The Rays added on a run in the fifth inning. Choi walked to lead off the frame before Willy Adames singled to left. Joey Wendle was hit on the foot by a 95 mph 0-2 fastball, loading the bases and bringing Manuel Margot to the plate. The outfielder singled to center, putting Tampa Bay up by four. Yet, Adames was held up by Rodney Linares at third, while Wendle was thrown out between second and third when centerfielder Brett Gardner lucked out and accidentally threw the ball in behind him. That stopped the Rays from tacking on more in the frame.

But after chasing Cole in the fifth, the Rays added one more run an inning later. Reliever Nick Nelson took over for Cole in the sixth, and Choi singled home Randy Arozarena, who initially reached base a single before he swiped second.

The beleaguered hackneyed Yankees crew were not completely silent though, and they were able to rally against relative newcomer Edgar Garcia late in the game.

In the seventh inning, Gio Urshela hit a leadoff homer to right, drawing the Yankees within four. An inning later, DJ LeMahieu looped a single to right before Luke Voit drilled a 3-1, two-run bullet to left, cutting the deficit to two. Kevin Cash had seen enough from the former Phillie and called upon Pete Fairbanks, who gave up a one-out single to Clint Frazier but nothing more.

Finally, in the ninth inning, Cash went with Diego Castillo to close things out for the fourth time this season. Aaron Hicks collected a one-out pinch-hit single against the shift, however, Gardner embarrassed himself went down swinging on three pitches, including a nasty slider that cut off the plate and in on him. LeMahieu ended the game on a chopped comebacker, earning Castillo his third save in four attempts.

The New What Next

Game two of the set will take place Tuesday with Masahiro Tanaka (0-1, 3.48 ERA) on the mound for New York. Trevor Richards (0-0, 5.14 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay.

Trevor Richards allowed two runs (one earned) over 4-1/3 innings in a 4–3 win over Baltimore onAugust 26th. He struck out three on 86 total pitches. This is the third time that Richards is facing New York. He gave up two runs across three innings the last time he faced them. Richards hasn’t pitched more than 4-1/3 innings in an outing this year, but an efficient outing could certainly get him through five frames.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed three hits and no walks while fanning four across five scoreless innings on Wednesday in Atlanta. Tanaka was dominant, allowing just a trio of base hits in his time on the mound. Tanaka was pulled after only 66 pitches as he felt he was running out of energy. Tanaka has completed five innings of work in only two of his five starts this season, although they have been high quality. The Rays dusted Tanaka up back on August 18, tagging the right-hander for six runs (five earned) on eight hits including two homers. He now maintains a 3.48 ERA with a 5.67:1 K:BB across 20-2/3 frames this season. Key Matchups: Michael Brosseau (2-3, 2 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (11-37, 2 2B, 2 3B, HR), Austin Meadows (5-15, 2 HR), Micahel Perez (1-4), Joey Wendle (4-14, 2 2B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs Yankees — one last series preview

Rays 9/1/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Choi 1B
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Wendle 3B
  4. Meadows RF
  5. Tsutsugo DH
  6. Adames SS
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Margot LF
  9. Perez C

Noteworthiness

— Both Yandy Diaz and Ji-Man Choi left Monday night’s game. Choi left because of stomach issues, while Diaz left midway through the game with right hamstring tightness. After an MRI in New York this morning, Diaz was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and consequently placed on the 10-day IL. Nate Lowe, who was on the taxi squad, has been added to the roster.

— The Rays announced that their 2019 top draft pick, Greg Jones, has been added to the 60-man player pool and has reported to the alternate site. He joins Brendan McKay and Brent Honeywell Jr. as the most recent additions to the 60-man player pool.