Rays the roof…or something like that. (Photo Credit: Anthony Ateek/X-Rays Spex)

Matt Andriese continued to improve after his first rough outing of the season, out-dueling the reigning rookie of the year Michael Fulmer, and helping the Tampa Bay Rays snap a three-game skid with a 5–1 win against the Detroit Tigers. The Rays are now 6–2 at Tropicana Field.

Detroit scored its only run against Andriese in the first inning, when Miguel Cabrera — who was celebrating his 34th birthday — hit a massive 451-foot blast off the batter’s eye in center-field.

However, the right-hander locked it in from that point on. After Victor Martinez hit a two out single to right, Andriese collected the first of his five strikeouts on the night against Justin Upton, then efficiently mowed through the potent, albeit it scuffling, Tigers’ offense. He attacked the strike zone with his four-seam fastball (52 thrown, 32 strikes), and played off the hard stuff with his changeup (32 thrown, 22 strikes).

Andriese was also able to make big pitches when he needed to. For example, Jose Iglesias led off the third inning with a single to right, then swiped second base to get into scoring position. Nick Castellanos followed by moving Iglesias to third on a ground out to short, leaving Andriese to face the ever dangerous Cabrera for the second time of the game.

The right-hander got ahead of Miggy 1-2 before throwing a beautiful changeup in the dirt. The mighty Miggy went down swinging.

With a head full of steam following the big last out of the top of the frame, the Rays took the lead in the bottom of the inning against Fulmer, who allowed only one run in 14 innings against Tampa Bay last season.

Shane Peterson blooped a single to left in front of the lolly-gagging Justin Upton, before Tim Beckham followed two pitches later with a two-run blast to section 145 left for a one-run lead.

I believe they call that a “bloop and a blast.” It was Beckham’s second homer of the season, as well as the second in three days.

Tampa Bay added to its lead in the sixth. After Brad Miller walked with one out, the second baseman moved to second on a Steven Souza Jr. single. Miller tagged up on Logan Morrison’s sac-fly to center before Derek Norris delivered a line drive single to left, plating the run.

Still it was a tight, two-run game in the seventh when Andriese took the mound. The righty walked V-Mart on a borderline 3–2 pitch, snapping a streak of 12 straight that had been retired. Andriese followed by allowing an opposite field single to Upton after a nine-pitch battle. Andriese was done. With two on, Rays manager Kevin Cash went with the right-handed LOOGY Danny Farquhar to face Tyler Collins.

Collins chopped a ball over the mound which Beckham fielded and got the force at second. Yet the throw to first was late because Upton made contact with Beckham as he threw over to Morrison. The play went under review (the Rays challenged whether Upton violated the slide rule), yet the call stood. Alex Avila struck out with runners on the corners before Tommy Hunter entered in relief and got Jacoby Jones to fly out to left on one pitch, ending the threat.

All told, Andriese worked into the seventh inning for the first time in 2017, and was charged with just a run on four hits, while walking one and striking out five.

The Rays added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Beckham reached on an infield single, then came home on Kevin Kiermaier’s double to the left-center gap off southpaw Kyle Ryan. Two batters later, Miller singled to center, scoring Kiermaier to push the lead to four runs — capping the scoring on the night.

Jumbo Diaz and Alex Colome made the lead stand up, pitching perfect eighth and ninth innings respectively.


Seriously though, was there ever doubt the Rays would win? (Source: FanGraphs)

The New What Next

The Rays play game two of three against the Tigers on Wednesday night. Chris Archer (2-0, 2.21 ERA, 2.04 FIP) will toe the rubber, opposite of Jordan Zimmerman (1-1. 5.06 ERA, 4.99 FIP).

Archer fanned five and gave up one earned run on six hits and two walks over 5-2/3 innings of the 10-5 win over the Red Sox on Friday. Archer fired 102 pitches across his start, and didn’t collect as many whiffs as usual — notching a modest nine swinging strikes. He, however, was able to limit the damage to just an RBI single in the sixth.

Zimmerman allowed five runs on four hits, while issuing five free passes over 4-2/3 innings on Thursday. After starting the game with a pair of scoreless frames, things spiraled out of control for Zimmerman shortly after. The right-hander said some of his struggles had to do with gripping the baseball. Zimmerman most often relies upon a 92 mph fly ball inducing four-seam Fastball, while also mixing in an 87 mph slider, a whiffy 81 mph curveball and an 81 mph circle change. Key matchups: Tim Beckham (1-2), Peter Bourjos (1-3), Corey Dickerson (4-6, 2B, HR, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (1-4), Evan Longoria (3-10, BB), Derek Norris (1-3), Steven Souza Jr. (3-5, HR, RBI), Rickie Weeks Jr. (5-9, 3 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB)

You can read about the series in our Rays/Le Tigre series preview, and I’ll post the starting lineup as it becomes available.

Rays 4/19/17 Starting Lineup

Dickerson DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 2B
Souza RF
Morrison 1B
Norris C
Peterson LF
Beckham SS
Archer RHP

Noteworthiness

— 59% of the Rays runs this season have been scored in the first three innings.

— The Rays are now 6-2 when they score at least four runs, and 5-1 when they score at least five. Not even Austin Pruitt can mess that up.

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