After a tough 2-0 loss in the Bronx, the Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back and even up the series on Wednesday.
Corey Kluber got the start Tuesday and allowed two unearned runs on four hits, a hit batsman, and a walk while striking out three across six innings. Kluber held the Yankees hitless through the first three frames, yet a pair of Tampa Bay errors led to his unearned runs in the fourth inning. The veteran has had two strong outings against the Yankees this season, allowing just one earned run across 12 innings. Over his last six starts, Kluber has a 2.53 ERA and a 3.59 FIP, with a 6.75 K/BB in 32 innings.
Meanwhile, the Rays have now committed 40 errors and allowed 40 uncharacteristic unearned runs on the season. For context, last season, Tampa Bay made just 80 errors and yielded 58 unearned runs.
It’s not as though they didn’t have an opportunity to win last night’s contest, after all the Rays went 1-for-6 wRISP, and stranded eight runners on the bags. In the words of Dave Wills, Tampa Bay left a fair amount of chicken on the bone in a game against a team that, in the words of Taylor Walls, is “beatable.”
In the fifth inning, Randy Arozarena hit a 1-2 leadoff single to center before Kevin Kiermaier earned a four-pitch walk. Yet, Isaac Paredes flew out to left, Francisco Mejia struck out looking at a fastball over the heart of the plate, and Walls worked the count 2-1 before he grounded out to short, ending the threat.
An inning later, the Rays worked the bases full on three singles and a fielder’s choice, yet with one out and the bases loaded, Arozarena grounded into a double play on the first pitch of, arguably, the most important at-bat of the game for the Rays.
The New What Next
Another day, another marquee matchup. Shane McClanahan (7-2, 1.87 ERA) will get the start Wednesday, pitching opposite Nestor Cortes (5-2, 1.96 ERA).
Shane McClanahan allowed an unearned run on two hits and one walk while striking out nine across eight innings on Thursday against St. Louis. McClanahan continued his run of dominance by racking up 20 swinging strikes across 94 total pitches. He allowed two of his three baserunners in the sixth inning, which resulted in the Cardinals’ only run after McClanahan committed a throwing error. Even so, he has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts. The left-hander allowed just one run on seven hits (one homer) across seven frames while striking out seven Yankees on May 29. Overall, McClanahan owns a 1.87 ERA and a 2.45 FIP, with a 7.54 K/BB across 72.1 innings on the season.
Nestor Cortes surrendered four runs on seven hits while striking out three against the Twins on Wednesday. The Twins got to Cortes for two runs in the bottom of the fourth before launching two solo homers in the next frame. The four runs allowed were his highest total of the season while the loss snaps a four-start win streak for the 27-year-old. He allowed just one run on four scattered hits against the Rays on May 26, while striking out five. Cortes still owns an incredible 1.96 ERA and a 2.85 FIP, with a 0.92 WHIP and 71 strikeouts across 64.1 innings (11 outings) this season. Key Matchups: Vidal Brujan (1-3), Kevin Kiermaier (3-6, 3B, 3 RBI), Manuel Margot (2-8, 2B), Francisco Mejia (2-4), Harold Ramirez (1-3)
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 8/15/22 Starting Lineup
- Diaz 3B
- Ramirez DH
- Margot RF
- Arozarena LF
- Paredes 1B
- Pinto C
- Kiermaier CF
- Walls SS
- Brujan 2B
Noteworthiness
— As I expected when the Rays traded Austin Meadows to Detroit, Isaac Paredes will spend some time at first base, with tonight being his first start at that position.
— The Rays should learn more about Mike Zunino’s situation this afternoon. Zunino, who has had left shoulder inflammation, had an MRI yesterday afternoon.
— Wander Franco (strained quad) began agility drills on June 13 and “felt good” performing them, manager Kevin Cash said. Franco will likely continue his agility work for a few days before starting a rehab stint.
Per Tricia Whitaker, Franco likely won’t return until the very end of June if not the start of July.
— Manager Kevin Cash said JP Feyereisen’s shoulder injury appears to be “kind of a bone bruise.” That makes the right-hander likely to return within a month, if all goes well, rather than spending an extended amount of time on the Injured List.