Nathan Karns set the pace for the Rays by putting together another impressive outing, positing six innings of one-run baseball, while fanning three along the way. Karns located his pitches well and played off the Tigers’ aggressiveness at the plate, by pitching to contact to great effect — aside from a two-out single by Victor Martinez, the righty put down 18 of 19 batters before allowing a seventh inning leadoff solo shot to Yoenis Cespedes.
Including tonight, @NathanKarns has logged 15 starts allowing 2 runs or fewer—tied with SEA @RealKingFelix for most in the American League.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 28, 2015
Karns improved to 6-5 overall, with a 3.37 ERA through his first 20 starts. He stands among the top in all of baseball to record at least 15 starts with two runs or fewer, and leads all rookie hurlers with 106 strikeouts.
Following Karns, a trio of relievers came on to solidify the victory.
Kevin Jepsen inherited a runner when he took over for Karns in the seventh. The RHPR coaxed a fielder’s choice to put down the lead runner at second, then worked around an Alex Avila walk to strand a pair of runners on the base paths. All told, the reliever pitched pretty well with a little help from Curt Casali, who made few excellent blocks behind the plate.
Jake McGee got the eighth inning. The lefty struggled and relinquished his first earned run since May 26th — a streak of 21-2/3 innings. McGee allowed a two-out single to Ian Kinsler after a nine pitch battle. Kinsler was wild pitched to second before Cespedes singled him home for Detroit’s second run of the game.
Brad Boxberger worked around a two-out walk to earn his 25th save of the year.
Offensively, Casali led the way with three hits, while both Evan Longoria and Logan Forsythe chipped in with multi-hit performances. Casali gave the Rays a one run advantage with a massive third inning solo-shot to deep left-field.
Another look at @CurtCasali‘s HR. His last 6 hits have gone for extra bases. #FireEmoji WATCH: http://t.co/00OLd9XGqD pic.twitter.com/SERM8pal6e — Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 28, 2015
The team followed that with two more runs, scoring one in the fourth and another in the fifth. Kevin Kiermaier hit his team-high 34th extra-base to drive in Steven Souza Jr. in the fourth, and David DeJesus came around to score on Forsythe’s single in the bottom of the fifth. For Logan, it was his team-high 23rd multi-hit game.
Finally, Casali capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth that rattled around the catwalk and landed in the 162 Landing.
Per ESPN.com, it is believed to be the first home run hit off the B-ring catwalk since Frank Thomas hit one for the Chicago White Sox on April 4, 1998, in the fifth game ever played at Tropicana Field.
An aside, Casali got his third consecutive start behind the dish as an attempt to jump start the Rays’ scuffling offense.
#Rays Casali starting 3rd straight, Cash said it’s to try to get more offense in lineup
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 27, 2015
I’d have to say the strategy worked.
The New What Next
Jake Odorizzi (5-6, 2.85 ERA) will make his 16th start of the season against former Ray David Price (9-3, 2.31 ERA). Odorizzi has received three runs or more just four times in his fifteen starts. The righty is 2-2 with a 1.40 ERA in six starts at Tropicana Field this season. A year after being traded from Tampa Bay at the Trade Deadline, Price will make his final start before this year’s Deadline, with trade rumors surrounding him yet again. Price tossed eight innings of one-hit ball in a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay last August 21. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 7/28/15 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Butler DH
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 1B
Souza RF
Cabrera SS
Casali C
Beckham 2B
Kiermaier CF
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
— Kevin Kiermaier left last night’s game with a minor abrasion of his left eye, sustained during pre game workout. Kiermaier was using an elastic stretching/resistance band before game, and while e switched his feet, it snapped up and hit his eye.
These eyes…are day-to-day. pic.twitter.com/cWAB3dmTQ6 — Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 28, 2015
— Longoria doubled and reached three times in a 2-3 night at the plate, and Forsythe drove in his 42nd run of the year on his fifth inning base hit.
— Asdrubal Cabrera was activated from the DL after the game and is expected to be in the lineup tonight. Jake Elmore was the odd-man out, and was optioned back to Triple-A Durham, leaving Tim Beckham as the lone platoon infielder.
Elmore said of demotion:
Another opportunity to play in the big leagues and help the team any way you can (like) moving around positions. And now I go back to Triple-A and hopefully get my swing back completely and hopefully be back and help the team win some more. So it’s hard for me to stay down. Obviously, the news hurts, but I feel confident that I’ll be back. I’m just taking positives from every situation that happens.
Foreshadowing the activation of Cabrera, INF Tim Beckham did pre game work at first base, giving Tampa Bay another right-handed hitting option with several lefty starters upcoming — a role Elmore had been filling.
— The Rays finally promoted Taylor Guerreri — the team’s second selection in the 2011 draft (and 24th overall) — to the Montgomery Biscuits. Guerreri joins Ryne Stanek, Jake Bauers, Jacob Faria, Jeff Ames, and Chris Kirsch, all of whom were promoted earlier in the season.
Guerreri faired well in 2012 with the Rays Hudson Valley affiliate, and was promoted to Bowling Green the following season, where he continued to pitch well. However, at the conclusion of the 2013 season, it was revealed that Guerreri would have to undergo Tommy John surgery, costing him most of the 2014 season.
The organization took it slow with Guerreri since his return, limiting the righties to time on the mound this year, while holding him to a rigid pitch count each appearance. Yet he has been excellent during time on the mound, warranting the promotion. Guerreri’s posted a 2-2/2.14 ERA/2.01 FIP/25.6% K%/6.4% BB% line in 52 innings of work (12 games).
— Per Ken Rosenthal, former Rays utility-man Ben Zobrist is headed to the Royals in a trade with the Athletics.