Source: FanGraphs
Chris Archer got the start for Tampa Bay with a chip on his shoulder — the righty began the day having thrown three straight starts of 10-plus strikeouts and no walks. Although it was obvious from the jump that Archer wasn’t working with his best stuff. True, his fastball was around 96 mph, so there wasn’t a concern with his velocity, and his slider showed the great depth per usual. However, his stuff was a little less crisp, and his control wasn’t quite on point. Because of it, the Rays ace pitched to contact and was pretty effective (and efficient), tossing seven innings before allowing his first walk in 107 batters faced (dating back to May 22). Despite two tough innings, the first and the fourth, Archer battled back the next frame and was effective once more. Archer fanned 43 batters in that stretch.
The teams traded runs early in the game. In the first inning, Alexei Ramirez singled and was wild pitched to second with Jose Abreu at the plate. Ramirez scored on Abreu’s grounder to center. The speedy Kevin Kiermaier was not content with what he saw in the top of the inning, and turned a double to right-center into a triple to leadoff the Rays half of the first. Evan Longoria plated the Rays’ first run on a single to left-center.
In the third inning, Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead, and it all started with a Jeff Samardzija HBP of Kiermaier. The Outlaw quickly moved to third on Joey Butler’s ground rule double to right-center, and then quickly scored on Longoria’s fielder’s choice to short. Yet Chicago struck back in the next half inning, putting together three singles, including an RBI double to center by Melky Cabrera that scored Abreu for the tying run. Archer locked it in from there and didn’t allow another baserunner until the eighth inning.
Tampa Bay rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Nick Franklin, who has doubled his batting average since Wednesday, tripled off the top of the right-center field wall in the seventh with one out against Samardzija. Logan Forsythe, pinch-hitting for Curt Casali, followed with a fielder’s choice to short with the infield in. Ramirez fielded the grounder cleanly, but bobbled ball as he attempted to transfer it from his glove to his throwing hand. The White Sox shortstop had to settle for the out at first instead, and Forsythe was credited with the go-ahead RBI as Franklin scored.
Archer took the mound in the eighth inning with his pitch count in order, yet he allowed a lead-off walk the speedy Adam Eaton and Rays manager Kevin Cash had seen enough. Cash pulled Archer in favor of Brad Boxberger. The move was contentious, and Archer was not pleased. But Cash saw something that seemed apparent to anyone paying close attention to Archer’s body language — he looked gassed on the mound. His command against Eaton suggested the same, as the righty overthrew his fastball and a slider in the eight pitch plate appearance, missing above the zone throughout.
Chicago’s lead was short lived. The Rays rallied against Chicago’s reliever Zach Putnam, and it all started with two-out single up the middle by David DeJesus. The Rays’ left-fielder swiped second, and Steven Souza Jr worked a nine-pitch at-bat before ripping an RBI base-hit to left field, trying the game at four. Souza then stole second — a play where he was originally called out and then it was reversed on replay. Asdrubal Cabrera worked a 2-0 count before being walked intentionally following Souza’s steal, bringing Jake Elmore to the plate to face Jake Petricka. Elmore came up with what looked to be an inning ending grounder to Ramirez, however the shortstop threw the ball over the head of second baseman Gordon Beckham trying to get a force, allowing Souza to score on the play.
In the ninth, Jake McGee had to work around a one-out walk (his first of the season) and a single. McGee buckled down however, and came back to fan pinch-hitter Emilio Bonifacio (swinging) on a 96 mph fastball, and forcing a game ending pop-out of Tyler Flowers. McGee earned his third save of the week, while the rally, ironically, made a winner out of Boxberger.
The New What Next
Nathan Karns (3-3, 3.86 ERA) will get the start for the Rays, opposite of Chicago’s ace Chris Sale (6-2, 3.04 ERA). Karns will try to rebound from a pair of rough outings — both against Anaheim — in which he allowed a combined nine runs (eight earned) in 10-2/3 innings. Karns surrendered a career-high three home runs and six runs in five innings in his only career start against the White Sox last season. Sale has posted a ridiculous 3-0 record and a 0.40 ERA, with 39 strikeouts and a .152 BA in his last three starts (22-2/3 combined innings). You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 6/14/15 Starting Lineup
Guyer CF
Butler LF
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 2B
Souza RF
Cabrera SS
Elmore 1B
Franklin DH
Rivera C
Karns RHP
Noteworthiness
— Nick Franklin has gone 3-6 with three runs and two RBI in the last two days, raising his batting average from .070 to .145 since Wednesday.
— Both Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly got the ball rolling on their respective rehabilitations by participating in a sock toss exercise. Odorizzi, who said his side felt fine after his initial session, did some light tossing on flat ground on Sunday. Per Joey Knight (Tampa Bay Times) Odorizzi did 25 tosses from 60 feet, and indicated that he felt good afterward. He may throw again on Monday.