After winning their third consecutive series, the Tampa Bay Rays now look to ride this surge of momentum into a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.16 ERA, 4.59 FIP) gets the start for Tampa Bay. He is coming off a seven hit and four run start against Cleveland — both season-highs — in the 7–4 win.
He will be opposed by J.C. Ramirez (3-3, 3.97 ERA, 3.86 FIP), who has gone seven innings in three of his last five starts. Ramirez has done so while pitching efficiently; he has yet to throw 100 pitches in a start this year.
Evan Longoria will get a DH day today, while Steven Souza Jr. will get a day off, and Michael Martinez will make his first start with his new ball-club.
Rays 5/22/17 Starting Lineup
Dickerson LF
Kiermaier CF
Longoria DH
Morrison 1B
Beckham SS
Rasmus RF
Robertson 3B
Norris C
Martinez 2B
Odorizzi RHP
Corey Dickerson slides into home for the Rays first run on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
Even though the Tampa Bay Rays fell 3-2 in the finale finale against the Yankees on Sunday, they still were able to walk away with their third consecutive series win. Next they will play host to Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a four-game series, starting Monday.
(Stats: ESPN)
Both teams are 6-4 over a 10-game stretch, however, a huge difference between the two is that the Angels aren’t scoring runs and the Rays are — Los Angeles’ -7 and the Rays +21 run differentials speak to that. The Angels’ 8-15 road record certainly doesn’t help. Still, Mike Trout — who is batting .362 (17-47) in 13 career games at The Trop — is Mike Trout, and Cameron Maybin has been hot in the leadoff spot — collecting 11 hits in his last 21 at-bats, with five walks.
Questions continue to swirl around Albert Pujols, who is nursing a tight right hamstring, and whether he will be available for the series. There is the possibility that the Angels could use him as the designated hitter, and in the words of Mike Scioscia:
We’re just going day to day. He felt good this afternoon. We’ll see tomorrow.
As for the Rays, Corey Dickerson continues to rake, collecting a league leading 21 multi-hit games, while Logan Morrison holds the team lead in runs batted in at 31. Boding in Tampa Bay’s favor, the bullpen appears to be turning the corner, with the relievers slashing 3.12 ERA/3.68 FIP/.243 BABIP over the past 14 days and 40-1/3 innings. Compare that will their overall 3.93 ERA/3.86 FIP/.274 BABIP line.
Tthe Rays took the 2016 series with the Angels by a 4-3 margin, however, the Halos have won their last three games at Tropicana Field.
(Stats: FanGraphs)
Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will look to Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.16 ERA, 4.59 FIP), Alex Cobb (4-3, 3.67 ERA, 3.99 FIP), Erasmo Ramirez (2-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.31 FIP), and Matt Andriese (4-1, 3.75 ERA, 4.76 FIP), Scioscia will counter with J.C. Ramirez (3-3, 3.97 ERA, 3.86 FIP), Matt Shoemaker (3-2, 4.47 ERA, 5.01 FIP), Ricky Nolasco (2-3, 4.01 ERA, 5.39 FIP), and Alex Meyer (2-2, 5.79 ERA, 4.33 FIP).
(Stats: FanGraphs)
Pitching Matchups
Odorizzi earned his third win on Tuesday, when he held Cleveland to four runs on seven hits over six innings. The right-hander sailed into the sixth inning with just one run on his ledger, but ended the frame by allowing a two-run home run by Edwin Encarnacion. He was able to finish the inning and wound up with an impressive victory over one of the best teams in baseball.
Ramirez took a no-decision in his last start after allowing two runs over seven innings against the ChiSox. He was used exclusively as a reliever in the majors until recently, and has tossed two scoreless innings in two career relief appearances against Tampa Bay. Ramirez boasts a 94-97 mph fastball with release-side run (and just a 4.4% SwStr% on the season), an 87-90 mph slider that gets a fair number of swings-and-misses, and a 12-6 curveball with a bunch of late break that coaxes grounders from opposing batters. Key matchups: Peter Bourjos (1-2), Michael Martinez (1-2, 2B), Derek Norris (1-1, HR, 3 RBI), Steven Souza Jr. (1-1)
Cobb has delivered quality starts in his last four starts, allowing just eight earned runs over his last 27-1/3 innings. His changeup hasn’t returned to pre-surgery form, which has been well documented, but he’s effectively worked the fastball-curve combo.
Shoemaker notched his third win of the season on Wednesday after allowing four runs (three earned) over 6-1/3 innings against the ChiSox. In 2017, he has relied primarily on an 85 mph splitter with a ton of backspin that results in an above average number of fly balls, a 92 mph four-seam fastball, an 83 mph slider, and a 92 mph sinker. Shoemaker is undefeated in three career starts against the Rays, going 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA. Key matchups: Michael Martinez (1-3), Logan Morrison (4-11, 2B, HR, RBI, BB), Derek Norris (3-5, BB), Colby Rasmus (6-19, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB)
Ramirez continues to have success whether he’s in the starting rotation or coming out of the bullpen. He gave up just two runs in 5-1/3 innings, throwing just 65 pitches (48 strikes) in his first start back — a no-decision against New York.
Nolasco held the Mets to two runs (one earned) over six innings, en route to a hard luck loss. The 34 year-old right-hander has favored his has relied primarily on his 82 mph worm-burner of a slider, a 91 mph fly ball coaxing sinker, and a rather pedestrian 92 mph four-seam fastball. He also mixes in am 82 mph splitter from time to time, and a 74 mph knuckle curveball. In nine career starts against Tampa Bay, he has gone 3-6 with a beefy 6.57 ERA. Key matchups: Evan Longoria (5-19, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Logan Morrison (1-3, 2B), Colby Rasmus (2-7, BB), Steven Souza Jr. (1-3, 2B), Rickie Weeks Jr. (11-24, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB)
Andriese battled through his second consecutive start, going five-plus innings and giving up five runs on six hits against the Yankees. He, however, is 3-0 in his past four outings. He looks to regress back to his previous, efficient form in the series finale on Thursday.
Meyer delivered an uneven performance against New York on Saturday, allowing four runs (three earned) while walking four, and fanning seven over four-plus innings. The 27 year-old rookie has never faced the Rays, and relies primarily on his 97 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, a 97 mph sinker with good tailing action that results in a good number of fly balls, and a hard knuckle curveball.
…Sights from left-field, the best personalized jersey I’ve ever seen. This guy is a walking, talking happy hour! (Photo Credit: Anthony Ateek/X-Rays Spex)
Corey Dickerson continued to be a force on Saturday afternoon, belting a pair of homers en route to a 9–5 win over the Yankees. The fourth straight win for the Rays pushed Tampa Bay ahead of Boston for third place in the AL East.
Early in the contest, Dickerson hit a towering backspin homer to left-center, giving Tampa Bay a first inning, one-run lead.
Corey Dickerson opens the scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning with an opposite-field solo home run to left field
Now down by one, Aaron Judge sought to put his own stamp on the game by answering Dickerson’s homer with a 384 foot game tying solo-shot to right. Yet the tie was short lived.
In the bottom of the second, Colby Rasmus hit a base hit to center, and Daniel Robertson worked a free pass. Jesus Sucre — who always seems to come up big in wRISP situations — hit an RBI double up the middle, scoring the Rays left-fielder.
The Rays were far from done, and Evan Longoria continued to pile on the runs in the third, belting a 380 foot solo homer to put the Rays up by two.
Unfortunately starter Matt Andriese never could put together that all important shutdown inning, and the Yankees came from behind to tie the game in the fourth inning. The rally started when Starlin Castro hit a one out base-hit, and Judge followed by lacing a double to left, putting a pair of runners in scoring position. Andriese beautifully sequenced and fanned Ellsbury (swinging), but gave up a first pitch RBI double to Chase Headley which knotted the game at three.
Yet as the baseball gods would have it, the never say die Rays took the lead for good with the mighty Corey Dickerson at the plate.
Robertson doubled to the right-center gap before Jesus Sucre reached on a strike three wild pitch. With two on, Dickerson hit a 2-1 slider off the scoreboard some 442 feet to right, putting the Rays ahead for good.
Corey Dickerson mashes a massive three-run homer to right field for his second home run of the game
It was Corey’s second homer of the game, and 11th of the season. Beleaguered starter Masahiro Tanaka has now allowed five homers in two starts against Tampa Bay, as well as 13 runs. The right-hander was lifted after he allowed two more singles.
Even though Tampa Bay didn’t plate any more runs in the fourth, the Rays rallied for three more in the fifth against Tommy Layne and Giovanny Gallegos.
Up 6–4, after Gary Sanchez homered in the top of the frame, Robertson led off the bottom half of the inning with a single to center off Layne. Then with one out, Dickerson was hit in the back with a first pitch 89 mph fastball, intentionally or otherwise.
I wasn’t expecting it, Dickerson said. Only thing I didn’t like about it was where it was located. If it was on purpose and he hit me, that’s okay, I just took my base and went on about it. (But) toward my head — anywhere else it wouldn’t have mattered at all.
Whatever the case, Kevin Kiermaier followed with an RBI single to left-center, putting the Rays up by three.
Gallegos entered and promptly walked Longoria, loading the bases for Logan Morrison. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Morrison hit a two-RBI single to center, making it a five-run contest.
Following the hit, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Manager Joe Girardi were ejected from the ball game, feeling that Morrison should have been called out on strikes earlier in the at-bat. To his credit, Girardi’s animated display of disenfranchisement — mounding dirt on top of home pate — was rather entertaining.
Joe Girardi was ejected tonight, and put on a show afterward. The video: https://t.co/RYOnTkmbz4
However, if the raison d’être of his tirade was to fire up his ball club, it failed.
That wasn’t the only ejection; Andriese was tossed for hitting Judge with a 90 mph first-pitch fastball to the ribs to start the sixth inning. The errant pitch was thought to be revenge for Layne’s hit by pitch of Dickerson.
We have a really tight-knit group here, Andriese said. We’re playing with some fire. We’re not the big-name team, but we’ve got to make a name for ourselves somehow, so I feel like we’re kind of doing that right now.
With a proverbial wink and a nudge, Andriese said no, he was “just trying go inside.”
For his part, Girardi noted that if it was an intentional hit by pitch, the Rays right-hander went about things in the right way:
I don’t really understand it. Maybe they thought that we threw at their guy on purpose. … Really, I don’t want runners at first and second. It’s all right. They thought he threw at him on purpose, they hit Judge, did it, in a sense, the right way — it was lower. But, whatever.
From there, former Yankee Chase Whitley entered in relief, and dominated his former team after allowing a double to Ellsbury. Whitley mowed through the next nine hitters over the next three innings. Rays skipper Kevin Cash called upon Jumbo Diaz to work the final frame, and the hefty right-hander struck out a pair while walking one.
All told, Tampa Bay posted 12 hits, with Dickerson, Kiermaier, Longoria and Robertson collecting multi-hit games.
The New What Next
The Rays will attempt to sweep the Yankees and continue their win streak on Sunday with Chris Archer (3-2, 3.70 ERA, 3.16 FIP) on the mound. He’ll be opposed by CC Sabathia (3-2, 4.93 ERA, 4.84 FIP).
Archer relinquished seven runs (six earned) on five hits and six walks over five innings on Monday. He fanned six batters. The right-hander was undone in the first when he allowed three runs on three walks and two hits — including a three-run blast by Lonnie Chisenhall. And though he settled down, Archer still struggled with his control en route to a new season high in walks. He looks to bounce back against Grimmace on Sunday.
Sabathia fired 6-2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday night, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out four. Sabathia has beaten the Rays once this season, in a five-inning start where he allowed just three hits and a big ol’ goose egg. Key matchups: Tim Beckham (3-8, 2B, RBI, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (4-8, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Evan Longoria (30-73, 9 2B, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 14 BB), Logan Morrison (2-3), Derek Norris (3-11, 2B, HR5 RBI), Steven Souza Jr. (6-14, HR, RBI, 2 BB)
Erasmo Ramirez, pictured warming up in the ‘pen before Friday night’s game, was incredibly efficient in his first start since the demotion of Blake Snell. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
Evan Longoria had a four-hit game, which included the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays won a back-and-forth battle against the New York Yankees, 5–4. Don’t look now, but the Rays have put together a modest three-game win streak (6-4 over their last 10 games) and are back to .500 on the season.
The LI graph for an incredibly fun game. Source: FanGraphs
The Yankees got things started early against Erasmo Ramirez, who is widely known to work quickly and throw strikes. With one out, Jacoby Ellsbury singled to center and went to third on Matt Holliday’s double to center. Surely the threat of Kevin Kiermaier’s arm factored into the decision to hold Ellsbury at third, however, when Starlin Castro grounded out to short, Ellsbury crossed the plate to break the seal. Ramirez was able to limit the damage to just a run by striking out Didi Gregorius (swinging) to end the inning.
Down by a run, the Rays came charging back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at one apiece against starter Luis Severino — who was not particularly sharp over his 25+ pitch first. Corey Dickerson led off the frame with a well struck single to center, yet both Kiermaier and Evan Longoria traded places with the Rays’ DH after they hit into back-to-back fielder’s choices. With two outs, however, Longoria scored from first on Logan Morrison’s double to left-center, putting Tampa Bay on the board.
New York broke the stalemate in the third inning when Gardner reached on a bunt single. Charging and bare-handing the ball, Longoria sailed his throw past Morrison at first, allowing Gardner to advance to second. Ellsbury then slapped a double up the left field line on the very next pitch, putting the Yankees ahead by a 2–1 margin.
…And the Yankees maintained that one-run lead until the seventh, when Tampa Bay took its first lead of the game.
The Rays started the rally against Adam Warren with three straight singles from Dickerson, Kiermaier and Longoria — loading the bases with none out. Morrison followed with a 400 for sac-fly to center, allowing all three runners to advance, tying the game. After Steven Souza Jr. struck out, the Yankees brought in lefty Chasen Shreve for Colby Rasmus. But Kevin Cash, playing chess, put the right-handed Rickie Weeks Jr. into the game to pinch-hit, and he came through by chopping a ground ball that skipped past Ronald Torreyes up the third base line for a two-run double, putting Tampa Bay by a pair. As Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) opined, Weeks is said to have a big impact in the clubhouse, and he finally came through in a big way on the field.
The lead took Ramirez off the hook, in his first start since replacing Blake Snell in the rotation. The smiley one needed just 65 pitches (48 strikes) to work into the sixth, allowing just two runs (one earned) on six hits, while walking one and striking out five. He efficiently got 11 of his 16 outs in three pitches or fewer. Welcome back, King Erasmo.
Yet as we’ve seen all season, the bullpen — this time Jose Alvarado and Ryne Stanek — allowed the lead to slip away in the eighth. Alvarado walked Gardner, the first free pass he’s allowed in the big leagues, before he coaxed a popper to short left out of Ellsbury for the first out of the frame. Now with Stanek on the bump, Gardner moved into second on a wild pitch, before Matt Holliday homered to right on a 100 mph, 2–2 fastball. Castro singled, which led to Stanek’s exit, before Danny Farquhar got Aaron Judge to bounce into a 5–4–3 double play to end the frame and preserve the tie.
Something they haven’t often done this season, although they do seem to be improving, the Rays took the lead for the second and final time in the bottom of the inning. Norris walked against Tyler Clippard with one out. After Dickerson went down swinging, Kiermaier worked a four-pitch walk, putting two aboard for Longoria.
Longoria took the first pitch for a strike, then lined a single into left field, scoring Norris from second for a 5–4 lead. It was the seventh four hit game for Longoria, who was part of every Tampa Bay rally. The team now has scored five or more runs in five consecutive games, and six of the past seven contests.
Alex Colome finished things up by working a perfect ninth for his 11th save. Danny Farquhar, kept the game tied in the eighth, earned the win.
The New What Next
Tampa Bay has a chance to get back over .500 this afternoon for the first time in a month. The Rays have won three straight for the first time since sweeping Detroit (April 18–20). Matt Andriese (3-1, 3.18 ERA, 4.45 FIP) will take the mound today, opposite of fellow righty Masahiro Tanaka (5-2, 5.80 ERA, 5.37 FIP).
Andriese battled against the Red Sox in his last start, allowing just two runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out five batters over five innings. The right-hander has been solid, although the outcome of this game likely depends upon which Tanaka shows up to pitch for New York on Saturday.
Tanaka was tagged for eight runs on seven hits and one walk over just 1-2/3 innings on Sunday by the Astros. He has shown some promise this season, winning each of his previous five starts, and allowing a total of 11 earned runs in that span. Yet at other times it looks like he’s throwing batting practice. Tanaka allowed seven runs on eight hits in just 2-2/3 innings of work against Tampa Bay on Opening Day. Key matchups: Tim Beckham (1-3, 2B), Corey Dickerson (6-16, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (6-12, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB)
Dickerson DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Souza Jr RF
Rasmus LF
Beckham SS
Robertson 2B
Sucre C
Andriese RHP
Noteworthiness
— Disabled list update:
SS Matt Duffy (heel), who stopped his minor-league rehab because of soreness, participated in pregame batting practice and took ground balls Friday afternoon. Duffy is expected to do it again today, and should resume his rehab shortly.
Meanwhile RHP Tommy Hunter (right calf strain) is slated to throw live batting practice this afternoon, while C Wilson Ramos (offseason knee surgery) hit on the field Friday for the first time.
The Rays look to continue the party tonight against the Yankees. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
After a well deserved off-day on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays will begin a three-game series against the New York Yankees tonight. The Rays are coming off a 4–2 road trip, that included series wins in Boston and Cleveland.
Rays 5/19/17 Starting Lineup
Dickerson DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Rasmus LF
Beckham SS
Robertson 2B
Norris C
Ramirez RHP
Noteworthiness
— Earlier we wrote that Brad Miller has been added to the 10-day DL with a lower abdominal strain. The Rays’ second baseman told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) that while no date has been set for him to resume baseball activities, he is aiming to be off the DL when he is eligible, next Friday.
— Expected to help the backend of the bullpen, the Rays announced today that RHP Shawn Tolleson had Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.
