Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays trounce Padres for the second day straight, 15-1

The Tampa Bay Rays have scored 33 runs over 3 games — one shy of the club record over a three-game span (34, August 2008). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Batting practice ended at 5:20 Tuesday afternoon, however, no one informed the Tampa Bay Rays, who punished Edwin Jackson and the San Diego Padres for 10 extra base hits, including five home runs. When all was said and done, Tampa Bay pummeled San Diego, 15-1. The Rays have now scored 35 runs over the last three games (a franchise record for a three-game stretch) and have won three in a row.


Source: FanGraphs

Tampa Bay began the onslaught in the second inning against former Ray Edwin Jackson, when Luke Maile ripped a bases-loaded double down the left field line, clearing the bases for a three-run advantage.

They continued to pile on the runs in the third inning, scoring four times off the hurler that notoriously threw a 2010 no-hitter against the Rays at the Trop. Evan Longoria started the frame with a triple to right (his 60th extra base hit this year). After Brad Miller went down swinging, Matt Duffy reached on an infield hit. Logan Morrison, who’s been on fire since returning from the DL on Monday, doubled into the right-field corner, plating a pair of runs.

And though Steven Souza Jr. flew out to center for the first out of the frame, Corey Dickerson extended the inning by working a seven pitch walk, bringing Maile to the plate. Maile — who entered the game with five RBI in 19 games, and ended the night with nine on the season — and Nick Franklin went back-to-back with singles, capping the rally.

The Rays continued to shellack San Diego in the fourth when Miller hit a massive 446 foot homer off the batter’s eye in center for an 8-1 lead.

Franklin and Miller also combined for a pair two-run homers in the fifth inning off Carlos Villanueva to put the good guys up by 11. Franklin delivered three RBI after being penciled into the leadoff spot as a pregame substitution for Logan Forsythe, who was pinched due to back spasms. He’s also now hitting .250 BA/.313 OBP/.500 SLG/.813 OPS/.336 wOBA/.250 ISO over the second half of the season, with seven runs and 11 RBI.

In the sixth inning, Corey Dickerson homered to give the Rays a 12-run advantage, and Evan Longoria notched his 27th homer this season in the seventh, capping the scoring.

Longoria finished the night a double shy of the cycle, and matched Carl Crawford’s franchise record for games played (1,235).

15 runs and 10 extra base hits later, it only took the Padres eight innings to put the Rays down in order — San Diego’s only 1-2-3 inning of the night.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for the sweep Wednesday afternoon when Chris Archer (6-16, 4.39 ERA) takes the mound opposite of Christian Friedrich (4-8, 4.84 ERA). Archer leads the majors in losses, including a five run/six inning outing against the Yankees last Friday. This will be his first start against the Padres. Friedrich signed with San Diego in March after being released by Colorado. He’s allowed 132 baserunners in 87-1/3 innings. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 8/17/16 Starting Lineup

Franklin 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 1B
Mahtook LF
Morrison DH
Souza RF
Beckham SS
Wilson C
Archer RHP

Noteworthiness

— Matt Duffy precautionarily left the game after the third inning with mild left achilles soreness. The newest Ray told reporters after the game that whether he plays in the series finale will be a game-time decision.

— Update: As expected, neither Logan Forsythe nor Matt Duffy are in today’s lineup. Forsythe said the pain in his back is manageable but his rotation/mobility limited. He doesn’t expect to be available today, and aims to return Friday. As for Duffy, he said his Achilles is “sore” as expected after playing five straight games, but he is “not concerned.” The shortstop thinks it is part of healing process.

— Alex Cobb and Chase Whitley update. Both hurlers took the mound Tuesday night in Durham and Port Charlotte (respectively). Cobb posted a four inning no decision with the Bulls, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks, on 76 pitches (46 strikes), while striking out five. With the Stone Crabs, Whitley scattered four hits (three infield singles) over six innings and 92 pitches (67 strikes), fanning six.

— If the breaks don’t break you, and the takes don’t take you… The Rays enter Thursday’s ballgame with a 60 – 58 BaseRuns record, a 57 – 61 Pythagorean Expectation, and a .289 BABIP (which is just over MLB average). The thought that if a few more balls dropped in here or there, or if the team wasn’t decimated by early injuries, we’d have a contending ball club is rather maddening. Talk about bad luck.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Drew Smyly stymies the Padres Monday night in Rays 8-2 win

Now with five straight quality starts under his belt, Drew Smyly has matched the longest streak of his career (April-May 2012 with DET).
Now with five straight quality starts under his belt, Drew Smyly has matched the longest streak of his career (April-May 2012 with DET). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
Logan Forsythe hit massive homer against his original team, and Drew Smyly collected his fifth consecutive quality start, as the Tampa Bay Rays opened a 10-game home stand with an 8-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Tampa Bay has now won their last two games.

Below are some highlights from the contest.


Source: FanGraphs

— Smyly matched his longest career quality start streak on Monday, with his fifth consecutive quality start. And though Alexei Ramirez homered with one out in the first inning, that was the only hit the southpaw would allow over seven strong innings. Derek Norris walked twice, however, Smyly stymied the Padres hitters, coaxing 11 poppers over the course of his 87 pitch (57 strikes) outing.

Of Smyly’s 51 fastballs thrown, 12 forced swings and misses from San Diego’s all to eager hitters. His cutter was also very good, throwing 12/14 for strikes. Smyly was very efficient and pounded the zone with his only mistake being a middle-in fastball which Ramirez deposited into the seats.

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— Forsythe’s go-ahead blast in the second inning gave the Rays all they’d need Monday night. Not only did it travel 440 feet, he now has five homers in his last 13 games.

— Following that second inning blast, both starters buckled down and held the opposition to 0-for-32 until the eighth inning. In that stretch, Smyly retired 14-of-16 with the only hiccups being the two walks of Norris.

— Kevin Kiermaier, who ended the night 3-for-4 including a homer, swiped a pair of bags.

— The Outlaw capped a five-run eighth inning rally with a three-run homer to right-center. He also spoke about his night after the game:

— In his return from the DL, Logan Morrison plated two RBI and helped break the game open for Tampa Bay in the eighth inning.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for the series win Tuesday night with LHP Blake Snell (3-5, 3.18 ERA) on the mound. He’ll be opposed by former Ray Edwin Jackson (3-2, 4.19 ERA). Snell has 58 strikeouts in 56-2/3 innings for 9.21 K/9 — top among AL rookie starters and third among all MLB rookie starters. Jackson is the only visiting pitcher to throw a no-no at Tropicana Field. Jackson is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in six games/five starts against his former team. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 8/16/16 Starting Lineup

Franklin 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller DH
Duffy SS
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson LF
Maile C
Snell RHP

Noteworthiness

— Why pull Smyly, in favor of Brad Boxberger (who walked a pair with two outs), after he threw just 87 pitches? Cash Said he knew Smyly wasn’t going to throw a complete game, and wanted Boxberger to get work. He felt like it was good spot for Box.

— Injury updates. LHP Enny Romero (back strain) threw a bullpen session Monday and is expected to begin his minor-league rehab stint this week. RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) is slated to make his sixth rehab start Tuesday night with Triple-A Durham, while RHP Chase Whitley (Tommy John) is scheduled to make his sixth at Class-A Charlotte.

Rays 8/15/16 starting lineup, LoMo activated from DL, Baseball Forever Night at the Trop, etc

This numb-nut returns to the Trop for the first time since being traded before the 2015 season. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
This numb-nut returns to the Trop for the first time since being traded before the 2015 season. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Rays 8/15/16 Starting Lineup

Forsythe 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 1B
Duffy SS
Morrison DH
Franklin RF
Dickerson LF
Wilson C
Smyly LHP

Noteworthiness

— Welcome back, Logan Morrison. The Tampa Bay Rays announced that LoMo has been activated from the 15-day DL. In doing so, RHP Dylan Floro has been optioned back to Triple-A Durham. Morrison, who bats sixth as the DH tonight, said he’s good with Brad Miller’s move to first base, and is willing to help Miller any way he can.

— We here at X-Rays Spex will be at the Trop in full force this upcoming Friday for the Baseball Forever Night at the Trop. By full force, I mean that a group of 13 tickets has been procured. If you’re still interested in attending the ballgame, single-seat tickets are still available at the Baseball Forever Night at the Trop website (linked).

— You can read about tonight’s pitching matchup, and so much more, at our series preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Padres — an interleague series preview

Evan Longoria left New York today ranking first among Yankee Stadium visitors in hits (74) and RBI (47). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
Evan Longoria left New York today ranking first among Yankee Stadium visitors in hits (74) and RBI (47). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays return home from a 2-4 road trip to start a three-game, interleague series against Wil Myers and the San Diego Padres.

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The Rays are now home at the Trop for 10 consecutive games, while the Padres are wrapping up their road trip in Florida. Both teams just finished a stint in New York City, culminating in completely different outcomes in the series finale. San Diego was almost no-hit by Mets pitcher Steven Matz in a 5-1 loss on Sunday, yet the Rays salvaged a game in the Bronx with a 12-3 win against the Yankees.

Evan Longoria continues to swing a hot bat, collecting three hits and four RBI on Sunday, in a game in which all nine Rays starters had hits and scored.

We had a nice offensive approach and it was nice to see, said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team posted 21 runs in two wins last week, yet 15 in four losses. (Longoria) has been outstanding. His at-bats, his approach, everything he does. He’s a guy you want when guys are on base. Right now, he’s seeing everything really well.

Meanwhile, former Ray Wil Myers will face the team he won the AL Rookie of the Year with in 2013. Myers told the media he has no ill will toward his former team:

When I was in Tampa (Bay), I was young and dumb. I did a lot of things that weren’t great, as far as just being a big-leaguer. I’ve really felt like I’ve grown as a big-leaguer, grown as a teammate. That’s one thing I wish that I could’ve given Tampa (Bay).

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Cash will throw Drew Smyly (4-11, 5.04 ERA), Blake Snell (3-5, 3.18 ERA), and Chris Archer (6-16, 4.39 ERA) the next three days. Andy Green will counter with Luis Perdomo (5-6, 6.80 ERA), Edwin Jackson (3-2, 4.19 ERA), and Christian Friedrich (4-8, 4.84 ERA).

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Rays Series Starters

Smyly tossed six innings of two run baseball on Tuesday, allowing six hits and three walks while fanning two Blue Jays. Smyly went 2-11 in his first 18 appearances of the season, with a 5.64 ERA and just six quality starts. He, however, has turned things around since the All-Star Break, making four consecutive quality starts and going 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA, and posting a 19/6 K/BB along the way.

Snell allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks over just 1-2/3 innings on Wednesday. The southpaw should have been out of the first inning unscathed, but right fielder Steven Souza Jr. dropped a foul ball while Josh Donaldson was at the plate. Toronto’s third baseman took advantage of the opportunity by notching a single. Snell came back to retire the next two batters, but Troy Tulowitzki lined a three-run homer in the next at-bat. Snell surrendered two more runs in the second before Cash removed him from the game.

Archer fanned nine Yankees’ batters on Friday, but also surrendered five earned runs on seven hits over six innings. Archer continues to endure the worst season of his career, and though he wasn’t necessarily bad, the Yankees chipped away at him over the span of his start.

Padres Series Starters

Perdomo is known for his sinker, and when it’s biting, he can be dominant. The 23 year old righty has racked up the highest ground-ball rate in the big leagues among pitchers with at least 90 innings of work. He, however, has struggled to maintain the pitch’s effectiveness once fatigue sets in. Aside from the above mentioned 95 mph offering, Perdomo mixes in an 84 mph slider with excellent depth; a 95 mph four-seam, worm killer fastball; and a hard 89 mph changeup.

Jackson, the former Ray, threw seven shutout innings against the Pirates on Wednesday, allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking three. Jackson has been very tough against his former team, going 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay, including a 2010 no-hitter when he was with Arizona. The Rays faced him once this season, a one inning relief appearance out of the pen with the Marlins. Key matchups: Corey Dickerson (2-3, 2B, BB), Logan Forsythe (1-3, 3B, RBI), Nick Franklin (1-3, 2 RBI), Brad Miller (3-4, 2 2B)

Friedrich is on a pitch count and his outing against the Rays could be the last of his season. The 29 year-old southpaw surpassed his career high for innings in his last start, and that’s not including his four minor league starts. This season, Friedrich has relied primarily upon a 90 mph four-seam fastball, and a 77 mph curveball that generates a lot of grounders. He’s also mixed in a 90 mph sinker with little run and sink, an 83 mph slider, and an 85 mph cutter. Key matchup: Logan Forsythe (1-4, 2 BB)

The New What Next: Rays enter Sunday’s game in salvage mode

Salvage mode! The Tampa Bay Rays look to take a game from the Yankees before heading back to the Sunshine State. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
Salvage mode! The Tampa Bay Rays look to take a game from the Yankees before heading back to the Sunshine State. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Salvage mode. The Tampa Bay Rays look to take a game from the New York Yankees before heading back to the Sunshine State. They’ve dropped the first two games 6-3 and 8-4, allowing 14 runs in 16 innings, and seven home runs along the way.

Since the final game of the Toronto series, Blake Snell, Chris Archer, and Matt Andriese have combined for just 12-2/3 innings, and have surrendered 13 earned runs. All this after leading the AL in ERA since the All-Star Break.

The New What Next

Jake Odorizzi Jake Odorizzi (6-5, 3.69 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay, opposite of  Luis Severino (1-7, 6.42 ERA). Odorizzi gave up four runs (two earned) over 5-1/3 innings in a no-decision on Monday against Toronto. He relinquished eight hits, walked three, and fanned four. That start broke a stretch of three consecutive shutout starts for Odorizzi. Still, the righty has allowed just six runs in five starts since the All-Star Break. Against the Yankees, Odorizzi has allowed just two runs in two starts (13-2/3 innings) this season.

Severino allowed five runs in 4-1/3 innings his last start against the Red Sox. The righty has only faced the Rays once this season — as a reliever — throwing two scoreless frames in that appearance.

Rays 8/14/16 Starting Lineup

Forsythe 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 1B
Duffy SS
Franklin LF
Dickerson DH
Souza RF
Wilson C
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

— SSDD. Evan Longoria has four hits, including a homer, over the first two games of the series. Brad Miller had his first multi-homer game Saturday, while newcomer Matt Duffy collected hits in each of his first two games with Tampa Bay. The rest of the lineup, however, has been fairly quiet. Steven Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson have been pushed down in the order because of it, while Nick Franklin will handle the LF duties this afternoon, hitting fifth.

— Miller’s 16 homers since June 17 rank second in Major League Baseball.

— Both OF Oswaldo Arcia (right elbow strain) and DH Logan Morrison (right forearm strain) went 0-3 in their rehab games with the Class-A Stone Crabs on Saturday.

— After being taken yard in the Bronx on Saturday, RHP Erasmo Ramirez has given up an MLB reliever-most 12 homers over 71 innings.