The Kansas City weather was much more forgiving than the Royals. At least the setting was picturesque. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
The Tampa Bay Rays will try to bounce back after losing their second straight game ― and the eighth in a 10-game stretch ― this time to the Kansas City Royals, 6-2. Tampa Bay has fallen to a season’s worst five games under .500.
Aside from the disappointing loss, the concern over a potential injury led to INF Steve Pearce’s removal from last night’s contest. After the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said Pearce “tweaked something” in his right elbow during his last at-bat. Concerned about being able to make a throw from second, Pearce removed himself from the ballgame. According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) Pearce conceded postgame that his right elbow has been bothering him for a while, although he hadn’t felt it on a swing prior to Monday night. Pearce expects to be able to play Tuesday evening.
The New What Next
Taking the mound tonight the Rays is LHP Drew Smyly, opposite of Royals hurler Dillon Gee. Smyly allowed a pair of two-run homers to Miami in last start. Both he and James Shields hold the distinction of being the only Rays pitchers who’ve accrued six losses, yet with a sub-4.00 ERA. Smyly is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 games games against the Royals, and is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in five starts.
Gee is a former Met who will make his fourth start of the season since moving into the rotation from the bullpen. He is 1-2 with a 5.65 ERA in his first three starts with his former World Series nemesis. Gee allowed three homers over four innings to Twins in last start, and has never faced the Rays. You can read more on the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 5/31/16 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Miller SS
Longoria 3B
Pearce 2B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson DH
Mahtook CF
Casali C
Smyly LHP
Noteworthiness
― According to the game notes, the Royals have won 13 of last the 14 home games against the Rays, outscoring them 99-41.
All-Star RHP Brad Boxberger (pictured) will be activated before Monday’s game. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)Bluntly put, the Tampa Bay Rays have struggled since matching their season high four straight wins May 16-20, losing seven of nine as they begin a 10-game, three-city road trip. Their first stop on the trek is Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, a facility where wins don’t come easily ― the Rays have gone 9-18 at The K, extending back to 2008.
Former Royals prospect Jake Odorizzi took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Sunday’s finale with New York before issuing a walk in front of Starlin Castro, who hit a two-run homer for the Yankees’ only hit of the game. Because of it, Tampa Bay is coming off a 1-4 home stand.
Evan Longoria’s third inning RBI single was all the Rays could muster against RHP Nathan Eovaldi and the Yankees, who held the team to O-5 wRISP.
Their guy was good, but we’ve got to find a way to get some more runs there, manager Kevin Cash said. We had our opportunities. It just didn’t happen.
The Royals rallied for three straight wins after trailing in the seventh inning or later in a home sweep of the Chicago White Sox.
The productive weekend started Friday when Kansas City scored five late runs in a 7-5 victory. The next night, KC scored seven in the bottom of the ninth for a remarkable 8-7 win.
Finally, trailing 4-2 going into the eighth, Cheslor Cuthbert drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single, capping a three-run rally for a 5-4 win. Lorenzo Cain started the rally with a one-out solo homer.
The Royals announced Sunday that beloved catcher Salvador Perez (quad contusion) is expected to be out 7-10 days, joining Alex Gordon (wrist) and Mike Moustakas (torn ACL) on the DL. Still, the reigning World Series champs have received strong contributions up and down the lineup, including Paulo Orlando, who has hit safely in 12 straight games. And despite their battle with the injury bug, the Royals are back on top of the AL Central. Eric Hosmer went 8-13 with seven RBI over the weekend, as Kansas City improved to 10-3 in its last 13 contests.
Kevin Cash will throw Matt Andriese (3-0, 2.63 ERA), Drew Smyly (2-6, 3.92 ERA), and Chris Archer (3-6, 4.62 ERA) over the next three days. Ned Yost will counter with Ian Kennedy (4-3, 3.38 ERA), Dillon Gee (1-2, 3.86 ERA), and Danny Duffy (0-0, 3.23 ERA).
Rays series starters
Andriese is coming off of a six-inning, three-run start against Miami on Wednesday. He got a no-decision, snapping his streak of three wins in his first three starts of 2016. The righty collected six strikeouts, marking his best performance in that category among his four big league starts. Andriese has missed bats with the Durham Bulls consistently over the last two seasons, so there’s some promise here. However, his unsustainably excellent .225 BABIP and 3.4% HR/FB rate are potentially due a course correction.
Smyly took a 6 IP/6 H/5 R/1 BB/4 K loss Thursday afternoon against the Marlins. The southpaw was done in by a pair of two-out, two-run homers early in the game. Both homers came on hanging breaking pitches left in the zone. The loss raised Smyly’s overall ERA to 3.92 (its highest mark since April 13), and he has a 5.06 ERA through five May starts ― both are well above his performance in April when he posted a 2.60 ERA.
Archer allowed four runs (just one earned) on four hits and three walks, while fanning seven over eight innings of a 4-1 loss to the Yankees on Friday night. The righty was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Masahiro Tanaka until a pair of defensive miscues allowed things to unravel in the sixth inning. A walk, followed by two errors ― one his own throwing error ― led to New York’s first run, before Alex Rodriguez sent a two-run homer to straight-away centerfield. Be that as it may, the outing represented a huge leap forward for the Rays’ ace, who has not fared well for most of the 2016 season.
Royals series starters
Kennedy allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 3-1/3 rain soaked innings in a no-decision on Monday. Kennedy’s start was interrupted by a rain delay. even though he came out to pitch after the delay, the 31 year-old righty said the long inning after the delay factored in his early exit. Kennedy recovered well from a rough first inning, which included a homer off the bat of Joe Mauer, inducing 13 whiffs on 73 pitches. In 2016, Kennedy has relied primarily on a 93 mph-swing and-miss four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 84 mph Vulcan changeup with a lot of backspin and fade, a 12-to-6 78 mph knuckle curveball, and an 87 mph worm burner of a cutter. Kennedy is 1-6 lifetime against Tampa Bay with a 6.86 ERA. Key matchups: Desmond Jennings (1-2, 2B), Brad Miller (3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Logan Morrison (5-14, 2 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB)
Gee, in his fourth start of the season, looks to rebound from a tough outing against Minnesota. In that game he allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits including three home runs. Per Scott Spratt (FranGraphs), Gee has an opportunity to turn his declining performance around with the Royals.
Gee managed just 40 major league innings, spending the bulk of his season in the minors both because of injury issues and declining effectiveness. Since his best statistical season in 2012, Gee has experienced a three year decline in strikeout rate, ending in 5.7 strikeouts per nine season last year. The Mets let Gee walk this offseason, and he landed a minor league deal with the Mets’ World Series opponent, the Royals. The Royals are an attractive destination for pitchers because of their excellent defensive play. Their 56 Defensive Runs Saved were third most in baseball, although the bulk of that success came in the outfield, which benefits the roundball-heavy Gee (51% ground ball rate) less than most. For Gee to really rebound, he will likely need to a change in his mechanics or pitch mix ― at his best, Gee had a FIP of around 4.00 with average strikeout to walk ratios.
In 2016, Gee has relied primarily on a 91 mph sinker, while also mixing in an 87 mph slider, a 78 mph knuckle curveball, an 85 mph changeup, and a 91 mph four-seam fastball. Key matchup: Corey Dickerson (3-6, HR, RBI)
Duffy didn’t factor into the decision in Friday’s win over Chicago. He allowed five earned runs on five hits and over 5-1/3 innings, while striking out five. All of the damage came on back-to-back mistakes in the sixth inning, culminating in a Melky Cabrera grand slam which was immediately followed by a solo homer off the bat of Todd Frazier. Duffy was relatively sharp otherwise, throwing 61-of-76 pitches for strikes, while recording first-pitch strikes on 17-of-21 batters. The 27-year-old increased his pitch count for the second consecutive start, and the five runs were the first he’d given up since joining the rotation. Duffy has relied primarily on a 97 mph swing-and-miss four-seam fastball, also mixing in a 96 mph sinker, an 87 mph ground ball inducing changeup, and an 85 mph slider which generates a fair number of fly balls. Key matchups: Brandon Guyer (3-3, HR), Desmond Jennings (1-4, 3B), Evan Longoria (1-4, RBI), Brad Miller (2-7, 3B, RBI), Logan Morrison (1-2), Steve Pearce (1-4)
Noteworthiness
― The Rays have activated RHP Brad Boxberger from the disabled list, and placed RHP Ryan Webb on the 15-day DL with a right pectoral strain, retroactive to May 27.
― Brandon Guyer is 12-35 in his last nine contests, while Logan Morrison is 12-28 with seven RBI over his past eight.
― The Royals took six of seven from the Rays last season, and have won five in a row at home over this home stand.
― Royals OF Brett Eibner went 5-11 in his first three major-league games, while INF Whit Merrifield is 11-28 during a six-game hit streak.
Just moments before Alex Colome coaxed a grounder out of Alex Rodriguez for the second out of the ninth. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
The Tampa Bay Rays snapped a three-game skid on Saturday, jumping on Michael Pineda early, then holding on to a four-run lead en route to a 9-5 win over the Yankees.
Matt Moore, who took the mound for Tampa Bay on Saturday, started his outing similarly to Chris Archer the day prior, by allowing the first two batters to reach with no outs. And much like Archer, Moore got out of the first inning jam by coaxing a double play out of Carlos Beltrán before collecting a whiffy strikeout of Alex Rodriguez. Being able to get out of the inning unscathed was huge, and the Rays took a three-run lead in their half of the first.
Brandon Guyer led off the bottom of the first by getting hit by a pitch for the 14th time this season. Afterward he went to third on Brad Miller’s line drive double to left. Longoria followed with a sacrifice-fly to left for a one run advantage. Steve Pearce followed by lining a single to left, putting runners at the corners, before Logan Morrison rolled a swinging bunt toward third, scoring the second run of the afternoon. Steven Souza Jr. was able to beat out a potential double play ball to short before Corey Dickerson capped the rally with an RBI single to left for a 3-0 advantage, over the visibly upset Pineda.
Tampa Bay added to the lead in the second after Miller tripled to right past a sliding Carlos Beltran, and Longoria belted a two-run homer into the Ducky’s deck in left-center field.
Following the game, Longoria a co-owner of Ducky’s, said he promised the team free corn-dogs for the accomplishment, only to walk back the offer for a simple fact — the restaurant doesn’t serve corn dogs.
When I got in the dugout, I said it was free corn dogs for everybody. We don’t even have corn dogs on the menu. I don’t know why I said that. It just sounded funny at the time.
Longoria said he told friends that he would reach the Ducky’s Deck at some point this season.
I’m glad it finally happened, now the pressure’s off.
That was all the Rays would need in the contest, and it surely made things easier for Moore. Although he didn’t have a clean, 1-2-3 inning at any point in the afternoon, the southpaw was able to work into the seventh inning for the first time since April 27th (vs Baltimore) thanks in large part to an excellent curveball.
Moore threw his curveball 35 times (25 for strikes), and used when he was ahead in the count to put hitters away, and depended upon it to get even when he fell behind.
Look at that nice distribution of yellow dots spread all over the zone.
Moore did surrender a solo homer to Beltrán (12) in the fourth inning, but only after the game was all but Tampa Bay’s. Make no bone about it, this was the best Moore has looked since April.
The Rays re-took the five-run lead in the bottom of the fourth when Longoria singled to left center, scoring Hank Conger, who reached on a double, and chasing Pineda. They also piled on three more runs in the sixth against relief pitcher Luis Cessa.
Conger, who ended the day with three extra-base hits, crushed a three-run homer to right (his first of the year) after Logan Morrison doubled to right field, and Souza walked.
The Yankees did make things interesting late, after a one out shallow pop-fly off the bat of Chase Headley was misplayed into a single — the “hit” dropped in between Steve Pearce and Brad Miller — in the seventh. The clearly frustrated Moore walked Didi Gregarious on four pitches, before he gave up an RBI single to Austin Romine to make it a seven run game game. Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a base hit to left, consequently loading the bases. Moore put down Aaron Hicks (swinging) before he was was lifted in favor of Enny Romero after throwing 111 pitches.
Romero walked Ronald Torreyes on six pitches to force home a run, but then struck out Alex Rodriguez to end the threat. Romero continued to make things interesting in the eighth after he allowed four consecutive one-out singles. Now forced to rely on the A bullpen, the Rays skipper called upon Xavier Cedeño to clean up Romero’s mess.
Cedeño got Ellsbury to ground to second for the second out of the frame. Then, with a pair of runners in scoring position, Hicks grounded to third to keep the Rays up by four runs. Alex Colome worked a perfect ninth to nail the coffin shut on the Yankees, although the outcome was much closer than it needed to be.
The New What Next
The Rays will play the rubber game of the three-game set against New York on Sunday. Jake Odorizzi will take the mound opposite of Nathan Eovaldi. Odorizzi threw five scoreless innings against the Marlins his last time out. Even though his fastball was the best it’s been all season, Odorizzi needs to be more efficient after using 107 pitches in his last start. Eovaldi has been one of New York’s top starters, allowing just one total run in his last two starts. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 5/29/16 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Miller SS
Longoria 3B
Pearce 2B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson DH
Mahtook CF
Casali C
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
— Logan Forsythe (left shoulder) will take his first swings Monday or Tuesday after incurring a fractured shoulder in early May.
— Brad Boxberger, who should return soon from adductor surgery, likely will not immediately resume the closer role.
I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do just to stick him out there in a 2-1 ballgame the first day he comes out, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
It isn’t yet clear what roster move will be made in order to reactivate Boxberger.
Steve Pearce worked a 10-pitch at-bat before giving the Rays their only run of the game on a solo shot into the left-center seats. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)Chris Archer and Masahiro Tanaka locked up in an early pitcher’s duel Friday night, but the Yankees capitalized on a pair of sixth inning errors allowing them to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1. It was the Rays fourth consecutive loss, leaving them four games under .500.
Archer allowed the first two batters to reach on Jacoby Ellsbury’s leadoff single to right on the first pitch of the game, and a Brett Gardner walk. However, the ace coaxed a couple of poppers out of Carlos Beltran (to short) and Brian McCann (to third), before Alex Rodriguez went down swinging.
From there, Archer pitched to one over the minimum over the next three frames. He did give another single to Ellsbury, who was subsequently caught leaning and picked off in the fourth.
Unfortunately New York took a three-run lead in the sixth inning after Archer walked Gardner on four pitches with one out.
Archer, attempting his second successful pickoff of the night, sailed his throw to Logan Morrison past first, allowing the Yankees’ outfielder to safely make it to third. Then with the infield in, Beltran hit a grounder to Taylor Motter’s backhand side at second. Motter looked Gardner back to third, yet bobbled the ball as Beltran reached on the second gaffe of the inning. McCann ― the Ray killer ― put the Yankees on the board when he hit a missile that deflected off Morrison’s glove. And though Motter was able to turn it into an out at second, Gardner crossed the plate, breaking the deadlock.
Two pitches later, Alex Rodriguez hit career homer 693 on a 95 mph middle-in fastball, capping the rally.
The miscues came right after the Yankees flashed the leather to keep the game scoreless. Tanaka held a no-no through the front four inning before Steve Pearce hit a leadoff liner to center in the fifth. Pearce moved into scoring position when Tanaka uncorked a wild pitch, and the Rays looked primed to take advantage. However, it wasn’t meant to be.
LoMo ripped a comebacker that Tanaka snared, and the pitcher was able to tag out Pearce between second and third. Then with two outs, Corey Dickerson drove a ball to deep left field, but Brett Gardner made a leaping catch against the wall to take away an extra-base hit and a run.
Meanwhile Beltran plated New York’s final run with two outs in the eighth inning, on a solo homer to right field. Archer now has allowed 12 homers in 11 starts this season; compare that to 19 total in 212 innings of work last season.
Overall, Archer gave up four hits and three walks while striking out seven in his longest outing of the year, collecting a much improved 4 H/4 R/1 ER/3 BB/7 K line on 113 pitches (68 strikes). Interestingly enough, Archer didn’t throw a slider until the 40th pitch of the game. The righty talked about that, and his much improved outing, after the contest.
Tanaka gave way to Andrew Miller (who worked a scoreless eighth) after hurling seven efficient shutout innings on just 82 pitches.
With two outs in the ninth, Pearce gave the Rays their only run of the game. The Lakeland Launcher worked a 10 pitch at-bat against former Ray Kirby Yates before taking him deep to left-center.
Because of the homer, Aroldis Chapman entered the game to collect the final out of the game. Chapman collected a whiffy strikeout of Morrison, although the ball bounded away from McCann, allowing LoMo to safely reach first. Nevertheless Desmond Jennings went down looking on three pitches. The final pitch of the game: a blazing 102 mph fastball, sounding the death knell for Tampa Bay.
The New What Next
The Rays and Yankees continue their three-day holiday on Saturday when Matt Moore gets the start opposite of Michael Pineda. Moore is facing the Yankees at the Trop for the first time since May 25, 2013. He has thrown a total of 19 innings in his last four starts with only one being a perfect inning. Pineda snapped a career-long five-game losing streak in his last outing when he beat Oakland. He is 2-2 all-time against the Rays, including 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts at the Trop. You can read more on the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 5/28/16 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Miller SS
Longoria 3B
Pearce 2B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson DH
Mahtook CF
Conger C
Moore LHP
Noteworthiness
― Brad Boxberger pitched 2/3 of an inning at Montgomery on Friday. He threw nine pitches (six strikes) and allowed one hit while fanning one. It should have be his last rehab outing.
