— Roster news, the Rays have hung on to catcher Bobby Wilson, out-righting him to Triple-A Durham.
— The Rays have signed OF Grady Sizemore to a minor league deal, writes Steve Adams (MLB Trade Rumors):
The Rays announced today that they have signed veteran outfielder Grady Sizemore to a minor league contract (h/t: Matt Stein of Sports Talk Florida, on Twitter).
Sizemore, 32, was recently released by Philadelphia, where he slashed .245 BA/.288 OBP/.296 SLG/.584 OPS in 39 games and 98 at-bats with the Phillies. He is a three-time All-Star that won two Gold Glove Awards (2007-08). He will report to the team’s facility in Port Charlotte to begin workouts.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Steven Souza Jr. celebrate Cabrera’s seventh inning home run on Sunday. (Photo Credit: the Tampa Bay Rays)
The Tampa Bay Rays came from behind (again), this time to beat Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox. All hail Asdrubal Cabrera, who lined a two-run shot to left field in the seventh inning. Cabby single handily put a damper on Sale’s milestone day. Chicago’s plus lefty became the third pitcher since 1914 to post four straight 12 or more strikeout starts (Pedro Martinez did it three times and did it once). CJ Riefenhauser was credited with the win (his first), and Kevin Jepsen picked up the save.
Credit where it’s due, Nathan Karns put together a solid six inning start of his own, holding the ChiSox to just one run while fanning eight on 104 pitches (70 strikes, 67% K%). Karns kept his team in the game, forcing the ‘pen to cover only three innings. He is the only Rays’ starter who will not take the mound against the Nationals, his former team.
Tampa Bay starts the day tied for first with the New York Yankees, and — more importantly in my opinion — six games over .500 for the first time this season. They’ll have an opportunity to break away from the pack when they matchup against their AL East foes, although a little padding in the W/L column will help buffer any negative effects if (or when) the Rays find themselves in a skid.
Next up for the Rays, a four-game interleague series against the Washington Nationals, starting Monday evening.
Beyond the obvious, there are a few things to look forward to. After starting the season with an abysmal .070 batting average, Nick Franklin appears to be heating up — a .263 BA/.333 OBP/.421 SLG/.754 OPS/.329 wOBA/116 wRC+ line over the last seven days speaks to that. Asdrubal Cabrera also looks like he may be slipping out of his malaise, and none too soon; suffice it to say at three runs and three RBI in his last 43 plate appearances, Evan Longoria’s production is back in ebb mode. Blessed be, at least Joey Butler and Jake Elmore are still producing.
The Nationals split their last six games, scoring 15 runs in their last three and four or more runs in five straight games. Washington has won four of their last six games when scoring more than three runs, and it’ll be incumbent upon Erasmo Ramirez, Alex Colome, Matt Andriese and Chris Archer to do as they did in each of their previous starts — stymie the batting order. Former Ray Yunel Escobar and Bryce Harper have combined for 140 hits and 68 RBI while Ryan Zimmerman has 34 RBI. In spite of that, the Nationals have lost six of their last nine road games, and 1-4 in their last five during game one of a series.
The Rays, on the other hand, are 10-4 in their last 14 interleague games and 5-1 in their last six meetings against the Nationals.
Rays and Nationals series starters over the last 14 days (except where noted).Rays and Nationals offensive production over the last 14 days.Rays and Nationals, by the numbers.
Gio Gonzalez: Per Rotowire, Gonzalez (4-3, 4.42 ERA) yielded just two runs on four hits in 6-1/3 innings against the Yankees on Wednesday, but received no decision. He struck out five and walked three. He is 2-1 with a 4.37 ERA and 24 strikeouts in his career against Tampa Bay. Gonzalez’s dependence upon his change-up spiked last season when he generated a healthy 22.96% whiff rate. However, he has relied upon his sinker more often this season, and he’s generated a career high 58.33% ground-ball rate with the pitch. In fact, his ground-ball numbers are up across the board — 33.33% on the four-seam fastball (up from 26.09%), 66.67% on the change-up (up from 49.49%), 70.59% on the curveball (up from 68.97%). Both Cabrera and Souza showed great patience against the White Sox’s grand-ballers (including Sale), and that patience paid dividends. Hopefully the Rays can force Gonzalez up in the zone similarly. Key matchups: David DeJesus (2-8, HR, RBI), Logan Forsythe (1-3), Evan Longoria (1-3, 2 BB).
Tanner Roark: Per Rotowire, Roark surrendered five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four in 6-2/3 innings against the Brewers on Thursday. The Rays have never faced the 28 year-old righty who boasts a 93 mph sinker, 94 mph four-seam fastball, 86 mph slider, 83 mph change-up, and a 77 mph curveball. Roark has allowed more than two earned runs in a game only twice this season, although he relinquished four and five runs (respectively) in his last two starts. Key matchup: Rene Rivera (2-5).
Jordan Zimmerman: Per Rotowire, Zimmermann (5-4) lasted just 3-1/3 innings in a disastrous start in Milwaukee on Friday. He gave up six runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out four in the loss. Zimmerman (5-4, 3.74 ERA) has allowed three or more runs in five of his 13 starts this season.
Doug Fister: Per Rotowire, Fister (forearm) will throw a bullpen session before the Nationals determine if he’s ready to be activated from the DL, Brandon Curry of MLB.com reports. “He’s back in D.C. (Saturday), doing some throwing. We’ll get him through a bullpen (session) and see where he’s at,” manager Matt Williams said. Prior to his placement on the DL, the former Tiger allowed three or more runs in four of his seven starts, including a 2 IP/7 ER start against the Padres on May 15. Key matchups: David DeJesus (4-15), Jake Elmore (1-3), Nick Franklin (1-3, 2B), Evan Longoria (3-10, RBI, BB), Rene Rivera (1-3).
Noteworthiness
— The Rays are 6-1 in Ramirez’s last 7 starts.
— Sunday win was the team’s second this season when trailing after six innings. Conversely, the ChiSox lost for the first time in 16 games when leading after six.
— Jake Odorizzi made 25 throws of 60 feet on flat ground before Sunday’s game. He old the media afterward that he felt no ill effects, adding he could throw again as early as Monday.
Everything’s on schedule, just how I kind of had it drawn up in my head. I passed some tests (sock tossing) that allowed me to do some stuff (Saturday) and then I felt good from it (Sunday), so I was able to take the next step and actually throw a ball outside of a sock. It’s encouraging. They said everything’s progressing where I thought it was going to be, so that’s nice to see.
— Drew Smyly made 20 throws at 45-60 feet on Saturday, and is set to throw again Monday. Andrew Bellatti also played catch Sunday.
— Pitching prospect Matt Buschmann took the opt-out in his deal with Tampa Bay. The Rays have 48 hours to respond. Buster Olney suggested that the Red Sox are the most likely landing spot for Buschmann, with the Dodgers also being a possibility.
Chris Archer came off a modern-day-record three straight starts of 10-plus strikeouts and no walks, having faced 82 batters without allowing a free pass. (Photo Credit: Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Times)The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning against Chicago on Saturday, ultimately beating the White Sox by a score of 5-4. At 34-29 on the season, and 3-2 on an eight-game home stand, the Rays start the day tied for first in the AL East.
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.
Adam Eaton’s eighth inning plate appearance against Chris Archer. (Credit: Brooks Baseball)With a runner at first, acting manager Mark Parent called upon Conor Gillaspie to pinch hit against Boxberger. Gillaspie quickly fell behind by an 0-2 count, yet he lined a middle-middle fastball into the right-field seats, allowing his team to take a one run advantage. Boxberger allowed two more hits before retiring the next three batters to keep Tampa Bay within a run.
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.
Nick Franklin with Evan Longoria after scoring off of an RBI single by Brandon Guyer during the third inning. (Photo Credit: Brian Blanco/Getty Images)The Tampa Bay Rays held on to beat the Chicago White Sox by a 7-5 margin, in a game in which they built three multi-run leads. Matt Andriese put together a solid outing, allowing him to earn his first big league win, as Tampa Bay (33-29) moved to within a game of the Yankees in the AL East.
The bottom of the batting order got the ball rolling in the third inning after Nick Franklin, who reached base three times, worked a six pitch walk. Mikie Mahtook moved Franklin to second with a liner to center, bringing Rene Rivera to the plate. Rivera put down the first of two well executed sacrifice bunts by the Rays’ hitters, moving up the tandem of runners 90 feet — thus stealing away the double play opportunity from the White Sox. The aggressive play instantly paid dividends when Brandon Guyer and Joey Butler went back-to-back with a pair of RBI singles to give Tampa Bay a two-run advantage.
Chicago answered two innings later by putting up two-runs of their own. Andriese, who sailed through the front four innings of play, allowed a pair of unearned runs in the fifth after he gave a one-out free pass to Carlos Sanchez. Adam Eaton laid down a bunt grounder in front of Rivera, who fielded the play cleanly, yet let loose with a throw that sailed past Jake Elmore at first and into the bullpen. Sanchez scored on the error, and Eaton advanced to third. Alexei Ramirez followed with an RBI sac-fly to center. But the Rays hurler came back to fan the next three batters (including Jose Abreu to end the fourth) before being lifted after allowing a two-out single in the sixth.
Not to be outdone, Butler went station-to-station in the bottom of the fourth, and came home on a Logan Forsythe sac-fly to center, giving Tampa Bay the lead once again.
After losing a one-run advantage the night before, Tampa Bay was unsatisfied with a 3-2 lead. Consequently the team built its largest lead of the night with a three-run rally in the sixth, against John Danks and Daniel Webb. Jake Elmore scored the first run, diving around the tag of catcher Tyler Flowers on Rene Rivera’s grounder to second. The ChiSox requested that the play be reviewed, although it was ultimately upheld.
Pinch-hitter Kevin Kiermaier and Joey Butler followed with a couple of run-scoring singles to cap the rally.
The South Siders rallied in the seventh against Brandon Gomes, when Jose Abreu hit a two-out, two-run, two-strike homer off the right field foul pole. It wasn’t a bad pitch, and the ball didn’t leak back over the plate. Ranther it was a high fastball that Abreu swatted at and converted into two runs. Dude is a dangerous hitter.
However, Tampa Bay answered, regaining a two-run cushion on a Nick Franklin single in the bottom of the of the frame. They didn’t relinquish the lead.
Steve Geltz and Jake McGee each threw 1-2-3 innings (in the eighth and ninth, respectively), giving the Rays the victory. For McGee, it was his second save in three days.
The New What Next
Chris Archer (7-4, 1.84 ERA) will look to continue his stretch of spectacular pitching when he gets the start opposite of Jeff Samardzija (4-4, 4.93 ERA). Archer has allowed just one run in 23 innings while striking out 38 over his last three starts, resulting in two wins and a no-decision. He is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. Samardzija will try to get things back on track when he takes the mound, after allowing 15 earned runs on 22 hits over his last 12-1/3 innings pitched. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 6/13/15 Starting Lineup
Kiermaier CF
Butler DH
Longoria 3B
DeJesus LF
Souza RF
Cabrera SS
Elmore 1B
Franklin 2B
Casali C
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— The Rays collected 14 hits on the night — three from Joey Butler, two from Jake Elmore, Nick Franklin, Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr. They also went 5-14 wRISP (.357 BA).
— Butler has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and has nine hits in the last five games.
I’m getting more and more confident, said Butler. It’s definitely the best opportunity I’ve had, just playing every day, always being in the lineup. And that helps.
— Mikie Mahtook was optioned to Triple-A Durham after the game. The team corresponded by recalling Curt Casali.
— Andriese collected his first career win, meanwhile Butler and McGee collected a Gatorade bath from Archer:
