The New What Next: Rays vs. Pirates — A Series Preview of Sorts

The Rays were victorious Sunday, beating the Astros by a score of 5-2 in the series finale. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)
The Rays were victorious Sunday, beating the Astros by a score of 5-2 in the series finale. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)

The Rays are back at it Monday, following a quite successful series against the Astros. They’ll welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates into The Trop for a three-game Interleague Series — their first visit in 11 years. The Pirates, who have won three of their last four games, are 9-4 in their previous 13 road games, while Tampa Bay has won seven of their last 11 contests, averaging 4.4 runs in that span.

For the Rays, all of the facets of their game have started to click in concert. The defense has been great, the pitching has been phenomenal — especially over the last 14 days — and the hitters have finally shown they are capable of getting those all important timely hits. Consider that the pitchers (both starters and relievers) struck out 50 Astros over the duration of the last series, while relinquishing a total of five runs. Furthermore, the Rays pitching staff own a 2.43 ERA over the last seven days, with an 87.8% left on base percentage. That, my friends, is excellent.

Playing in the Rays favor, reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen has cooled off significantly since a red-hot start to June, going 3-for-20 over five games. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, including three singles in the 5-2 victory over Houston on Sunday.

If the Rays’ pitchers can negate the bats of the Pirates, and if the hitters can continue to get those timely hits, the odds are in favor of Tampa Bay walking away with a series win against the Buccos.

An aside, it was written,

Expectations were high for both teams going into this year after Tampa Bay (31-46) went to the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons and Pittsburgh ended a 21-year playoff drought.

However, the Rays are languishing with baseball’s worst record while the Pirates are trying to get back to .500 for the second time since April 17.

Personally, I like Evan Longoria’s response to the quagmire the Rays have placed themselves in:

We’ve got a lot of work to do. We put ourselves in a pretty good hole, but I think that the belief on a daily basis is still we can come to the ballpark and win.

Take that how you will. However, I’m looking at things through a different set of lenses. The Rays start the day (Monday) with a 2.1% chance of making the playoffs. At the same time, they are projected to put up a .516 winning percentage from this point on. With the odds significantly stacked against them, it would be incredibly hard for the Rays to put together a postseason run. However, if you are like me (a fan of the Rays and baseball in general) you share a wanton desire for Tampa Bay to be competitive and consistent, which they can be — the projected WP speaks to that. If the improbable (not the impossible) were to happen, we Rays’ fans would be better for it. However, I just want to see them win, period.

Rays and Pirates series starters over the last 14 days (unless otherwise noted).
Rays and Pirates series starters over the last 14 days (unless otherwise noted).
Rays and Pirates offensive production at home, away, and over the last 14 days.
Rays and Pirates offensive production at home, away, and over the last 14 days.
Rays and Pirates, by the numbers.
Rays and Pirates, by the numbers.

Edinson Voloquez: Voloquez is 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA in his last two starts against the Tampa Bay Rays. Regardless, he has been hammered for three or more runs in six of his total 15 outings this season, including last Wednesday when he gave up eight runs on six hits in 2-1/3 innings of work. Voloquez has garnered a reputation of being a pitcher with little control of the zone, this season throwing 30% of his pitches outside of the strike zone. Of the 11 homers he’s given up this season, seven have come against his sinker, while hitters have pounded him to the tune of a .342 BA against the aforementioned pitch. Key matchups: Evan Longoria (3-6, 2B, 3 RBI), Jose Molina (3-6, 2B, 3 HR, 3 RBI, BB).

Jeff Locke: Locke (0-1, 3.76 ERA) may be the most fearsome starter the Rays will face in this series. Despite getting pounded  for six runs in his first start back at the beginning of May, the 26 year-old lefty has cleaned up his act — relinquishing only five runs in his last 21 innings of work. Locke is wont to attack hitters (not nibbling at the edges) with his fastball, utilizing his upper 70’s change-up as his put away pitch. Key matchups: James Loney (1-1), Jerry Sands (1-2, 2B).

Charlie Morton: Morton (4-8, 3.47 ERA) has been categorized as a two-pitch pitcher, thanks to his reliance on the fastball and curve ball — a tandem he relies upon over 90% of the time. Morton owns a +52% GB% due in part to a nasty, sinking two-seam fastball which, historically, destroys right-handed batters, and creates serious problems against left-handers. Key matchups: Yunel Escobar (1-4), James Loney (2-2, HR, 3 RBI, BB).

Noteworthiness

  • Pittsburgh has won five of nine all-time meetings, taking two of three in its lone visit to Tropicana Field in 2003.
  • The Rays are finally over the .400 threshold, with a .403 WP, and a .465 Pythagorean Expectation (36-41). That is, the Rays should be only five games under .500
  • Tampa Bay’s pitching staff boasts a major league-leading 669 strikeouts in 691 innings.
  • Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier is hitting .301 with four homers in 27 games this year.
  • James Loney got Sunday off after going 5 for 13 in the first three games against the Astros.
  • Per Marc Topkin, “After starting the season 10-28, the Pirates have won 27 of their past 37 games. Reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, batting .351, leads the league with 52 walks and ranks among the leaders in doubles (22) and slugging (.523). OF Gregory Polanco had his career-opening 11-game hitting streak snapped but is still batting .345. Starling Marte’s 17 stolen bases are fifth in the league. Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom in the NL in ERA and walks, and only the Rockies have fewer strikeouts. From May 1 through Saturday, the Pirates led the majors in hits (470), on-base percentage (.350) and average (.278). They’re the only team in the NL that has had five players put together hitting streaks of at least 10 games.”
  • Despite going 15-5 in Interleague Play last season, the Pirates have won only four of their first 10 in 2014.
  • Pirates RF Gregory Polanco will have to start a new streak after going 0 for 3 with a walk Sunday, ending his career-opening hitting streak at 11 games.
  • Per Fox Sports Florida, Josh Harrison or Clint Barmes figure to get one final start at second base Monday. Regular second baseman Neil Walker, out since June 8 due to an appendectomy, is expected to be activated by the Pirates on Tuesday.
  • Your tweet of the day…urm, somewhat similar:

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Jake Odorizzi Was Dominant in 8-0 Shutout

7.1 IP/1 H/0 R/2 BB/10 K 111 pitches (70 strikes). He easily bested Price, with the lone hit coming in the fourth — a deflected shot off the bottom of his cleat, with the speedy Altuve hustling up the line. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)
Jake Odorizzi was dominant in his 7-1/3 IP outing, giving up one lone hit in the fourth inning — a deflected shot off the bottom of his cleat, with the speedy Altuve hustling up the line. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays have been able to do something during this 10-game stretch, that they haven’t, well…all season: bounce back from a loss. Jake Odorizzi and the Rays bounced back from a disappointing, yet winnable, game Friday in dominant fashion, crushing the Houston Astros by a score of 8-0. No, it wasn’t a perfectly executed game — then again most aren’t. Tampa Bay was able to take advantage of a struggling Jake Buchanan, while Odorizzi put up zero after zero.

Two starts after what was called his best start of the season, Jake Odorizzi not only bested himself, he bested David Price who pitched night before. In short, he was dominant, slashing 7.1 IP/1 H/0 R/2 BB/10 K on 111 pitches (70 strikes), while keeping the Astros off balance by effectively changing speeds and locations.

Jake Odorizzi at-bat outcomes chart. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
Jake Odorizzi at-bat outcomes chart. An addendum to the chart, there never was a double. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)

Odorizzi, impressively, stayed away from the heart of the plate, pitching to all quadrants of the zone while inducing the majority of his 10 strikeouts (nine swinging) on the fringes. Odorizzi was one hit away from a no-no — a fourth inning deflected shot off the bottom of his cleat, with the speedy Jose Altuve hustling up the line. In fact, the only trouble he faced came in the fourth when he allowed back-to-back base runners on the aforementioned hit, and a George Springer walk. But the Rays righty worked around Houston’s only threat, ending the inning with a swinging strikeout of Jon Singleton, and a Matt Dominguez fly-ball out to center. The other key to Odorizzi’s impressive outing, he was able to pitch ahead of Houston’s hitters. Odorizzi tossed 20 out of 25 first pitch strikes, falling into a three-ball count only five times. A huge stat mentioned by DeWayne Staats, Jake Odorizzi struck out everyone in the Astros lineup (at least once), with the exceptions of Dominguez and Altuve.

Brad Boxberger and Kirby Yates followed, combining to put down the last five Astros in order.

Offensively, the Rays scored all the runs they’d need in the first inning, yet tacked on six more insurance runs in the fifth and eighth innings. Jake Buchanan didn’t have his best stuff from the get go, and Tampa Bay took full advantage. Ben Zobrist got the ball rolling with one out in the first, shooting a liner to right, and the Outlaw, Kevin Kiermaier, responded with a liner to right — an RBI double giving the Rays a lead they’d never relinquish. Evan Longoria followed with the third consecutive liner to right, moving Kiermaier to third. James Loney was next, plating the second run of the inning on a base hit up the middle. From there however, the bats went cold until the fifth.

My only criticism: with one out in the first, and runners on first and second, the Rays failed to tag Buchanan for a few more runs. Sure, Brandon Guyer was able to move Loney to second on a sac-bunt. But, because that bunt was hit right back to the pitcher, Longo couldn’t come home. Then, after Matt Joyce loaded the bases on a walk, Yunel Escobar hit a soft, inning ending grounder to first. In the scheme of things, that they didn’t bury Buchanan in the first was ultimate irrelevant — they buried him in the fifth. However, it speaks to the Rays inconsistent ability to drive in runs when opportunities presented themselves. Hindsight is 20/20, making the what ifs more glaring. What if Odorizzi wasn’t dominant, and the Astros were able to come back? What if the Rays weren’t able to put up crooked numbers in the fifth and eighth innings, respectively? Their inability to sink the proverbial battleship early could have proven costly. And it all comes back to the Rays inability to consistently play small ball this season. Thankfully, they were able sink the Astros in the fifth and eighth innings (see below).

Rays fifth and eighth innings scoring summary. (Courtesy of ESPN)
Rays fifth and eighth innings scoring summary. (Courtesy of ESPN)

The New What Next

Erik Bedard will try to bounce back from a pair of crappy outings this afternoon, when he faces Dallas Keuchel and the Astros in the final game of the season series. Make no mistake, Keuchal has been very good this season, thanks to the fact that he’s been a ground ball inducing machine. It could be said that Keuchal has an almost pathological avoidance of the high strike. A caveat for Keuchel: Tampa Bay has tagged the 26 year-old LHP for eight runs in a pair of starts last season. However, his losses, this season, have been sparing — with his last coming in a four run, 5 IP start against the Nats, Tuesday. He has been able to bounce back in his starts following a loss. Because of it, if you’re a Rays fan, pray that Tampa Bay can force mistakes and find the Keuchel of yore. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview. If anything, this ooks to be a key start for LHP Erik Bedard and rehabilitating RHP.

Rays 6/21/14 Starting Lineup

Jennings CF
Zobrist RF
Guyer LF
Longoria 3B
Sands DH
Escobar SS
Rodriguez 1B
Forsythe 2B
Molina C
Bedard LHP

Noteworthiness

  • Joe Maddon is going with the “C” lineup Sunday, giving Molina the start behind the plate and hitting ninth, and Forsythe the start at second, hitting eighth.
  • Speaking of Forsythe, Marc Topkin wonders whether he would be better off playing regularly and rebuilding his confidence in Triple A, with the Rays being better off with lefty-swinging INF Cole Figueroa?
  • Per Baseball America, the Rays are “looking like strong favorites” to sign elite Dominican SS prospect, who is expected to get around $3 million after July 7, when he turns 16.
  • Of David Price, Marc Topkin wrote, “It has become increasingly obvious that the Rays likely — if not absolutely, positively — are going to trade Price over the next 51/2 weeks until the July 31 deadline. They can’t afford to keep him long term. They’re not going to win with him this year (the thought that they would was part of the reason he wasn’t dealt over the winter). And every five days they wait to trade him reduces his value because that means one fewer start he makes for his new team.” Topkin went on, “There’s also this: Price’s frustration with the Rays’ overall situation — the team unexpectedly losing so much, the again constant trade speculation, his reluctantly accepting the reality that he’s likely going to leave a place he truly loves — has become obvious daily. His media interviews have become painfully awkward. And hearing a clubhouse leader saying, “We’re the worst team in baseball” — albeit true record-wise — isn’t exactly inspiring.”
  • It’s common knowledge, the Rays won’t make a move unless the right offer presents itself — that’s “going to be the driving force more than any public perception or perceived pressure,” writes Topkin. Former GM Jim Bowden wrote of five potential trades in his recent column for ESPN:
  1. Angels: 1B C.J. Cron, 2B Alex Yarbrough
  2. Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP Alberto Tirado
  3. White Sox: 2B Micah Johnson, RHP Erik Johnson, RHP Chris Beck
  4. Yankees: C Gary Sanchez, RHP Luis Severino, C Peter O’Brien
  5. Braves: LHP Alex Wood, RHP Lucas Sims, additional pitching prospect

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Price Notches Strikeout 1,000, Trade Rumors, Etc

Jonathan Villar rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning. (Photo courtesy of Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images)
Jonathan Villar rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning. (Photo courtesy of Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images)

It was another one of those nights we’ve, sadly, become accustomed to. Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before; a Rays pitcher notched a good outing, keeping the team in the game, yet the stagnant offense couldn’t come up with the key hits when it so desperately needed to. Yes, it happened again — though, at least it wasn’t a shutout. In lieu of a formal game recap, below are some thoughts and game peripherals.

Game Peripherals

Wow, the Rays’ Spring Training in June REALLY paid dividends thus far! You, the astute follower of the Rays, are probably aware  that Joe Maddon had the team work on baseball fundamentals — both offensively and defensively — throughout the course of the home stand. If you weren’t aware, I’d imagine you could click the link above, then pop back over here. I’ll wait. Cool, now we’re on the same page. It was a novel idea, considering the Rays have struggled on both ends, though mainly offensively. And one would have hoped there to be some massive sea change in their approach because of it. Yet, there hasn’t been a noticeable difference. Case in point, last night’s game. Tampa Bay was still unproductive with runners on base, unable to capitalize until it was too late. In the second inning, with runners on first and second and only one out, Yunel Escobar grounded into a pitcher-to-second-to-first double play. No indication that the extra small ball work helped. Then with Jose Molina on third with two outs, and the Rays RBI guy coming to the plate, Evan Longoria hit a weak bloop to right field, ending the threat. Mind you, this came on the heels of a Molina stolen base! Again, no indication that the extra small ball work helped.

Jose Molina led off the eighth inning with a single, and was promptly pinched for more speed in Sean Rodriguez. When Jarrod Cosart tossed an 0-1 pitch in the dirt, Rodriguez took off for second — a good idea on paper, yet there was a problem in the execution. Castro kept the breaking pitch in the dirt in front of him, easily recovered, and handily threw Rodriguez out at second. SeanRod failed at base running 101. The irony: Logan Forsythe hit a single to right three pitches later, which would have moved Rodriguez to third with no outs. Desmond Jennings and Kevin Kiermaier followed with an infield pop-out and a strikeout (respectively), and once again there was no indication that the extra small ball work helped.

Tampa Bay finally got on the board in the bottom of the ninth inning against Chad Qualls. Evan Longoria reached on an error by short stop Jonathan Villar, then James Loney came through with a big single to put a man in scoring position. Joe Maddon called upon the mighty bat of Matt Joyce — who promptly struck out (swinging) on four pitches. He then called on the struggling Ben Zobrist…who chopped to the first baseman, while the Astros took the fielder’s choice at second. With runners on the corners and two outs, Yunel Escobar laced a low liner through the right side, allowing a run to score and advancing Zobrist to second. But Ryan Hanigan fanned — the replacement for Sean Rodriguez after a pinch run for Jose Molina — and the game was over. Needless to say, there was no indication that the extra small ball work helped.

As Daniel Russell (of DRaysBay) wrote of David Price’s outing,

Price entered this game with 121 strikeouts on the season, of his 997 career K’s, and just 10 walks over fifteen starts. He got to that mark this season by pitching in the zone, and he continued that trend tonight. To a fault in two at bats, truth be told. Change ups to the dead center of the zone allowed Jose Altuve and George Spring to score on the latter’s longball to the corner of stands in left field. No matter for an ace, though.

After being punished for leaving it too easily hit, David Price settled in. He went on to pitch eight innings of 12 strikeout ball, with his season worst three walks. With that, the ace of the staff crosses the 1,000 strikeout mark in another stellar start. It’s a pitch the offense offered no support.

tumblr_n7hse12e2N1s37o6ho1_1280
Photo collage, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Oh hey, according to Marc Topkin, there were scouts at the game last night:

You know what they say, when there’s smoke there’s fire. And well…I’d reckon this could be a four alarmer. But hold your horses Jim Bowden, there’s approximately a 0.0% chance the Rays would trade Price to another AL East team. Furthermore, Tampa Bay is wont to trade Price to a team with a deep farm system and quality prospects. As Eno Sarris wrote in an excellent piece title The Rays As Sellers,

We’re looking for a strong farm system on a contender. Using John Sickel’s farm system rankings, the best fits are the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco Giants. Get any lower on the rankings, and you’re asking too much from largely barren systems like the Nationals’ and Yankees’.

In-division trades happen, but in this case seem unlikely — the Rays would like to compete again in 2015. So take those teams out, too. And an organization like the Cardinals’ hardly seems like it needs pitching. Shake up the contenders again, and you get the Rockies, Dodgers, Giants and Rangers. The Rangers and Rockies are down to close to 10% playoff odds, so you might be looking at a west coast standoff for the services of Price.

The Rays may have to swallow hard and trade in their division, though, if a package of ready arms is what they seek. The Giants have Kyle Crick and Edwin Escobar, but both are struggling and Crick doesn’t seem ready. Add to that the fact that Brian Sabean spoke repeatedly of the young arms that the Cardinals have stocked up, and he may not want to let go of his own. The Dodgers have Zach Lee and Julio Urias, but Urias is a teenager and Lee doesn’t really have the upside you’d expect from a cornerstone in a Price trade.

There are reasons that a Price trade hasn’t happened yet, in other words. History suggests that it will happen, especially with the Rays as sellers this year, but that it’s likely to happen in the offseason. Even if a Price trade does happen in the next couple of months, it’ll be mostly business as usual for the team, and may not be accompanied by much other selling. This is a team that tries to keep its cost-controlled core intact while always building for the immediate future, and most of their team will return in 2015.

Things get complicated when you factor in the imminent return of Jeremy Hellickson. Helly hasn’t done so well in his rehab stint with Triple-A Durham, and it’s all but certain he won’t return to the fold until he’s 100% ready. Hellicson is slated for one last evaluative start tomorrow, ahead of the decision of how to move forward. That is, it would be counterintuitive to replace David Price with a lackluster, unready Jeremy Hellickson.

The New What Next

Jake Odorizzi will attempt to tack on win number three this afternoon against RHP Jake Buchanan, who is making his MLB in lieu of the ailing Brad Peacock. Buchanan is described as having an average fastball with two plus-breaking pitches, and having “Superior control for a young pitcher. He has averaged 1.8 BB/9 in the minors including a sparkling 1.3 in 2013. He has also averaged 3.11 K/BB so far – with an extremely good 4.50 in 2013. Woj is okay in these categories – 2.5 BB/9 in his career – 2.9 last season and 2.85 K/BB ratio in his career and 2.37 in 2013.”

Rays 6/21/14 Starting Lineup

Jennings CF
Zobrist 2B
Kiermaier RF
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Guyer LF
Joyce DH
Escobar SS
Hanigan C
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

  • David Price is the first to record double double-digit strikeout games in a team’s first 75 games since 2002, when Curt Schilling (9) and Randy Johnson (7) both did it with the Diamondbacks. 287 strikeouts — the current pace for Price’s strikeout total this year — a mark not reached by any pitcher in the last 10 years. Randy Johnson was the last, with 290 in 2004.

    • Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Put Up A Shutout of Their Own, 5-0

    The Outlaw, Kevin Kiermaier, and Evan Longoria hit back-to-back shots in Thursday's game against the Houston Astros. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)
    The Outlaw, Kevin Kiermaier, and Evan Longoria hit back-to-back shots in Thursday’s game against the Houston Astros. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)

    On the heels of their league leading 11th shutout of the season, and behind a few timely hits and an impressive start from Chris Archer, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves on the winning track once more, taking down the Astros by a 5-0 margin.

    Archer’s slider was on point Thursday night. The pitch paired well with his mid-90’s fastball, and was especially effective as a put away pitch. Archer threw the slider for strikes 75% of the time, and racked up four of his eight strikeouts with the pitch — all swinging. The Astros were strapped for hard contact, ultimately picking up just three singles — two on good pitches down in the zone. He did have a bit of trouble with the AL hit leader, Jose Altuve. Houston’s second baseman beat out a leadoff, infield single in the fourth, then swiped second to get into scoring position. But Archer never allowed him advance to third, putting down the next three batters in order, and getting out of the inning unscathed.

    Chris Archer's at-bat outcomes. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
    Chris Archer’s at-bat outcomes. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)

    Archer was able to lower his ERA to minuscule 3.14 over the course of his 6-2/3 innings of shutout baseball. Furthermore, he’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his past seven starts. To that end, he’s allowed only four earned runs over his last 40-1/3 innings, easily making him one of the more consistent pitchers on the Rays staff.

    Brad Boxberger, Joel Peralta, and Grant Balfour followed Archer, allowing only one base runner to reach — a one out, Dexter Fowler walk in the eighth. Balfour was impressive in his perfect ninth inning, striking out the side on 13 pitches.

    The offense started slowly, carrying an 0-16 streak with runners in scoring position (extending back to Tuesday) into the fourth inning. ISimilar to the day before, the Rays found themselves with an opportunity to take an early lead with runners on the corners and no outs in the first. Desmond Jennings reached on an opposite field single, then moved to third on an errant pickoff play. Ben Zobrist reached safely on a walk, but the next three batters (Kevin Kiermaier, Evan Longoria, and James Loney) were put down in order, and the Rays couldn’t capitalize. An interesting stat was brought to my attention: the Rays now have more strikeouts wRISP (140) than hits (137). Oof.

    Longoria’s out was particularly egregious, staring at a middle-middle hanging slider as it passed him by for strike three.

    That pitch right there, Longo… (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
    That pitch right there, Longo… (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)

    It was truly a tale of two games. After allowing another scoring opportunity in the third to pass, the Rays finally got on the board with an RBI single by Yunel Escobar — scoring Loney from second, and moving Guyer to third. Ryan Hanigan followed that up with a perfect suicide squeeze, plating the second run of the game. Somewhere, Don Zimmer was smiling.

    They, thankfully, weren’t done. Kevin Kiermaier, who barely missed a home run in a fifth inning at-bat, blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning — his fourth of the year. Evan Longoria followed with a mammoth, pull side, shot to left.

    Kevin Kiermaier hits a two-run home run shot in the seventh inning. Click the photo to be redirected to video of Kiermaier and Longo's back-to-back shots. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
    Kevin Kiermaier hits a two-run home run shot in the seventh inning. Click the photo to be redirected to video of Kiermaier and Longo’s back-to-back shots. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

    After an atrocious month of May, it’s nice to see Longo finally coming around. Though he isn’t quite there just yet, Longo has slashed .279 BA/.364 OBP/.529 SLG/.893 OPS in June, while lowering his K% and taking more walks.


    Source: FanGraphs

    More impressively, he’s hit four of his nine homers during this month. I’m also encouraged that six of his nine homers have been pull side shots. When Longoria is on his game, he punishes pitchers on inside pitches. For the better part of this season, Evan Longoria has been a disaster against inside pitches, and this could be a good sign that he’s coming around.

    Moving forward.

    The New What Next

    David Price will take the mound Friday, looking to overtake Felix Hernandez for the MLB strikeout lead. He’ll be opposed by Jarrod Cosart. He held Tampa Bay to three runs last Saturday, despite allowing 10 Rays to reach on nine hits and a walk. He was hittable then, and I’d argue he’ll be hittable Friday. You can read about the pitching matchup, and so much more, in our series preview. I’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.

    Rays 6/20/14 Starting Lineup

    Jennings CF
    Kiermaier RF
    Longoria 3B
    Loney 1B
    Sands DH
    Guyer LF
    Escobar SS
    Molina C
    Forsythe 2B
    Price LHP

    Noteworthiness

    • Ben Zobrist will get the day off, with Logan Forsythe handling the duties at second base. And yes, you read that correctly: the uber productive bat of Jose Molina will hit eighth, ahead of, and essentially protecting, the mighty bat of Forsythe. Ahem…
    • Jeremy Hellickson will pitch for Triple-A Durham again on Sunday.
    • The Rays have now won five of their last eight, though they still have majors-worst 29-45 record.
    • Marc Topkin writes, “And that led manager Joe Maddon to take the opportunity during his postgame media session to reinforce how much better they need to be, specifically in those potential run-scoring situations. “It’s still a big part of our problem,” Maddon said. “We see pitches, we get guys on base, we’ve got to drive them in more consistently.”‘
    • Your tweet of the day,

    Rays 6/19/14 Starting Lineup, Etc

    Never forget. Jonathan Villar of the Astros gets a little too aggressive and winds up with a face full of fanny, sliding head-first into Brandon Phillips’ backside. (Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News)
    Never forget. Jonathan Villar of the Astros gets a little too aggressive and winds up with a face full of fanny, sliding head-first into Brandon Phillips’ backside. (Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News)

    Rays 6/19/14 Starting Lineup

    Jennings CF
    Zobrist 2B
    Kiermaier RF
    Longoria 3B
    Loney 1B
    Guyer LF
    Joyce DH
    Escobar SS
    Hanigan C

    Noteworthiness

    • Replacing one fractured player with another. The Rays placed David DeJesus on the 15-day DL with a left hand fracture. Brandon Guyer has been activated from the DL after recuperating from a fracture of his own. DeJesus was injured on a check swing in Wednesday’s game. Per Marc Topkin, DeJesus says he knew his hand was hurt, but didn’t expect it to be an avulsion fracture. He will be in a cast around three weeks.
    • “We didn’t deserve to win. The only guy really that deserved to win was (Alex) Cobb. He threw the ball well and gave us a chance, and we didn’t reward him by doing very routine things the right way. We’ve got to do those things or we’re not going to win, simple as that.” — Evan Longoria, on yesterday’s loss in the series finale against the Orioles.
    • Don’t forget to check out our Rays vs. Astros series preview.
    • Your tweet of the day: