After a stinging 9-1 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to get back on the winning side of the ledger this afternoon. A win against the Twins would give Tampa Bay a 6-3 homestand, and a fourth consecutive series win.
At 12-9 on the season, the Rays enter play three games above .500 and with a chance to get back to a high-water mark of four games over this afternoon.
The Rays are now 3-2 in a stretch of 16 consecutive days with a game and are facing myriad challenges today. They are without four coaches: Stan Boroski, Paul Hoover, Matt Quatraro, and Kyle Snyder due to COVID-related issues. Dan Dement, Rick Knapp, and Brady North are replacing them in the dugout. Additionally, Tampa Bay has been without Francisco Mejia the entire homestand due to a positive COVID test, although he has been cleared to return. Mejia, however, has not been activated from the COVID-IL. Meanwhile, Ji-Man Choi has not played the past four games because of a hyperextended left elbow/loose bodies. Because of it, the Rays are placing Choi on 10-day IL retroactive to 4/28 with loose bodies in his right elbow. Isaac Paredes has been recalled; more on that below.
As for yesterday, Shane McClanahan fired off five-plus dominant innings save for two misplaced pitches. In the first inning, Kyle Garlick sent a 109 mph missile to centerfield for an early lead. Then, in the sixth, Garlick struck again, drilling a 2-0 curveball over the wall in left for a 3-1 lead. Even so, the left-hander struck out a career-high 11 batters and scattered just four hits and two walks on 90 pitches (57 strikes, 63% strike rate), while also coaxing 15 whiffs. McClanahan now has at least 13 swings and misses in all five of his starts to begin 2022 — he had that many in 11 of his 25 starts last season.
The New What Next
Josh Fleming (2-2, 4.50 ERA) will get the start in the series finale this afternoon, pitching opposite of Chris Paddack (0-2, 3.68 ERA).
Josh Fleming allowed seven unearned runs on four hits, a walk, and a hit batsman in two innings of work on Tuesday against Seattle. For the second time this season, Fleming pitched behind opener Matt Wisler. The left-hander entered the game in the third inning and retired all three batters via groundouts. Yet, the wheels fell off in the fourth inning as Fleming was BABIP’d to death, while Tampa Bay committed costly errors on consecutive plays, leading to seven unearned runs. All told, he faced 11 batters and needed 44 pitches to complete the frame. In all fairness, his .400 BABIP over the last seven days speaks volumes about the bad luck he has faced of late, but he also has allowed 18 hits in 12 innings.
Chris Paddack pitched 5.2 innings on Tuesday against Detroit and surrendered one run on five hits and a walk while striking out six. Paddack had his best outing of the season, with his only blemish coming on a two-out double by Javier Baez in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring Derek Hill and ending the starter’s day on the mound. His six strikeouts were a season-high. The right-hander’s season numbers now sit at a 3.68 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 14.2 innings. Paddack relies primarily on his whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball, an 83 mph changeup with slight arm-side fade, and a 77 mph worm-killer curveball.
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
http://tampabayrays.co/tnwn-rays-vs-twins-a-series-preview-4/
Rays 5/1/22 Starting Lineup
- B Lowe 2B
- Margot DH
- Arozarena LF
- J Lowe RF
- Ramirez 1B
- Walls SS
- Paredes 3B
- Phillips RF
- Pinto C
Noteworthiness
— The Rays have made multiple roster moves. RHP Javy Guerra was designated for assignment after allowing four ninth innings runs last night, while RHP Robert Dugger was selected from Triple-A Durham. Dugger has big-league experience with Seattle and Miami, and in Durham, he was 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA across 16 frames.
Dugger boasts a wide pitch mix — fastball, sinker, slider, curveball, and changeup — and throws from a low release point. While he hasn’t had MLB success yet, he was ranked on prospect lists as recently as last season.
Additionally, Paredes, who was acquired in the Austin Meadows trade with Detroit, has been recalled from Triple-A Durham. In 19 games with the Bulls, Paredes has slashed .270 BA/.356 OBP/.500 SLG/.856 OPS/.230 ISO with a .374 wOBA, three homers, 15 RBI, and an 11.5% BB% and 17.2% K%. That’s good for a 125 wRC+.
Paredes was surprised to get the call, but he said he’s excited to show the club what he was doing in Durham. He has been playing mostly at third base, but he also got reps at second.