Rays 6/4/23 pregame notes

After splitting a day/night doubleheader in blustery Boston on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to take a lead in the four-game set on Sunday.

At 41-19 on the season, the Rays enter play 22 games above .500, and four games up on the second-place Orioles in the division.

Last night, Tyler Glasnow allowed one run on four hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out six. Making his second start of the season after suffering a grade two oblique strain in Spring Training, Glasnow looked sharp as he tossed 88 pitches (54 strikes, 61% strike rate, 12 whiffs, 14% SwStr%). The right-hander had a good pitch mix and got five of his six strikeouts on offspeed pitches. It was an encouraging performance as he continues to ramp things up. Glasnow now maintains a 3.72 ERA and a 2.98 FIP through 9.2 innings, with a 3.5 K/BB, and a 1.34 WHIP.

…And then a hero comes along

Meanwhile, with the score knotted up at two apiece, Francisco Mejía stepped into the batter’s box against Kenley Jansen, who had pitched in the first game just a few hours earlier. Mejía reached on a single, as did Yandy Díaz who followed. The next man up was Brandon Lowe, and he was on a mission to atone for a run-scoring error a few innings prior. He did not disappoint. With two on and none out, Lowe hit a deep flyball to right field that allowed both runners to advance into scoring position. Harold Ramírez followed with a two-run double, driving in a pair and giving the Rays a two-run, go-ahead lead.

Jason Adam took the mound in the ninth and only needed three pitches to get the first two outs of the frame. However, his next pitch — a sweeping slider that took off on him — hit Rafael Devers on that little nubby bone on the ankle, before he walked Masataka Yoshida. That brought the potential winning run to the plate. But, Jarren Duran hit a flyball to centerfield that José Siri charged in on and ended the game with a diving grab, punctuated with a salute.

The walking wounded

Of note, Tampa Bay scratched Luke Raley from the lineup in the first game and he did not play in the second due to an injury that was diagnosed as a mild strain of an intercostal muscle on his right side. Raley had not experienced any issues in that area before Saturday morning and hopes to be back in the lineup this afternoon.

Wander Franco is also being monitored after he tweaked his left hamstring while running from second to third base on a Brandon Lowe single in the seventh inning of the early contest. Franco finished the game but did not play last night. Rays skipper Kevin Cash said he is day to day.

The New What Next

Taj Bradley (3-2, 3.60 ERA, 2.76 FIP) will get the start this afternoon, pitching opposite Tanner Houck (3-4, 5.30 ERA, 4.14 FIP).

Taj Bradley allowed an unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over 5.2 innings. A fourth-inning Tampa Bay error helped Chicago notch the game’s only run, resulting in Bradley taking his second career loss despite another strong outing. The rookie right-hander tossed a season-high 5.2 frames to fall one out shy of his first quality start, and he punched out eight batters while walking only one. Bradley’s pitch count is being kept in check — the 90 pitches (65 strikes, 72% strike rate) he threw Monday marked a season-high. Overall, he has looked every bit deserving of a big-league rotation spot, compiling a 3.60 ERA and a 2.76 FIP, with a 1.07 WHIP and 8.4 K/BB over 30 innings. Bradley allowed three earned runs on five hits and a walk across five frames in his previous start against Boston. He struck out eight.

Tanner Houck allowed four runs on six hits over four innings Sunday against the Diamondbacks, striking out four. All four runs against Houck came in the first two frames, including Corbin Carroll’s two-run first-inning shot. The Diamondbacks were seeing the ball well, as nine of the 14 balls in play were hit hard, including five that tracked greater than 100 mph. Houck has taken a loss in four straight decisions, posting an unsightly 5.97 ERA during that six-start stretch. He now owns a 5.30 ERA and a 4.14 FIP after failing to complete five innings for the second time this season. Houck relies primarily on an 84 mph slider that sweeps across the zone and has exceptional depth and a whiffy 94 mph sinker that has heavy sinking action, while also mixing in a 92 mph cutter that has some natural sink, a 94 mph fourseam fastball that has heavy sinking action, and an 88 mph splitter that dives down out of the zone. He is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in three outings (one career start) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Yandy Díaz (1-4), Wander Franco (3-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Harold Ramírez (1-2)

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below.

Rays 6/4/23 Starting Lineup

1. Díaz DH
2. B. Lowe 2B
3. Arozarena LF
4. J. Lowe RF
5. Paredes 3B
6. Raley 1B
7. Margot CF
8. Walls SS
9. Bethancourt C