Ever watch Russian Doll, where the protagonist, Nadia, relives the same day, over and again, until she can figure a way out of her perpetual cycle of purgatory? If not, just watch the Tampa Bay Rays, day in and day out, for the same frustrating effect. Once again, the Rays couldn’t muster any run support in spite of early opportunities. Cue up some Harry Nilsson.
Whatever the case, they’ll, again, try to break out of this cycle today with Corey Kluber on the mound.
At 53-47 on the season, the Rays enter play six games above .500, having lost six of the last seven games. Tampa Bay has scored just 16 runs over that stretch, topping three runs just once. Last night, the Rays struck early for one run thanks to Ji-Man Choi’s RBI single. However, they were limited to 1-4 wRISP and stranded six men on the base paths from then on.
The New What Next
Corey Kluber (6-6, 3.91 ERA) will get the start against his former team, pitching opposite Zach Plesac (2-8, 4.09 ERA).
Corey Kluber got the start against the Orioles and after hurling four innings of one-run ball, the right-hander imploded. Ryan McKenna led off the fifth with an 0-2 single to centerfield. After Jonathan Arauz struck out on three pitches, Cedric Mullins came up with a bunt hit, while Adley Rutschman was hit with a back-foot-breaking ball to load the bases. Ryan Mountcastle followed with a two-RBI single to center, while Anthony Santander proceeded to hit a sharply hit grounder to Ji Man Choi at first. Choi threw to second, in order to start a double play, yet his errant throw hit Mountcastle in the back and bounded away from Taylor Walls, allowing Rutschman to cross the plate. Then, with a pair of runners in scoring position, Austin Hays hit a sac-fly to left, capping the rally. All told, Kluber allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits, a walk, and a hit batsman on 86 pitches (66 strikes, 77% strike rate) across five innings. He struck out two. Overall, Kluber maintains a 3.91 ERA and 3.44 FIP, with a 5.25 K/BB, and a 1.14 WHIP across 99.0 innings. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career start against his former team.
Zach Plesac allowed three runs on three hits and three walks over five innings on Monday against Boston. He struck out four. Plesac gave up just one run through the first five frames before he was charged with two more in the sixth without recording an out in the inning. He’s now 0-4 over his last eight starts despite a respectable 3.30 ERA over that stretch. Overall, he owns a 4.09 ERA and a 4.18 FIP through 99 innings, with a 1.26 WHIP, and a 2.77 K/BB. The right-hander relies primarily on a 92 mph four-seam fastball that has some added backspin, an 85 mph 12-6 slider, and a firm 86 mph changeup, while also mixing in an 80 mph 12-6 curveball. Plesac is 0-1 with a 6.17 ERA in two career starts against the Rays, including a start last season when he allowed four runs in 6.2 innings. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (1-3, RBI), Christian Bethancourt (1-3, RBI), Ji-Man Choi (2-6, HR, RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-3, 2B, BB), Isaac Paredes (1-3)
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 7/30/22 Starting Lineup
- Choi 1B
- Raley LF
- Díaz 3B
- B. Lowe 2B
- Arozarena DH
- J. Lowe RF
- Walls SS
- Phillips CF
- Pinto C
Noteworthiness
— It would appear Kevin Cash went partial Joe Maddon today with the starting lineup, although, for the life of me, I can’t comprehend why he went with Taylor Walls at short instead of Yu Chang, who’s been much better in July. The infielder has slashed .310 BA/.310 OBP/.379 SLG/.689 OPS across 29 plate appearances in the month. Plesac has similar stuff (at least on paper) to last night’s starter, Shane Bieber, against whom Chang collected two hits in three at-bats. Walls, in comparison, has slashed .182 BA/.286 OBP/.288 SLG/.574 OPS across 77 plate appearances in the month of July. It really isn’t a question of whether Chang can or can’t handle Plesac’s “overpowering velocity” given that he tops out at 92 mph.
At any rate, I mentioned Maddon in the above paragraph, and by that, I meant the way in which the Rays’ former skipper used to shake things up. Choi leading off? Why not? And while there is a fair share of left-handed hitters in the lineup this afternoon because of the LHH vs RHP splits, this appears to be a “shake off this cold stretch” (despite Walls, I digress) type of lineup.
— JT Chargois put together a six-pitch perfect frame in a rehab game last night with the Durham Bulls — his first appearance there.
Right-hander Nick Anderson is slated to pitch for Durham tonight.