After a 6-4 bounce-back win against the Guardians on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to cap their three-game set with another W this afternoon.
At 54-47 on the season, the Rays enter play seven games over .500 with 61 left to play.
For just the second time since the All-Star Break, the Rays hit multiple home runs in a game.
Then, up by a pair in the fifth, Yandy Díaz bashed a two-run homer to left-center field, extending Tampa Bay’s lead. However, despite punching out 10 Guardians, the additional runs proved important, as Cleveland rallied against Corey Kluber in the sixth.
Corey Kluber allowed four earned runs on eight hits and a hit by pitch while striking out 10 across six innings on Saturday against his former team. Kluber allowed only one earned run through five innings of work, although he served up a three-run homer to Andres Gimenez to partially spoil his outing. Despite the long ball, Kluber racked up a season-high 10 punchouts — primarily on the strength of 23 called strikes — against a team that doesn’t often strike out and leads the league in contact rate. Kluber has allowed four earned runs in three consecutive starts spanning 17 frames, although Saturday’s outing was encouraging, given that one errant pitch did him in. Overall, he owns a 4.03 ERA but a 3.38 FIP, with a 5.53 K/BB, and a 1.15 WHIP across 105 innings on the season.
The Rays will receive offensive help on Sunday. David Peralta, who was acquired from Arizona on Saturday, will make his Rays debut. Peralta is expected to play primarily against right-handed pitching.
We’ve had a lot of injuries, and we’re relying on a lot of young guys who haven’t necessarily performed the way that we know that they’re capable of. Adding somebody who has a history of being able to do that, hopefully, that has an effect on the other players, in addition to just himself as well.
— Peter Bendix, Rays GM
The Rays have optioned Josh Lowe to Durham to make room on the 26-man roster for Peralta, while LHP Angel Perdomo was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man.
The New What Next
Shane McClanahan (10-3, 1.76 ERA) will get the start on Sunday, pitching opposite Cleveland’s bullpen.
Shane McClanahan tossed seven innings, giving up two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out seven against the Orioles on Tuesday. McClanahan was able to limit the Orioles to just three baserunners in Tuesday’s outing, but both of the hits he surrendered were solo homers. Cedric Mullins launched a leadoff homer on the first pitch of the game and Anthony Santander took him deep in the fourth. The two long balls matched the total that McClanahan had allowed over his five prior starts combined. On the bright side, the 25-year-old extended his quality start streak to a remarkable 13 consecutive turns, and he now owns a 1.76 ERA and a 2.59 FIP, with a 0.77 WHIP, and a 7.70 K/BB with 154 punchouts over 117.2 frames (19 starts) this season.
Bryan Shaw (4-2, 5.45 ERA) will open the bullpen day for the Guardians. Shaw has made 733 previous appearances and has started just one Big League contest before today, which he did in his last outing when he coughed up two runs in 2.1 innings against Boston (five days ago).
Aside from Shaw, Cleveland’s ‘pen has been okay in July, but not great, performing to a 4.04 ERA and 3.26 FIP. It should be noted that the Guardians are in a stretch of 18 games in 17 days, so potentially taxing the bullpen doesn’t make much strategic sense, but you do you, Terry F. At any rate, while the Guardians’ relief corps will strike out its fair share of batters — at a little more than a three-to-one strikeout to walk clip — it also will give allow base runners (1.19 WHIP in July). It should also be noted that the Guardian’s ‘pen boasts one left-hander, and newcomer David Peralta is very good against right-handed hurlers.
As I wrote yesterday (linked), against right-handers, since May 2nd, Peralta has produced a .287 BA/.340 OBP/.536 SLG/.876 OPS line, with a .346 xwOBA, and a 90.9 mph average exit velocity — good for a 137 wRC+. Yet, those numbers increase dramatically when he faces right-handers throwing gas (95+ mph), with Peralta slashing .386 BA/.449 OBP/.682 SLG/1.131 OPS, with a .479 wOBA, and a 94.4 mph average exit velocity. That being said, he’s long been ineffective against left-handed pitching, batting just .114 BA/.261 OBP/.200 SLG/.461 OPS against southpaws this season.
Let’s see if he and the Rays can incur some damage this afternoon.
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 7/31/22 Starting Lineup
- Choi DH
- Díaz 3B
- B. Lowe 2B
- Arozarena RF
- Peralta LF
- Paredes 1B
- Chang SS
- Quinn CF
- Pinto C
Noteworthiness
— Nick Anderson made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham on Saturday, striking out two in a perfect inning.