After an 8-4 win on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays will look for a series win tonight at Fenway Park.
At 44-37 on the season, the Rays enter play seven games over .500. They can also catch the Red Sox for the top Wildcard spot with a win.
In four of the last five contests, the Rays have collected at least six runs and double-digit hits. Yandy Díaz, who had three hits yesterday, has had a hit in 10 consecutive games, while Wander Franco is in the midst of an eight-game hit streak. Meanwhile, Kevin Kiermaier drove in four runs, while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Jeffrey Springs got the start against Boston and battled, allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five across four innings. Springs got into trouble early, giving up home runs to Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story in the first and second innings, although he eventually settled down to throw a couple of scoreless frames before being pulled after throwing 82 pitches (53 strikes, 65% strike rate). Despite giving up three earned runs over four innings he still maintains a 2.53 ERA and 3.66 FIP, with a 1.05 WHIP, and a 4.67 K/BB across 64.0 innings this season.
The New What Next
Corey Kluber (3-5, 3.91 ERA) will get the start in the finale, pitching opposite Brayan Bello (10-4, 2.33 ERA at Triple-A).
Corey Kluber allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks in three innings of work on Friday while striking out just one Blue Jay. Kluber faced the minimum through two innings but wound up facing 11 batters in a five-run third. Six of the first seven batters in that frame reached base, with five of them doing so via a double. He was replaced by Phoenix Sanders to start the fourth. If there’s a positive here for Kluber, it’s that the poor outing doesn’t appear to be part of any sort of trend, as he’d given up a total of four earned runs across his last three starts. Kluber maintains a 3.91 ERA and 3.60 FIP, with a 1.16 WHIP, and 5.15 K/BB across 76.0 innings in (15 starts) overall. Kluber allowed four runs on four hits (including a home run) and a walk in one five-inning outing against the Red Sox in April.
Brayan Bello will make his big-league debut on Wednesday night. Bello has been dominant this season at Double-A and Triple-A, logging a 2.33 ERA and a 3.02 FIP, with a 1.04 WHIP, and a 3.45 K/BB across 85 innings. The right-hander has allowed all six of his homers to left-handed batters this season, although he hasn’t surrendered more than three runs in any of his 15 outings. To his credit, Bello has strikeout ability that pairs well with an impressive groundball rate, although a 10.4% walk rate over his last five turns reflects struggles with command. He boasts a 96 mph four-seam fastball that touches triple digits — although it is fairly straight and he can’t always locate it where he wants — a mid-80s changeup with fade and depth, and a mid-80s slider.
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 7/6/22 Starting Lineup
- J. Lowe RF
- Díaz DH
- Franco SS
- Choi 1B
- Arozarena LF
- Walls 3B
- Kiermaier CF
- Mejía C
- Bruján 2B
Noteworthiness
— The Rays claimed Yu Chang from the Pirates yesterday. Pittsburgh designated the infielder for assignment last week. To create a spot on the 40-man roster, Tampa Bay transferred Brandon Lowe from the 10-day to the 60-day Injured List.
A longtime member of the Guardians’ farm system, Chang saw action with an MLB club — be that Cleveland or Pittsburgh — every season over the last three seasons. Despite a decent pedigree, the Taiwan native hasn’t hit much in the big leagues, slashing .208 BA/.265 OBP/.372 SLG/.637 OPS with a 28.5% strikeout rate across 358 plate appearances in Cleveland, and a .135 BA/.237 OBP/.212 SLG/.449 OPS with a 42.4% strikeout rate in 49 plate appearances in Pittsburgh. He, however, maintains a career .252 BA/.327 OBP/.438 SLG/.765 OPS with a 111 wRC+ in the minor leagues. Chang was among Baseball America’s ranking of Cleveland’s top 30 prospects each season from 2015-21, drawing praise for his plate discipline, power, and ability to play all over the infield. But, as he reached the upper levels, the infielder has shown a lot of swing and miss.
A level-to-level shuffle exhausted all of Chang’s minor league option years, and it’s possible his stay in Tampa Bay will also be brief. As it stands, he must stick on the active roster or be designated for assignment again. The Rays have a fair bit of infield depth, with Wander Franco, the hot-hitting Isaac Paredes, Ji-Man Choi, and Yandy Díaz, not to mention Taylor Walls and Vidal Bruján. Since both Walls and Bruján have struggled at the plate this season, and do have options remaining, the Rays could decide to send either player back to Triple-A Durham once Chang reports to the team.
The infield mix will become deeper once Lowe (lower back stress reaction) is able to make his return; he’s eligible for activation around the All-Star Break. The infielder progressed to taking batting practice last week, although Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash noted on June 28th that he is still a ways from returning to the big league roster. Lowe is expected to head out on a Minor League rehab assignment before stepping back into the big league lineup. The decision to move him to the 60-day IL isn’t reflective of any setback, nor does it increase his stay on the shelf.