Matt Andriese Matt Andriese (6-3, 2.90 ERA) will get the start opposite of Masahiro Tanaka (8-4, 3.32 ERA). For Andriese, it’s his third outing since moving back into the starting rotation after Matt Moore was traded to San Francisco on August 1. Andriese allowed three runs on six hits and a walk over 4-2/3 innings on Sunday. He struck out seven. The righty was stretched out a little more, throwing 76 pitches, although he got yanked in the fifth inning without being in any particular kind of jam. Look for him to pitch deeper into the game this afternoon, and possibly even pitch long enough to qualify for a win.
Kevin Kiermaier should be back in the lineup this afternoon after sitting out Friday’s game with the flu.
Tanaka allowed one run on six hits over six innings while striking out eight on Sunday, in his best start of the season. The righty threw 21 of 25 first-pitch strikes, consistently keeping the Indians behind in the count. It was first time in six starts (the seventh time all season) that Tanaka hit a triple-digit pitch count, as the Yankees are carefully managing his workload. Tanaka blanked the Rays over seven innings back on May 27th, allowing just two hits.
You can read about the pitching matchup, and so much more, in our series preview.
Rays 8/13/16 Starting Lineup
Forsythe 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 1B
Duffy SS
Dickerson DH
Mahtook RF
Franklin LF
Maile C
Andriese RHP
Noteworthiness
— Oswaldo Arcia and Logan Morrison continued their rehab stints with the Charlotte Stone Crabs Friday, with both going 2-4 on the night. Aria plated both of the Stone Crabs’ runs on a two-run homer. Alex Cobb (with Durham) and Chase Whitley (with Port Charlotte) are slated to start on Tuesday.
— On Friday, I helped work the 12th Baseball Forever watch party…that’s 12 watch parties since June. Those of us involved with the campaign poured blood (metaphorical), sweat (literal), and tears (you choose) into things over the last two months. The fruits of our labor are uncertain, although I’m incredibly proud of the hard work we put into things. I’m also incredibly excited to see what comes of things with the future of the Rays in St. Petersburg.
Thank you to everyone who supported us in some capacity; the campaign is far from done.
Next up: please make the commitment to, in the least, attend the Baseball Forever Night at the Trop next Friday. In the end, this is a community effort that will determine the life of this city for the next 30-to-40 years…that’s not hyperbole.
Whatever the case, expect more from us and the Baseball Forever campaign. This is an exciting time, I hope you’re as excited as I am. See ya Friday and down the road.
— Welcome to the Rays, Skeeter…I mean, Matt Duffy!