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A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

LBWMF: Rays extend win streak to three with 5-2 win over the Twins

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Daniel Robertson (photographed) made another defensive gem in last night’s game. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Logan Morrison, Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr. led the offensive charge Friday night, while Chris Archer dominated Minnesota over six of his 7-2/3 innings of work, helping the Tampa Bay Rays win against the Twins, 5–2.

As they havedone all season, the Rays took an early lead in a fourth inning rally that started with Corey Dickerson’s leadoff single to center against starter Hector Santiago. Logan Morrison, two batters later, lined a two-run bullet to right field for a two-run advantage.

Morrison now leads the team with 34 RBI, and has homered in his last four games at Target Field.

Unwilling to just sit on the two-run lead, Tampa Bay widened the gap in the sixth inning. Two batters after Morrison worked a one-out walk, chasing Santiago, Kevin Kiermaier lined a two-run homer to right off reliever Ryan Pressly, extending the lead to four runs.

Minnesota, however, made a valiant effort to get on the board in the seventh against Archer, whose fastball command began to lapse. Joe Mauer singled hard to center to lead off the frame, although the Rays’ ace was able to bounce back and strikeout Miguel Sano. Archer uncorked a pair of of wild pitches, allowing Mauer to move second and third, before Max Kepler popped out to short for the second out of the frame. But just one out away from getting out of the jam unscathed, Kennys Vargas singled to shallow right-center for an RBI hit to bring the Twins within three.

The ball landed about 23 feet away from, and out of the reach of, a diving Souza.

Yet Souza had the final laugh in the top of the eighth when answered by lifting a bomb into the second deck of the left-field stands off Matt Belisle.

Archer — who struck out the side in the first, and only allowed an infield hit over the first six innings — was unable to get out of the bottom of the eighth. Call it the curse of the third and fourth times through the order.

Eddie Rosario doubled to left to start the inning. He struck out the next two batters before Brian Dozier singled through the shift to left-center, scoring Rosario to again bring the Twins within three. Cash pulled Archer after he walked Mauer.

That’s not to take anything from Archer, who otherwise was superb. The right-hander struck out 11 over 7-2/3 innings and allowed just a walk and five hits. It was his fourth double-digit strikeout game in his last five starts (his 22nd overall).

Archer credited the work of Derek Norris behind the plate:

First and foremost, Norris called a great game back there, Archer said. We talked about doing specific things prior to the game and it worked out really well. We played some great defense. Overall it was just a great day for the team.

When all was said and done, Archer’s slider was dynamic — coaxing whiff after whiff from the Twins’ batters.

His slider is his most devastating pitch in terms of swings and misses that you’ll see, Molitor said prior to the game. He can make it disappear both down and in to lefties and away from righties, and he’s not afraid to throw it behind in the count. He’s one of those guys it’s going to be tough to have a good at-bat against him every time.

Alex Colome entered in relief and got Sano to strikeout on four pitches to end the eighth. Colome later worked the ninth and earned his 13th save by working around one-out double.

The New What Next

The Rays look to tie their season high in wins on Saturday with ake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.14 ERA, 4.50 FIP) on the mound. He’ll start opposite of left-hander Adalberto Mejia (1–1, 4.96 ERA, 6.63 FIP).

Odorizzi collected his fourth quality start of the season Monday when he held the Angels to two runs over six innings of a no-decision. In two career starts at Target Field, Odorizzi is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA. This season, Mejia has relied primarily on a 94 mph four-seam fastball and a rather par for the course 84 mph slider. He’s also mixed in a 93 mph contact inducing sinker and an 85 mph changeup.

You can read more about the series in our preview.

Rays 5/27/17 Starting Lineup

Beckham SS
Robertson 2B
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Kiermaier CF
Weeks DH
Norris C
Bourjos LF
Odorizzi RHP

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays End Series with 8-0 Throttling of Le Tigre

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Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria score in the fourth inning on a double by Asdrubal Cabrera. (Photo Credit: Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria score in the fourth inning on a double by Asdrubal Cabrera. (Photo Credit: Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Jake Odorizzi entered Wednesday’s game with the lowest amount of run support in the American League. However, he was given run support in spades last night, as the Tampa Bay Rays (68-71) tied a season-high, hitting four homers en route to an 8-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, completing a 4-5 road trip. With the win, Tampa Bay split the season series with Detroit at three games apiece.


Source: FanGraphs

Tampa Bay took a three-run lead in the fourth inning against lefty Kyle Lobstein. Mikie Mahtook walked with one out, and moved to second on an Evan Longoria single to left. Logan Forsythe lined an opposite field double to right, scoring Mahtook, then Asdrubal Cabrera slashed a double to left-center, plating a pair of runs for a 3-0 advantage.

The Rays extended their lead in the sixth after Forsythe and Tim Beckham hit a pair of homers, chasing Lobstein from the game. For Beckham, 49% of his hits this season have gone for extra bases.

Not one to be left out from the hit show, J.P. Arencibia belted a solo shot an inning later off reliever Buck Farmer for a six run lead. It was the 18th homer by a Rays’ catcher this year ― two shy of a club record. Finally, Mahtook capped the long ball fiesta when he homered off Jeff Ferrell in the seventh.

The four home runs tied their season high for a game, set on August 4 against the White Sox, in Chicago. Mahtook’s blast may have been the most impressive. Not only did he connect with a fastball that was down and away, his shot was measured at 427 feet by MLB Statcast, with a bat speed of 106 mph.

Beckham singled home another run in the seventh after both Longoria and Forsythe worked a couple of free passes, pushing the margin to 8-0.

Odorizzi clearly did the devils work against Miggy and company by tossing six shutout innings, scattering six hits and fanning six along the way. And though he got himself into a man at third and one-out situation in the third inning ― after Anthony Gose converted a double into three bases ― and a first and second with none-out rally in the fifth, Odorizzi made a couple of big pitches to force a popper out of J.D. Martinez, and a swinging strikeout of Miguel Cabrera (respectively) to get out of both unscathed.

C.J. Riefenhauser worked around a leadoff walk for a scoreless seventh, Enny Romero worked around a two-out double for another zero an inning later, and Kirby Yates worked a perfect ninth to preserve the combined shutout.

Tampa Bay’s hurlers held Detroit to 0-7 wRISP while racking up a sum total of 10 strikeouts.

The Rays have an off-day Thursday ahead of a 10-game home-stand beginning Friday, when they will welcome the Massholes into the Trop for three.

Noteworthiness

― The Rays improved to 25-16 (.610) when facing LH starters; the second best in the majors behind the Toronto Blue Jays (20-12).

― Steven Souza Jr. completed his secondary rehabilitation stint with the Charlotte Stone Crabs and will head back to St. Petersburg Thursday for a re-evaluation. He will likely to rejoin the team on Friday.

― Manager Kevin Cash said it was “very likely” RHP Nathan Karns would get another start this season, though the “when” will be predicated on the match-up.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Third Straight, 8-7 in Extras

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James McCann is hit by a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays' Alex Colome. (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

James McCann is hit by a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays’ Alex Colome. (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

The Tampa Bay Rays took a 7-7 tie into extras Tuesday night, and walked away with an 8-7 loss in 13 innings. It was an eventful game to say the least, chocked full of ugly pitching from both sides, a couple of awkward fielding gaffes, too many replay reviews, and more pitching changes than I have fingers on both hands. The Rays are now four games under .500 for the first time this season, as their slim playoff hopes continue to whittle away.

It’s been a long day, my softball team lost our season finale, and I’m tired. In lieu of a proper game recap, what follows are a handful of highlights and a dash of lowlights.

Source: FanGraphs

Highlights

― Erasmo Ramirez got the start for the Rays, and aside from a third inning solo shot off the bat of Rajai Davis, the righty sailed through the front five on just 72 pitches (a little more than 14 pitches per inning). Ramirez racked up nine strikeouts (six whiffs) in that time, while allowing three base runners on three hits. The happy one’s change-up was really working for him, and he made a couple of the Tigers’ big boppers ― namely Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera ― look foolish on a pair of well located off-speed offerings.

― Tampa Bay answered Davis’ third inning solo-shot by putting up a run in the fourth. Mikie Mahtook tripled with one out, and Evan Longoria followed by lining a sacrifice-fly to left.

― The Rays took a 5-1 lead in the sixth. Kevin Kiermaier worked a leadoff walk off Matt Boyd, and J.P. Arencibia moved him to third on a single to right. Grady Sizemore both drove in a run and moved Arencibia to third on a single to right. Tampa Bay scored three more runs on singles by Longoria, Logan Forsythe, and Tim Beckham. The lead, however, was short lived.

― Down by one in the seventh, Arencibia doubled to right with one out. One out later, Daniel Nava hit an RBI single into shallow left, giving Tampa Bay a one-run advantage. The lead, again, was short lived.

― Down by one once more in the ninth, Kiermaier (walk), James Loney (single), and Nava (walk) loaded the bases off the command strapped reliever Bruce Rondon. Seriously, the Rondon couldn’t hit the zone if his life depended upon it, due in part to the fact that he literally has four different deliveries ― all featuring variations of his release point. With the bases loaded and only one out, Longoria hit a sacrifice-fly to deep right field.

Davis attempted to catch the ball, but it popped out of his glove, which allowed all of the runners to safely move up 90 feet. Tigers’ skipper Brad Ausmus requested a review of the play at third when it appeared that Nick Franklin may have lost contact with the bag on his slide. Yet the call was confirmed; safe at third. Unfortunately Tampa Bay only converted one run in the frame ― something that would ultimately prove costly.

― Nathan Karns made his first appearance out of the ‘pen, and promptly gave up a solo homer to J.D. Martinez on his second pitch. He settled in (kind of) from there, and though he got into a pair of heart pounding, high leverage situations in the ninth and tenth innings, Karns miraculously wriggled his way out by making those all important big pitches when he desperately needed to.

― Brandon Gomes took over in the eleventh, and despite giving up a single to Davis ― subsequently balking him to second and allowing him to move to third on a fielder’s choice ― he too wriggled out of a high leverage situation, coaxing an inning ending popper out of Kinsler.

― 18 of the Rays 37 outs against Detroit came via the strikeout.

Lowlights

― The wheels fell off for Ramirez in the fourth after he allowed three consecutive hard hit singles to Anthony Gose, Kinsler, and Cabrera. Erasmo got yanked in favor of Matt Andriese, who walked in Martinez after a nine pitch at-bat. Andriese has now allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in seven appearances and 10-1/3 innings since August 19th. Why Cash chose to go with him in this situation is well beyond the realm of my understanding. This may explain things, if just a little:

― Alex Colome took the mound with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. Colome put down Nick Castellanos looking, then hit James McCann in the head by a pitch, plating a run. He then gave up a two-run single to left, allowing Detroit to knot the game at five. Longoria was apparently unaware that the runner had stopped on the play. He cut off the throw from Sizemore to the plate, and never noticed that the runner stopped halfway between home and third. He, instead, caught McCann in a rundown between second and third, consequently allowing a run to score.

― I will continue to pound the drum for the Rays’ postseason chances as long as they are mathematically still in the running. However, I am also quite rational and I am fully aware that Tampa Bay has anywhere from a 1.6% (per FanGraphs) to 3.5% (per Baseball Prospectus) chance of a playoff berth. Let’s just call it incredibly cautious optimism. AL East playoff percentage. (Credit: Baseball Prospectus)

The New What Next

Jake Odorizzi will take the mound for the Rays, opposite of Kyle Lobstein in the series finale. Odorizzi allowed just three hits over 6-2/3 innings in his last outing, but all three were home runs. The righty yielded just one run over six innings against the Tigers in July. Lobstein will make his second start since returning from the DL. He allowed six runs on eight hits over 4-1/3 innings last Saturday against Cleveland. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 9/9/15 Starting Lineup

Guyer CF
Mahtook RF
Longoria 3B
Forsythe DH
Cabrera SS
Beckham 2B
Loney 1B
Shaffer LF
Arencibia C
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

― Look at the bright side Rays fans, my softball team ended the season nine games under .500.

― Steven Souza Jr. (fractured left hand) will play at least through Wednesday night’s second playoff game with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, then be re-evaluated in hopes of rejoining the Rays on Friday. Souza Jr. went 3-5 and hit a three-run homer Tuesday night.

― The Rays 10 consecutive extra-inning losses are the most in a single season since the Houston Astros dropped 11 in 2012. Much uglier, Tampa Bay is 17-30 in games decided in the seventh inning or later, while they have either held a lead or came back to tie the score in 12 of their last 13 losses.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall 5-4; Franklin and Bellatti Expected to Join the Team

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Evan Longoria hits for a single in the first inning. The Tigers defeated the Rays 5-4. (Photo Credit: Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Evan Longoria hits for a single in the first inning. The Tigers defeated the Rays 5-4. (Photo Credit: Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

At a time when the Tampa Bay Rays cannot afford to lose winnable games, under no circumstances should the pitching staff allow runs in the most inopportune times ― especially when the team still considers itself to be in the postseason hun. Yet for the second consecutive game, the Rays’ hurlers allowed the long ball to get the best of them. And though Tampa Bay twice came back from two-run deficits against Detroit, the Tigers went on to win 5-4. The Rays now are 3-4 on a nine-game, three-city road trip.

Drew Smyly got that start for Tampa Bay and threw two excellent innings to start the game. Smyly spotted his fastball well, especially up in the zone, and paired it with his off-speed stuff at the bottom of the zone ― racking up a couple strikeouts, while giving up a pair of hits up the middle.

Yet in the third inning, Smyly surrendered a soft double near the left-field line to Anthony Gose, then left a letter high 1-2 slider to Rajai Davis, who deposited it over the wall in left-field.

Tampa Bay immediately answered in the to of the fourth inning. Mikie Mahtook hit a leadoff double to left-center, and Evan Longoria followed by belting a two-run homer to left off Randy Wolf on the next pitch. It was Longoria’s fifth homer of the road trip, and 19th of the season.

However, as they say old habits die hard, and the Tigers put up two more in the bottom of the inning. Nick Castellanos led off Detroit’s half of the inning with a double on another hanging slider, and James McCann crushed an errant cutter to left, putting Le Tigre up by two. Smyly was able to limit the damage from there, stranding runners at the corners to end the frame. J.P. Arencibia got the Rays within a run in the fifth, collecting his third homer of the road trip — a 464 foot tape-measure blast to left-center.

Brandon Guyer followed with an RBI double to right, and Mahtook singled him home, tying the game at four. They threatened further in the fifth when Longoria singled Mahtook to second off reliever Drew Ver Hagen, followed by  a Logan Forsythe groundout to short with both runners in motion. But Asdrubal Cabrera couldn’t drive in the go-ahead run, instead tapping softly back to the mound.

Drew threw a clean fifth inning, and then handed the ball to the bullpen with the game tied at four.

After Brandon Gomes put together a 1-2-3 sixth, he took the mound again in the seventh and put down the first batter, Anthony Gose, on a comebacker. Yet Gomes hung a slider to Davis, who made another Rays’ pitcher pay by hitting it out to left. Ian Kinsler doubled, and Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally to set up a double play. As if on cue, J.D. Martinez grounded to Richie Sahffer who turned a nice inning ending double play.

Matt Andriese took over in the eighth. McCann bunted up the left side to reach with one out, but Shaffer’s throw went up the right field line — advancing McCann to second. Dixon Machado’s reached on a single to center, also moving McCann to third. However, Detroit unsuccessfully attempted a suicide squeeze, with McCann tagged out at the plate, and Romine advancing to second. Andrew Romine flew out to left to end the inning, keeping the Rays within a run.

Unfortunately Tampa Bay didn’t get a runner into scoring position until the ninth against the Tigers bullpen. Pinch-hitter John Jaso walked with one out, and after Daniel Nava flew out, Grady Sizemore blooped a single to center. Evan Longoria (3-4 with a homer) walked on a full-count, 100 mph fastball to load the bases for Logan Forsythe, who had a seven-game hit streak entering the day. Even so, Forsythe was also hitting .200 with the bases loaded entering the game, and the second baseman hit a grounder into the hole at short. Kinsler was barely able to stay on the bag on Machado’s throw, and though the play was reviewed, the game ending out call was confirmed.

The New What Next

Erasmo Ramirez will make his first career start against the Tigers on Tuesday, opposite of Matt Boyd. Ramirez hasn’t lasted five full innings in either of his last two starts, and home runs have become an issue — he has allowed 10 over his last 12 appearances after yielding just four over his first 17 starts. Boyd, who has surrendered 11 runs on 14 hits over seven innings in his last two, will look for better fortunes at home. Boyd has two quality starts in as many tries at Comerica Park. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 8/7/15 Starting Lineup

Guyer LF
Mahtook RF
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 2B
Cabrera SS
Beckham DH
Shaffer 1B
Kiermaier CF
Arencibia C
Ramirez RHP

Noteworthiness

— The Rays are expected to call up RHP Andrew Bellatti and INF Nick Franklin on Tuesday. They, however, are not expected to make any further additions, meaning LHP Blake Snell and utility-man Taylor Motter most likely will not be called up.

Franklin was slated to be part of a second-base platoon until an oblique injury near the end of Spring Training sidelined him well into the season. He joined the Rays in mid-May but performed poorly, hitting just .139 in 28 games. After a demotion to Triple-A Durham, Franklin hit .266 with 11 homers, 30 RBI and an .853 OPS in 57 games.

Bellatti was impressive in several early-season stints with the Rays, collecting a 2-0 record, and a 1.50 ERA in five games. Yet the righty was sidelined with shoulder soreness in June and had issues after going back to Durham in July, positing an 8.10 ERA in 13 games.

Bellatti will provide depth in the bullpen, while Franklin will allow for some late-game flexibility, plus occasional starts in the moddle infield.

— Logan Forsythe has been named the AL player of the week. Forsythe hit .545 (12-22) with 5 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, and two walks in six games.

— Kevin Cash said Steven Souza Jr. will play at least two games for the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

— With his next home run this season, Evan Longoria will join only SIX other third basemen in AL history to hit 20+ HR in seven seasons.

The New What Next: Rays vs Le Tigre, Part Two ― A Series Preview

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Kevin Kiermaier follows through on a second inning two-run home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 6, 2015. (Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Kevin Kiermaier follows through on a second inning two-run home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 6, 2015. (Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Fighting to stay in the wild-card race, the Tampa Bay Rays should, ideally, be able to walk away from Detroit with a series sweep under the team’s collective belt. Tampa Bay starts the series 4-1/2 games back in the Wildcard race with 26 games left to go, so suffice it to say a series win, in the least, is crucial.

The Rays are set to face one of the most inconsistent pitching staffs in the majors. And while Tampa Bay dropped two-of-three to the Yankees, due in part to a disappointing 6-4 loss in the series finale on Sunday, Detroit continues its late-season swoon. The Tigers are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Indians ― their third shutout loss while dropping 13 of the last 16. The last-place Tigers, who are now a season worst 12 games under .500 at 62-74, are 10-19 versus the AL East, having been outscored 182-111 in those games.

Kevin Cash will throw Drew Smyly (2-2, 3.11 ERA), Erasmo Ramirez (10-5, 3.84 ERA), and Jake Odorizzi (6-8, 3.35 ERA) on the mound over the next three days. Smyly, who will face the Tigers for the first time since being dealt last season, gets a chance to put together strong consecutive outings for the first this season. The lefty matched a season high 10 strikeouts while limiting Baltimore to four hits in seven shutout innings of an 11-2 victory Tuesday. In his two victories since coming back from the DL, Smyly hasn’t allowed a run in 12-2/3 innings. Ramirez struggled Wednesday night in a no-decision against the Orioles. After the Rays took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third, he allowed Baltimore to tie the game with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Odorizzi took his eighth loss of the season Friday against the Yankees when he allowed five earned runs on a season-high three home runs ― the only hits he allowed in 6-2/3 innings.

Tampa Bay took two-of-three from Detroit in a July series at The Trop.

Rays and Tigers series starters over the last 14 days.

Rays and Tigers series starters over the last 14 days.

Rays and Tigers offensive production over the last 14 days.

Rays and Tigers offensive production over the last 14 days.

Rays and Tigers by the numbers.

Rays and Tigers by the numbers.

Randy Wolf (0-3, 6.11): Wolf has received zero runs of support in three starts since being called up last month. The lefty was hammered for eight runs in 3-2/3 innings of a 12-1 defeat at Kansas City on Wednesday. Wolf has dropped five straight starts dating back to a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay on June 2, 2014, when he limited the Rays to one run in six innings. Key matchups: Evan Longoria (1-3), Daniel Nava (1-1).

Matt Boyd (1-5, 8.36 ERA): Boyd’s struggles to put away hitters in two-strike counts is taking a toll. He, most recently, posted a six-run, three-out start at Kansas City. Opponents are batting .417 (25-60) off him when he’s ahead in the count. Boyd, who has never faced Tampa Bay, relies primarily on his 92 mph four seam fastball, while also mixing in an 80 mph slider, a 79 mph change-up, and a 72 mph curveball. He rarely throws a 90 mph sinker, and an 87 mph cutter.

Kyle Lobstein (3-6, 5.02 ERA): Lobstein returned from the DL on Friday and allowed six runs on eight hits over 4-1/3 innings against the Indians. Like Boyd, the 26 year-old lefty, who relies primarily on his 87 mph sinker Sinker (87mph) and and 87 mph four seam fastball, has not faced the Rays. Lobstein also mixes in an 82 mph slider, an 80 mph change-up, and a 76 mph curveball.

Noteworthiness

― Logan Forsythe is hitting .538 with a 1.379 OPS during a seven-game hit streak.

― Ian Kinsler is 3-7 with a homer versus Smyly.

― Miguel Cabrera has gone 10 games without a homer and is hitting .194 in that span.