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The New What Next: Rays vs Reds — a series preview, Trevor Plouffe added to the roster

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The Rays return home Monday after splitting a pair of road series’ against the Blue Jays and Tigers. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their home run mashing ways when they welcome the Cincinnati Reds into the Trop for a three-game interleague series, starting Monday.

(Stats: ESPN)

Tampa Bay continues to stay above the .500 mark after going 3-3 on a six-game road trip against the Blue Jays and Tigers. The Rays, who have now won two in a row, flexed their muscles against Detroit with five home runs (including a Steven Souza Jr. grand Slam) in the 9-1 win Sunday.

Here’s three of the five:

Tampa Bay and Cincinnati have only met 12 times total, with the Reds holding a 9-3 record in those games. The Rays, however, took two of three in 2014, the last time they faced Cincinnati. The Reds will need their history of success to be kind based on recent results. They are currently mired in a nine-game losing streak, sitting dead last in the NL Central after an 8-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

All told, the Rays are 6-4 over their last 10, and looking to separate themselves from the rest of the AL East, while the Reds are 1-9 over the same stretch and, well…looking for a win.

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on Jake Odorizzi (4-3, 3.77 ERA, 5.15 FIP), Alex Cobb (5-5, 4.17 ERA, 4.29 FIP), and Erasmo Ramirez (2-2, 6.48 ERA, 4.63 FIP). Bryan Price will counter with Scott Feldman (5-5, 4.29 ERA, 4.28 FIP), Amir Garrett (3-5, 6.91 ERA, 6.97 FIP), and Tim Adleman (4-3, 4.35 ERA, 5.23 FIP).

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Key Matchups

Odorizzi did not make it out of the fifth inning in his last start when he allowed three runs over 4-1/3 innings of a no decision against Toronto. Odorizzi struggled with his control throughout, throwing 99 pitches (55 strikes) in his outing. Be that as it may, Odorizzi otherwise has been solid at home, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.11 ERA at the Trop this season, while collecting five quality starts in a row at home.

Feldman last pitched in a 6-2 loss in San Diego on Tuesday, allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings. That start was one of six in which he was tagged for four runs or more. Having spent 12 of his 13 seasons in the American League, Feldman has plenty of experience against the Rays, going 4-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 appearances (seven starts). This season he has relied primarily on a ground ball inducing 89 mph cutter, a 90 mph sinker, and a 76 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement. Key Matchups: Tim Beckham (1-3),  Evan Longoria (5-17, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, BB), Derek Norris (6-14, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Colby Rasmus (2-8), Steven Souza Jr. (1-3)

Cobb earned a no-decision in his start Thursday against Detroit, but hurled an effective 6-2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs. The right-hander fanned just three batters, and walked a pair while giving up eight hits in that start, although he was able to lean on his split-change — throwing it 17 times (12 for strikes, two whiffs), which is a lot compared to the number he threw earlier in the season. The Tigers only put two of them in play, and the pitch did appear to regain some of its pre-surgery depth. In his only career start against the Reds, he threw seven scoreless frames.

Garrett notched his first quality start in over a month on Wednesday, throwing six innings of two-run ball against San Diego. To his credit, he kept the ball down in the zone, something he struggled to do over his last several starts. Beware of the long-ball! In that contest, Hunter Renfroe hit a monstrous two-run homer in the sixth inning. With a 2.57 HR/9 over the last 14 days, the Rays will try to punish Garrett for any mistakes left up in the zone. This season Garrett has relied primarily on a 92 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, and an 80 mph 12-6 slider. He’s also mixed in an 81 mph changeup with slight cut and a lot of backspin. He has never faced the Rays.

Ramirez has struggled over his past four starts, posting two losses and an unsightly 10.05 ERA. On Friday, the Tigers pounded him to the tune of 10 runs (eight earned) in 4-2/3 innings. As I wrote on Saturday, it may be time to move Erasmo back to the ‘pen where he’s been more successful; this outing likely will be a bellwether for the right-hander.

Adleman has been the Reds’ most consistent starter, as he’s gone at least five innings and given up three runs or fewer in each of his last five starts. However, the Reds haven’t capitalized, going 2-3 in those games. Because he’s a fly ball pitcher, Adleman doesn’t generate nearly enough ground balls, leading to one of the worst HR/9 ratios in the league. It will be interesting to see if the 29 year-old right-hander leans on his plus curveball Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to keep the ball in the park. The breaking pitch ranks fifth in whiffs per swing, and it has been above average at inducing grounders and making it a tough pitch to do anything with. He’s also cultivated a .000 ISO and a .133 BAA with the curveball, although he’s thrown it just 10% of the time this season — down from 18% a season ago. He has never faced the Rays.

Noteworthiness

— Trevor Plouffe, acquired from Oakland, has officially joined the active roster. To make room for Plouffe, the Rays have designated Michael Martinez (no options remaining) for assignment.

The New What Next: Rays vs Marlins — the Citrus Series preview

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The guys in or by the batting cage (Derek Norris and Logan Morrison), along with Evan Longoria, have uncharacteristically low BABIPs at the moment. Once the luck dragons stop nipping, they’ll turn their season’s around. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a 2-6 roadtrip, and a below .500 record for the month of April, the Tampa Bay Rays return to the Sunshine State, where they’ll face the Miami Marlins over the next four days — both in Miami and St. Pete.

The last couple of games in Toronto were both winnable, and frustrating. Not only were the Rays facing a team that hadn’t won a series at home, but the Jays were also 2-8 at the Rogers Centre. Yet when you go 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position, and only plate nine runs — seven in the first game alone — it’s kind of hard to win games.

(Stats: ESPN)

After a brief panic attack following the series finale loss, Bradley Neveu (DRaysBay) calmly reminded me, well…all of us, that things will get better, and reinforcements are on the way:

Evan Longoria, Logan Morrison and Derek Norris are all running some really low BABIPs right now. They will come up, and the results will come with it.

The long relievers in the bullpen Austin Pruitt, Erasmo Ramirez and Chase Whitley have performed exceptionally well lately. We should see one of them in the mid-to-late innings most nights when Archer doesn’t start.

Jake Odorizzi will be back tomorrow to bolster the starting rotation. Outfielder Colby Rasmuslooks ready to join the Rays within the next few days. Infielder Matt Duffy should be back in May. Catcher Wilson Ramos is projected to be with the team a month after that. All of these players are significant upgrades to this team; a team that is already performing like a .500 club. And who knows, maybe we’ll see the hot-hitting Patrick Leonard or any of the other prospects up with the Rays soon.

Longoria (.258 BABIP), Morrison (.236 BABIP) and Norris (.220 BABIP) are performing well under their career norms as it relates to BABIP, meaning they’ve been incredibly unlucky thus far. As for the activation of Odorizzi from the DL, that gives Rays manager Kevin Cash the ability to rely on a more dynamic bullpen, not one that has to cover innings for a player who isn’t active.

Lest we not forget that when looking at their Pythagorean and BaseRuns expectations, the Rays should be above .500. The Marlins, on the other hand, are underperforming Tampa Bay. If anything, this series can be viewed as a momentum building one, going into the forthcoming series’ with the Blue Jays and Royals. That is, if Tampa Bay can get back on the winning side of the ledger.

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will throw Jake Odorizzi (1-1. 4.15 ERA, 5.69 FIP), Alex Cobb (1-2, 4.66 ERA, 4.41 FIP), Blake Snell (0-2, 3.42 ERA, 5.16 FIP), and Matt Andriese (1-1, 3.86 ERA, 5.28 FIP). Don Mattingly will counter with Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.71 ERA, 4.47 FIP), Edinson Volquez (0-3, 4.44 ERA, 4.43 FIP), Adam Conley (1-1, 6.75 ERA, 4.55 FIP), and Dan Straily (1-2, 4.15 ERA, 3.77 FIP).

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Odorizzi will return from the disabled list to make his first start since April 15. He is 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 14 career Interleague starts, and 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one start at Marlins Park. As expected, Odorizzi experienced no issues coming out of his simulated game a few days earlier, so the Rays have formally named his as their starter for Monday’s series opener.

Chen was lifted after five innings and 83 pitches in Philadelphia, after posting a season-high seven no-hit innings on 100 pitches in Seattle. Chen, who spent four years with the Orioles, has 117-1/3 innings against Tampa Bay under his belt — the most against any team. The five-pitch pitcher (92 mph four-seam fastball, 75 mph curveball, 83 mph changeup, 91 mph sinker and 85 mph slider) is 5-6 with a 3.76 ERA in 20 career starts against the Rays. Key matchups: Peter Bourjos (4-9, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Kevin Kiermaier (4-13, 3B, HR, 2 RBI), Evan Longoria (11-40, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB), Logan Morrison (1-3), Derek Norris (3-12, HR, RBI, BB), Colby Rasmus (1-3, BB), Steven Souza Jr. (4-16, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB)

Cobb, on the positive end of the spectrum, allowed just two earned runs over five innings on Wednesday in Baltimore. He, however, continued to struggle with his changeup, although he’s making progress. In his last start he threw his splitter 32 times, and got 18 swings (four whiffs).

Volquez has given up five first inning runs in five starts, and is susceptible to getting beaten up early. That’s good for the Rays, as they’ve scored 25 first inning runs; second only to Milwaukee, and 22.52% of their 121 total runs. Volquez is still seeking his first win in Miami. He is allowing loud, hard contact, and 51.9% of the balls put in play against the right-hander have been line drives or fly balls. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but Volquez is 3-1 with a 3.65 ERA across six starts against Tampa Bay. Key matchups: Peter Bourjos (3-6), Kevin Kiermaier (3-10, BB), Evan Longoria (5-17, 2B, 4 RBI), Brad Miller (2-3, HR, RBI), Logan Morrison (2-5, 3B, RBI, BB), Colby Rasmus (7-16, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI), Steven Souza Jr. (2-3, HR, 3 RBI), Rickie Weeks Jr. (7-19, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB)

Snell continues to struggle with his fastball command, failing to last more than five innings in four consecutive starts. He needed 96 pitches to get 15 outs in his last start. Snell appears to have a problem with consistent windups, forcing his pitches well out of the zone. His 18:18 strike to ball ratio through 26-1/3 innings is a touch worrisome to say the least…not that you haven’t heard that one before, or anything.

Conley allowed nine runs in 1-2/3 innings in his last star, after not allowing more than six previously. The southpaw also had gone six innings in each of his last two starts. The three-pitch hurler, that relies primarily on his 90 mph four-seam fastball, 85 mph slider and 83 mph changeup, is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one start against the Rays. Key matchups: Evan Longoria (1-3), Steven Souza Jr. (1-2, 2B, BB)

Andriese snapped a streak of 18 starts in which he threw six innings or fewer, when he pitched seven and allowed three earned runs on Saturday. However, by surrendering a home run to Justin Smoak, he extended another streak to six straight starts in which he’s given up the long-ball.

Straily, a strike thrower, had a string of 12 straight innings without a walk snapped when he issued three consecutive free passes in his loss to the Pirates. Straily still has thrown well overall, fanning 29 batter in 26 innings this season. So far, Straily has depended upon a whiffy 91 mph four-seam fastball, and an 85 mph worm burner of a slider. He’s also mixed in an 84 mph circle change with natural sink. Key matchups: Brad Miller (1-4, 2B, BB), Logan Morrison (1-3), Colby Rasmus (2-5)

Noteworthiness

— The feel good story of the series, according to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times):

Rays rookie Chih-Wei Hu will be thrilled to see countryman Wie-Yin Chen pitch in person in the majors tonight when he starts for the Marlins. Even better would be for Hu to get in the game, as they are the only two current big-leaguers from Taiwan. “This will be a very big story in Taiwan,” Hu said. “I look at him like a superstar. I’m excited to see him pitch. It’s a big thing for me and it’s a big thing for Taiwan. A bigger thing would be if he’s pitching and I’m pitching in the game. That would be really cool.” Hu said that before leaving for spring training, he told Chen, “I’ll see you in the big leagues.” Tonight, he will.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Drew Smyly stymies the Padres Monday night in Rays 8-2 win

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Now with five straight quality starts under his belt, Drew Smyly has matched the longest streak of his career (April-May 2012 with DET).

Now with five straight quality starts under his belt, Drew Smyly has matched the longest streak of his career (April-May 2012 with DET). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Logan Forsythe hit massive homer against his original team, and Drew Smyly collected his fifth consecutive quality start, as the Tampa Bay Rays opened a 10-game home stand with an 8-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Tampa Bay has now won their last two games.

Below are some highlights from the contest.


Source: FanGraphs

— Smyly matched his longest career quality start streak on Monday, with his fifth consecutive quality start. And though Alexei Ramirez homered with one out in the first inning, that was the only hit the southpaw would allow over seven strong innings. Derek Norris walked twice, however, Smyly stymied the Padres hitters, coaxing 11 poppers over the course of his 87 pitch (57 strikes) outing.

Of Smyly’s 51 fastballs thrown, 12 forced swings and misses from San Diego’s all to eager hitters. His cutter was also very good, throwing 12/14 for strikes. Smyly was very efficient and pounded the zone with his only mistake being a middle-in fastball which Ramirez deposited into the seats.

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— Forsythe’s go-ahead blast in the second inning gave the Rays all they’d need Monday night. Not only did it travel 440 feet, he now has five homers in his last 13 games.

— Following that second inning blast, both starters buckled down and held the opposition to 0-for-32 until the eighth inning. In that stretch, Smyly retired 14-of-16 with the only hiccups being the two walks of Norris.

— Kevin Kiermaier, who ended the night 3-for-4 including a homer, swiped a pair of bags.

— The Outlaw capped a five-run eighth inning rally with a three-run homer to right-center. He also spoke about his night after the game:

— In his return from the DL, Logan Morrison plated two RBI and helped break the game open for Tampa Bay in the eighth inning.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for the series win Tuesday night with LHP Blake Snell (3-5, 3.18 ERA) on the mound. He’ll be opposed by former Ray Edwin Jackson (3-2, 4.19 ERA). Snell has 58 strikeouts in 56-2/3 innings for 9.21 K/9 — top among AL rookie starters and third among all MLB rookie starters. Jackson is the only visiting pitcher to throw a no-no at Tropicana Field. Jackson is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in six games/five starts against his former team. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 8/16/16 Starting Lineup

Franklin 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller DH
Duffy SS
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson LF
Maile C
Snell RHP

Noteworthiness

— Why pull Smyly, in favor of Brad Boxberger (who walked a pair with two outs), after he threw just 87 pitches? Cash Said he knew Smyly wasn’t going to throw a complete game, and wanted Boxberger to get work. He felt like it was good spot for Box.

— Injury updates. LHP Enny Romero (back strain) threw a bullpen session Monday and is expected to begin his minor-league rehab stint this week. RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) is slated to make his sixth rehab start Tuesday night with Triple-A Durham, while RHP Chase Whitley (Tommy John) is scheduled to make his sixth at Class-A Charlotte.

The New What Next: Rays vs Padres — an interleague series preview

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Evan Longoria left New York today ranking first among Yankee Stadium visitors in hits (74) and RBI (47). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Evan Longoria left New York today ranking first among Yankee Stadium visitors in hits (74) and RBI (47). (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays return home from a 2-4 road trip to start a three-game, interleague series against Wil Myers and the San Diego Padres.

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The Rays are now home at the Trop for 10 consecutive games, while the Padres are wrapping up their road trip in Florida. Both teams just finished a stint in New York City, culminating in completely different outcomes in the series finale. San Diego was almost no-hit by Mets pitcher Steven Matz in a 5-1 loss on Sunday, yet the Rays salvaged a game in the Bronx with a 12-3 win against the Yankees.

Evan Longoria continues to swing a hot bat, collecting three hits and four RBI on Sunday, in a game in which all nine Rays starters had hits and scored.

We had a nice offensive approach and it was nice to see, said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team posted 21 runs in two wins last week, yet 15 in four losses. (Longoria) has been outstanding. His at-bats, his approach, everything he does. He’s a guy you want when guys are on base. Right now, he’s seeing everything really well.

Meanwhile, former Ray Wil Myers will face the team he won the AL Rookie of the Year with in 2013. Myers told the media he has no ill will toward his former team:

When I was in Tampa (Bay), I was young and dumb. I did a lot of things that weren’t great, as far as just being a big-leaguer. I’ve really felt like I’ve grown as a big-leaguer, grown as a teammate. That’s one thing I wish that I could’ve given Tampa (Bay).

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Cash will throw Drew Smyly (4-11, 5.04 ERA), Blake Snell (3-5, 3.18 ERA), and Chris Archer (6-16, 4.39 ERA) the next three days. Andy Green will counter with Luis Perdomo (5-6, 6.80 ERA), Edwin Jackson (3-2, 4.19 ERA), and Christian Friedrich (4-8, 4.84 ERA).

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Rays Series Starters

Smyly tossed six innings of two run baseball on Tuesday, allowing six hits and three walks while fanning two Blue Jays. Smyly went 2-11 in his first 18 appearances of the season, with a 5.64 ERA and just six quality starts. He, however, has turned things around since the All-Star Break, making four consecutive quality starts and going 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA, and posting a 19/6 K/BB along the way.

Snell allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks over just 1-2/3 innings on Wednesday. The southpaw should have been out of the first inning unscathed, but right fielder Steven Souza Jr. dropped a foul ball while Josh Donaldson was at the plate. Toronto’s third baseman took advantage of the opportunity by notching a single. Snell came back to retire the next two batters, but Troy Tulowitzki lined a three-run homer in the next at-bat. Snell surrendered two more runs in the second before Cash removed him from the game.

Archer fanned nine Yankees’ batters on Friday, but also surrendered five earned runs on seven hits over six innings. Archer continues to endure the worst season of his career, and though he wasn’t necessarily bad, the Yankees chipped away at him over the span of his start.

Padres Series Starters

Perdomo is known for his sinker, and when it’s biting, he can be dominant. The 23 year old righty has racked up the highest ground-ball rate in the big leagues among pitchers with at least 90 innings of work. He, however, has struggled to maintain the pitch’s effectiveness once fatigue sets in. Aside from the above mentioned 95 mph offering, Perdomo mixes in an 84 mph slider with excellent depth; a 95 mph four-seam, worm killer fastball; and a hard 89 mph changeup.

Jackson, the former Ray, threw seven shutout innings against the Pirates on Wednesday, allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking three. Jackson has been very tough against his former team, going 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay, including a 2010 no-hitter when he was with Arizona. The Rays faced him once this season, a one inning relief appearance out of the pen with the Marlins. Key matchups: Corey Dickerson (2-3, 2B, BB), Logan Forsythe (1-3, 3B, RBI), Nick Franklin (1-3, 2 RBI), Brad Miller (3-4, 2 2B)

Friedrich is on a pitch count and his outing against the Rays could be the last of his season. The 29 year-old southpaw surpassed his career high for innings in his last start, and that’s not including his four minor league starts. This season, Friedrich has relied primarily upon a 90 mph four-seam fastball, and a 77 mph curveball that generates a lot of grounders. He’s also mixed in a 90 mph sinker with little run and sink, an 83 mph slider, and an 85 mph cutter. Key matchup: Logan Forsythe (1-4, 2 BB)

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays, Snell sail past Rockies, 10-1

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Matt Andriese Notched his first career save after posting three innings of one-run baseball to end Tuesday evening’s contest. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays staved off irrelevancy for another day, after they rolled to a 10-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay took an early lead in the first inning after Logan Forsythe doubled to left off Tyler Chatwood, went to third on a groundout Brad Miller, then scored on Evan Longoria’s single to right.

The Rays expanded their lead to six with a five-run third. The rally started when Chatwood walked Oswaldo Arcia on four pitches. After Blake Snell struck out trying to bunt Arcia to second in his first Major League at-bat, Forsythe collected his second double of the game — an RBI double to left, scoring Arcia from first. Miller joined in on the fun with an RBI double of his own, putting the Rays up by three. They weren’t done.

Making up for their inability to score runs when they needed to the previous night, Longoria hammered a 462-foot homer into the parking lot of Coors Field, his 22nd of the season.

Exacting some revenge on the Rockies for trading him, Corey Dickerson singled to right, then scored on (you guessed it) a two-out double to right by Kevin Kiermaier, capping the five-run rally.

Tampa Bay plated another run in the fourth after Arcia singled and Snell walked, subsequently chasing Chatwood. Snell’s plate appearance was pretty impressive for someone stepping into the batter’s box for the second time in his Major League career. After making an awkward stab/bunt attempt at the first pitch, Snell took three straight balls before swinging through a pitch and fouling off a high fastball, running the count full. The lefty earned a walk on the very next pitch.

Arcia eventually scored on Miller’s two-out single off reliever Jordan Lyles, stretching the lead to seven.

The Rays capped their scoring with three, two-out runs in the final frame of the contest. Dickerson collected his third hit of the night — an RBI double into the right-field corner — that scored Miller, who walked on four pitches two batters prior. Four pitches later, Steve Pearce crushed a two-run homer to left, his 10th of the season.

On the other side of the coin Snell put together an excellent start, setting a career high with nine strikeouts. Even though he walked three batters, his only other blemish was a fourth inning grounder up the middle by Charlie Blackmon. In that particular at-bat, along with the three plate appearances that resulted in walks, Snell was visibly frustrated by the temporary lapses in his fastball command. Thankfully none of those self inflicted wounds came back to haunt him.

Overall, Snell tossed six innings of scoreless baseball. The southpaw attacked the Rockies with fastballs — both up and down in the zone — and a whiffy slider that broke below the zone, while also mixing in a handful of mid-80’s changeups. Even though he said he wouldn’t lean on his excellent 12-6 curveball, due to the way the altitude might play on the action of the pitch, he ultimately mixed in a couple effective hooks later in the outing.

Matt Andriese followed and earned the save by going three innings. Andriese was a touch shaky, allowing a handful of hits including a ninth inning homer off the bat of Trevor Story. However, seeing that he hadn’t taken the mound in nine days, his shakiness could be attributed to a touch of rust.

The New What Next

The Rays will try to win their first post All-Star Break series on Wednesday afternoon, when Chris Archer (4-13, 4.68 ERA) toes the rubber opposite of lefty Jorge de la Rosa (6-6, 5.50 ERA). Archer put down the first seven Orioles on Friday, but still ended up with his 13th loss. He has lost six consecutive decisions, and nine of 10.

If you’re Pedro Martinez or John Smoltz, you think the reason for Archer’s lack of success in 2016 is an issue with his glove separation.

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH3vRPQG6h0&feature=youtu.be”]

I’d argue a quirk in his glove separation may exacerbate the problem, which is a lack of fastball command, however, stit isn’t the only problem.

de la Rosa is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA in six starts since moving back into rotation on June 14th. He gave up two runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings on Friday, striking out two. He is 1-1 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay (last start in June 2009).

You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 7/20/16 Starting Lineup

Forsythe 2B
Guyer CF
Longoria 3B
Pearce 1B
Souza Jr. RF
Dickerson LF
Beckham SS
Casali C
Archer RHP

Noteworthiness

— Looking for something to do this afternoon? Join us at the Hanger Restaurant and Flight Lounge for a Rays watch party presented by Baseball Forever. You can find out more information here.

— According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) the decision to create roster space for Steve Pearce’s return by sending down INF Nick Franklin, rather than, say, INF Tim Beckham, appeared rooted in playing time.

In short, Franklin will get more of it with Triple-A Durham, including additional work in the outfield to continue his development into a superutility player, than he would in the majors, especially with Pearce and Kiermaier back.

“Right now we’re getting a little crunched in the outfield, and finding him time in the infield would be difficult, also,” Cash said.

— If you’re keeping track, Tampa Bay now must go 50-19 (.724 baseball) from here on out for Evan Longoria and company to have a shot at an AL wildcard berth.