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A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

TNWN: Rays look to keep rolling in Miami, IL update

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The big fella broke the 0-0 deadlock on Friday with an RBI base hit in the eighth inning. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

An injury update is located below, in Noteworthiness.

After a 2-0 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays look for a Citrus Series win this afternoon. Tampa Bay has won 10 of its last 11 road games — 14 of the last 17 games overall — and start the day a season-high 11-games over .500.

With the team’s second shutout win of the season, paired with the Yankees doubleheader loss to the Mets, the Rays now have a 4.0 game lead in the AL East, and a 99.8% chance of a playoff berth according to FanGraphs.

The team is hoping for good news on the injury front today. Mike Zunino was scratched from Friday’s lineup with left oblique tightness. Ronaldo Hernandez, who has yet to play in a big-league game, is the available backstop on the taxi squad.

Meanwhile, Ryan Yarbrough left last night’s ball game with left groin tightness after 6-2/3 scoreless frames. Rays skipper Kevin Cash said Yarbrough has been managing it for a while.

Yarbrough didn’t come out of the game hurt, he came out because he didn’t want to overexert it.

— Kevin Cash, on Ryan Yarbrough

Neither thought it was serious, although more would be known today.

I didn’t realize how fast the game was moving. It was a very Mark Buehrle-esque game. Just attacking the zone.

— Ryan Yarbrough

For what it’s worth, Yarbrough was dialed in last night. Working at a Mark Buehrle-esque pace, he went after Marlins hitters, attacking the zone and working both sides of the plate with his late-action cutter. Yarbrough scattered four hits and no walks while striking out five across (the aforementioned) 6-2/3 innings.

Yarbrough is scheduled to start again on Wednesday. Given that it’s in front of an off-day, Cash could opt for a bullpen day, which would provide the southpaw with more rest without putting him on the Injured List if he simply needs a little rest.

The New What Next

Josh Fleming (1-0, 3.60 ERA) will make his second start of the season, pitching opposite of Pablo Lopez (3-1, 1.98 ERA).

Josh Fleming two runs on four hits and two walks across five solid innings in his first career big league start. He struck out three on 72 pitches (41 strikes, 57% strike rate, 22% SwStr%). The southpaw allowed a solo homer to Teoscar Hernandez in the second inning, and an RBI single to Travis Shaw in the fourth. Yet he was also able to work around a double in the fifth, and his day ended with the Tampa Bay trailing by a pair. Fortunately for Fleming, the Rays plated three runs in the bottom of the frame to leave him in line to pick up his first career win. With Yonny Chirinos on the shelf, Fleming showed that he is perfectly capable of pitching in the big leagues.

Pablo Lopez allowed six hits and two walks while striking out three over five scoreless frames on Monday night against Washington. Lopez dealt with plenty of traffic on the basepaths, although he managed to exit the contest staked to a 7-0 lead. The right-hander tossed 16 of the 23 first-pitch strikes. Lopez has looked sharp in five starts this season, allowing two runs or fewer in each outing, good enough for a 1.98 ERA to go along with a 1.24 WHIP and a 3.86 K:BB over 27-1/3 innings. He relies primarily on a 94 mph four-seam fastball, an 87 mph changeup, and a 94 mph sinker, while also mixing in a 91 mph cutter, and a 79 mph curveball. Lopez is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in one career start against the Rays.

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

TNWN: Rays vs Marlins — a Citrus Series preview

Rays 8/29/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows DH
  2. Lowe LF
  3. Díaz 3B
  4. Choi 1B
  5. Adames SS
  6. Wendle 2B
  7. Margot RF
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Pérez C

Noteworthiness

— Charlie Morton is expected to throw a bullpen session today or tomorrow. If all goes well, he could be activated when the Rays are in New York. If Yarbrough has to be placed on the IL, Morton could temporarily fill his spot in the rotation.

— The Rays made a flurry of roster moves ahead of Saturday’s ball game. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (left groin tightness) has been placed on the 10-day IL along with C Mike Zunino (left oblique strain). The severity of their injuries isn’t yet known, however, Rays skipper Kevin Cash is confident Yarbrough will only miss one start. As for Zunino, Cash said he’s hopeful they caught the oblique issue early enough and that it won’t be a long stay. He followed that up with a caveat though, noting that oblique injuries are tricky. IF/OF Brian O’Grady has been added from the taxi squad and C Kevan Smith has been selected to join the active roster. In order to create room for Smith on the 40-man roster, Chaz Roe has been moved to the 45-day IL.

Roe becomes the sixth Rays pitcher lost for the season as injuries continue to hammer the American League East leaders, following Jalen Beeks, Yonny Chirinos, Andrew Kittredge, Brendan McKay, and Colin Poche. Yarbrough is the 11th Rays hurler to be shelved since Tampa Bay resumed baseball activities and opened Summer Camp.

— Beeks will have Tommy John surgery on September 3 in Arlington; the procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister.

The New What Next: Rays look to close the series in Atlanta on a high note

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The Tampa Bay Rays fell 7-4 in Atlanta’s home opener on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: AP)

After dropping the third game of a four-game set to Atlanta on Wednesday, 7-4, the Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back in the series finale tonight. At 4-2 on the season (11-5 adjusted record), Tampa Bay has gotten off to a good start, however, they have had to play from behind in five of the first six games, including last night.

Charlie Morton (0-1, 8.00 ERA) bounced back nicely from his Opening Day start, throwing five innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits, and one walk while striking out seven. He threw 80 pitches (55 strikes, 69% strike rate), and coaxed 13 swings and misses (24% whiff rate). Morton’s second start of the season was a marked improvement over his first in which he allowed six earned runs. The right-hander was hurt by a third-inning two-run blast off the bat of Freddie Freeman, although he held Atlanta scoreless in each of his other four frames. Morton was the beneficiary of three defensive gems during his outing, which limited the damage against him.

In the first inning, Ronald Acuña Jr. tried to score from first on a double to right-center. However, Kevin Kiermaier threw a bullet to Brandon Lowe, who then fired to Mike Zunino to cut down Acuña Jr. at the plate.

Then, down by a pair in the third inning, Kiermaier made a sliding catch to rob Matt Adams of a hit with a runner aboard, preventing another run from crossing the plate.

Finally, in the fifth inning, Manuel Margot made a leaping catch against the left-field wall to take away an extra-base hit from Adams and a run or two.

Yet, in spite of those slick plays, Tampa Bay made two costly errors last night and seven errors overall this season, resulting in five unearned runs — the most in the American League. What’s more, the Rays led the AL in run prevention last season yet, they have given up at least five runs in four of the last six contests.

Credit where it is due, Tampa Bay has scored at least four runs in each of the first six games, not to mention they and have been especially tough with two outs — 20 of the teams 37 runs have been of the two-out variety, including the last nine runs against Atlanta. However, the question begs: Is that sustainable? I’ll hang up and listen.

The New What Next

The Rays will conclude their regular-season series against Atlanta on Thursday. Ryan Yarbrough (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the ball, pitching opposite of Max Fried (0-0, 3.60 ERA) in a battle of southpaws.

Ryan Yarbrough got the start on Saturday and posted 5-1/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits, and just a walk while striking out one. Leaning on his fastball, cutter, and changeup — with a handful of curveballs sprinkled in for good measure — the left-hander threw 49 of 69 pitches for strikes (71% strike rate). Yarbrough did what he is wont to do: miss barrels and induce weak contact.

Toronto Buffalo had a golden opportunity to break things open in the fourth inning after Cavan Biggio singled to right, and Willy Adames elected to go to first on Lourdes Gurriel Junior’s ground ball out to short — putting a runner in scoring position with just one out. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flew out to center for the second out of the frame, Travis Shaw walked and Randal Grichuk reached on an infield single that deflected off Yarbrough’s glove. Still, the lefty was able to coax a fly ball out from Teoscar Hernandez to end the threat. Yarbrough is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in one start (5.0 IP) against Atlanta.

Max Fried pitched five innings against the Mets on Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while punching out five in the no-decision. Fried had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before he gave up an RBI triple to Amed Rosario, who subsequently scored on a sac-fly hit by Jeff McNeil. Fried was taken off the hook for the loss when Marcell Ozuna tied the game in the ninth inning. In 2019, his first full season as a starter, the southpaw posted a 4.02 ERA and 173 strikeouts across 165-2/3 innings. He relies primarily on a whiffy 95 mph four-seam fastball bereft of movement and heavy sinking action and a whiffy 85 mph slider which sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 74 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement and exceptional bite and a whiffy 93 mph sinker with natural sinking action. Fried has never faced the Rays.

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

The New What Next: Rays vs Atlanta — a four-game series preview

Rays 7/30/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Diaz 3B
  2. Martinez DH
  3. B. Lowe LF
  4. Renfroe RF
  5. Adames SS
  6. Brosseau 1B
  7. Wendle 2B
  8. Margot CF
  9. Zunino C

Noteworthiness

— It is not clear if Ji-Man Choi — listed as day-to-day with right shoulder soreness — will play tonight, or if he will get one more day of rest given that a left-hander is scheduled to start against Tampa Bay. Then again, he is a switch hitter, so…

— Austin Meadows hit in the batting cages in Port Charlotte yesterday, threw to 150 feet, went through defensive drills, took four at-bats in a simulated game, played both corner outfield positions, and ran the bases a couple of times. Meadows is projected to return in 5-7 days, during the team’s upcoming homestand.

— Per Neil Solondz (Rays Radio), Randy Arozarena, who missed summer camp due to testing positive at intake testing, began his rehab work yesterday. Arozarena in his first day back hit in the cage and threw to 90 feet. A timeline for his return is not clear.

The New What Next: Rays vs Atlanta — a four-game series preview

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Kevin Kiermaier’s walk-off extra-base hit in the tenth-inning propelled the Rays to series win on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After taking two of three from Toronto Buffalo in the Opening Series this past weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their success on Monday, when they start a four-game set against Atlanta. They’ll play two games at Tropicana Field before heading to Cobb County for the final two games of the series.

Tampa Bay wasn’t quite the offensive juggernaut they appeared to be this offseason, yet they were still able to plate four two-out runs against the Jays, and average 4.67 runs per game. Still, the team left a lot of chicken on the bone, going 5-for-28 with runners in scoring position (.179 wRISP) and posting a .225 BABIP — 25 points lower than they averaged all of last season. Put another way, they were unable to get the big, timely hit when they needed it.

The big boppers (well, kind of) — Hunter Renfroe (0-8), Mike Zunino (1-5), Jose Martinez (1-8), Yoshi Tsutsugo (1-9), Kevin Kiermaier (1-12), Yandy Diaz (1-10), Manuel Margot (1-10) — all looked rusty at the plate … although credit where it’s due, with one swing of the bat Yoshi got the Rays back into Friday’s contest with a +400 foot homer, while Kiermaier came up with the game-winning two-RBI extra-base hit in the series finale on Sunday — Tampa Bay’s ninth consecutive extra-inning win dating back to last season.

Another ray of sunshine: Tampa Bay now has a switch-hitting first baseman in Ji-Man Choi. …And his legend continues to grow.

Atlanta* slugged their way to a series win against the Mets, posting a +14 run differential along the way. Yet, all that glitters is not gold.

After dropping the season opener 1-0 to the Mets, Atlanta appeared to be headed for a 2-1 loss in the second game of the set before Marcell Ozuna took Edwin Diaz deep with two outs in the ninth inning, sending the game to extra innings. They went on to score three times in the 10th and hold on for a 5-3 win. Then, in the series finale on Sunday, Atlanta plated 14 runs on 17 hits including 11 extra-base hits.

The reality for both teams is somewhere in the middle. The Rays aren’t offensively strapped, while Atlanta — a good time in their own right — certainly isn’t the 2020 Dodgers.

A lot of really good at-bats. Guys didn’t expand out of the zone. Our bats are going to get going.

Kevin Cash, on the Rays come from behind win

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will hand the ball off to Tyler Glasnow, Yonny Chirinos, (Charlie Morton (0-1, 13.50 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Brian Snitker will counter with Mike Foltynewicz, Kyle Wright, Mike Soroka (0-0, 2.49 ERA), and Max Fried (0-0, 3.60 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow struck out five but also walked four across three innings of work, throwing 68 pitches (39 strikes, 57% strike rate). It was the right-hander’s second time facing hitters during Summer Camp after testing positive for COVID-19, which held him out for the first two weeks of Spring Training 2.0. Still, Glasnow reached the upper 90s on his fastball, although his offspeed stuff — his curveball and changeup — lacked some command.

The feel for things wasn’t there today, but as far as like stuff and physical, how ready I am, I feel really good. Just couldn’t get my curveball over and I think it was just easier for guys to sit on heaters.

— Tyler Glasnow

Over his career, Glasnow is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one start (6.0 IP) against Atlanta.

Mike Foltynewicz, one of the harder throwers on Atlanta’s roster, was effective during Thursday’s intrasquad game although he could still be on a pitch count over his first couple turns through the rotation as the team plans to roll out their starters with caution to start the season. The right-hander posted a 4.54 ERA and a 2.84 K/BB across 21 starts last season after missing the first several weeks with an elbow injury. He relies primarily on his an 85 mph backspin laden changeup and a 75 mph 12-6 curveball, while also mixing in a 91 mph extreme fly-ball inducing sinker and a whiffy 90 mph four-seam fastball with some slight arm-side run. Foltynewicz is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in one start (5.0 IP) against Tampa Bay.

Yonny Chirinos threw live batting practice against Kevin Kiermaier, Jose Martinez, and Mike Brosseau among others on Thursday. His velocity was normal (92-94 mph on the Rays’ in-house radar, which has been a touch conservative during Summer Camp) and he, according to Solondz, appeared to have good sink on his fastball and a solid slider across four innings of work. He threw 42 of 62 pitches for strikes (68% strike rate). Chirinos is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA in one outing (5.0 IP) against Atlanta.

Kyle Wright threw his first live batting practice last Sunday and pitched in an intrasquad game at some point during the week after being slow to arrive at Summer Camp due to COVID-19 testing and travel. Wright is arguably the most talented starting pitcher on Atlanta’s roster, relying primarily on a hard 87 mph Slider with 12-6 movement and a whiffy 92 mph sinker with natural sinking action, while also mixing in a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action and slight arm-side run, an 81 mph curveball, and an 85 mph changeup with arm-side fade. He has never faced the Rays.

Charlie Morton started his last outing strong, pounding the zone and throwing 22 of his first 28 pitches for strikes across three scoreless frames. Yet Toronto Buffalo was able to breakthrough in the fourth inning when things unraveled for the right-hander.

Cavan Biggio led things off with a first-pitch drag bunt single wide of first, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a base hit to the right of second on the very next pitch, putting a runner in scoring position with none out. Travis Shaw worked the count full before he walked on a borderline full-count curveball that appeared to be on the black to everyone by Joe West, the home plate umpire. With the bases loaded, Randall Grichuk lined an RBI single to left to put the Jays up by one. Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernandez followed with back-to-back sacrifice flies to center and left, capping the rally.

Toronto Buffalo chased Morton in the top of the fifth inning and consequently the game out of reach. Danny Jansen and Scott Stapp lookalike, Bo Bichette, hit back-to-back base hits to right-field and right-center (respectively) to put two on and none out. Morton appeared to be laboring through his at-bat against Biggio and quickly fell behind 3-1. He attempted to get back into the count, yet the right-hander left a mistake fastball over the plate which Biggio pounced on — lining a homer into the right-field seats and putting the Blue Jays up by five. Morton is 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA in six career starts against his former team.

Mike Soroka tossed six scoreless innings in Friday’s loss to the Mets although he didn’t factor into the decision. The right-hander allowed four hits and no walks while striking out three. Soroka posted a 2.68 ERA and a 6.76 K/BB across 174-2/3 innings in 2019. He relies primarily on a 93 mph four-seam fastball with some natural sinking action, an 82 mph slider, and a 91 mph sinker with slight arm-side run and has some natural sinking action, while also mixing in a whiffy 81 mph changeup with a lot of backspin and slight arm-side fade. Soroka has never faced the Rays.

Ryan Yarbrough got the start on Saturday and posted 5-1/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits, and just a walk while striking out one. Leaning on his fastball, cutter, and changeup — with a handful of curveballs sprinkled in for good measure — the left-hander threw 49 of 69 pitches for strikes (71% strike rate). Yarbrough did what he is wont to do: miss barrels and induce weak contact.

Toronto Buffalo had a golden opportunity to break things open in the fourth inning after Cavan Biggio singled to right, and Willy Adames elected to go to first on Lourdes Gurriel Junior’s ground ball out to short — putting a runner in scoring position with just one out. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flew out to center for the second out of the frame, Travis Shaw walked and Randal Grichuk reached on an infield single that deflected off Yarbrough’s glove. Still, the lefty was able to coax a fly ball out from Teoscar Hernandez to end the threat. Yarbrough is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in one start (5.0 IP) against Atlanta.

Max Fried pitched five innings against the Mets on Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while punching out five in the no-decision. Fried had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before he gave up an RBI triple to Amed Rosario, who subsequently scored on a sac-fly hit by Jeff McNeil. Fried was taken off the hook for the loss when Marcell Ozuna tied the game in the ninth inning. In 2019, his first full season as a starter, the southpaw posted a 4.02 ERA and 173 strikeouts across 165-2/3 innings. He relies primarily on a whiffy 95 mph four-seam fastball bereft of movement and heavy sinking action and a whiffy 85 mph slider which sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 74 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement and exceptional bite and a whiffy 93 mph sinker with natural sinking action. Fried has never faced the Rays.

Noteworthiness

— Austin Meadows, who is recovering from a bout with COVID-19, is slated to play in a simulated game in Port Charlotte. It is not clear how much time he will need before rejoining the big-league roster.

— Diego Castillo spent three days on the paternity list after his wife gave birth over the weekend. It is not clear if he will rejoin the team today.

TNWN: Rays vs Dodgers — an Interleague series preview

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Brandon Lowe gave the Rays a short-lived 5-3 lead against the Yankees on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a 3-3 road trip which left the Tampa Bay Rays in second place in the AL East, they will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers into Tropicana Field for a brief, two-game series, starting Tuesday. The Rays are coming off a series loss against the New York Yankees, while the Dodgers won their three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay dropped the rubber game of their set against New York and now face an extremely rough stretch over the next seven weeks in which they will play 47 games in 48 days. They will face Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Cleveland in the next couple of weeks before the next off-day.

All told, the Rays allowed 11 runs with two outs while the defense had more gaffes than Joe Biden, especially in the series finale. That’s the kind of stuff that cannot happen if they wish to remain toward the top of the AL East rankings.

The Dodgers won for the fifth time in six games when they rolled to an 8-3 victory in the rubber game against the Reds. They enter the series with a comfortable six-game lead over Arizona in the NL West. Los Angeles collected just six hits on the day but took advantage of nine walks along with a pair of wild pitches.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Over the last 14 days, the Rays and Dodgers have, essentially, been the same team in the batter’s box. However, Los Angeles has edged out Tampa Bay with a .433 SLG, a .191 ISO, a 106 wRC+, and a 3.5 wRAA. The Rays have also struck out more and walked less than LA.

Expect a low scoring series, as the Rays pitching staff has performed to a combined 2.95 ERA and 2.99 FIP (starters 2.40 ERA and 1.98 FIP, and relievers 3.38 ERA and 3.76 FIP) over the last 14 days, while the Dodgers have performed to an overall 1.60 ERA and 2.79 FIP (starters 1.55 ERA and 2.52 FIP, and relievers 1.75 ERA and 3.64 FIP) over the same stretch.

The pair split four games in 2016 with a -1 run differential between the two.

Pitching Probables

Over the next two days Kevin Cash will likely throw Jalen Beeks (3-0, 2.25 ERA) and Yonny Chirinos (5-1, 3.26 ERA), both of whom will follow an opener. Dave Roberts will respond with Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 3.40 ERA), and Rich Hill (1-1, 3.00 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Jalen Beeks picked up his third win of the season on Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing four hits across three scoreless innings. He struck out four. The left-hander continues to be impressive behind an opener, carrying a 2.25 ERA and 3.33 K/BB through 32 innings. Beeks should be fresh as he will be pitching on five days rest.

Clayton Kershaw gave up three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five across seven innings. All three runs came by way of the long ball. Still, Kershaw navigated his way to a fourth quality start in five outings and earned his third win in his last four games. Kershaw’s velocity and strikeouts may be down, but he still carries a 3.40 ERA and 0.96 WHIP into his start against Tampa Bay. He relies primarily on a hard 87 mph slider and a whiffy 90 mph four-seam fastball which doesn’t boast much to any movement, while also mixing in a 74 mph 12-6 curveball with good downward bite. Kershaw is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in one career start against the Rays. Key Matchups: Travis d’Arnaud (1-2, BB), Avisail Garcia (2-2, BB)

Yonny Chirinos allowed four hits and struck out two over 4-2/3 shutout innings Friday night. Chirinos did his part after Ryne Stanek tossed the first two frames, as he nearly blanked the Yankees for five innings. The right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past six appearances, allowing him to carry a 3.26 ERA with a 4.125 K/BB across 47 frames.

Rich Hill tossed six shutout innings while fanning 10 with no walks and two hits on Friday. The veteran southpaw needed just 84 pitches to record 18 outs, which is a pretty incredible seeing that 10 of those outs were punchouts. Through four starts, he is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, with a 1.05 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts across 21 innings. Hill relies primarily on a whiffy 91 mph four-seam fastball and a 75 mph curveball with exceptional bite and sweeping glove-side movement. He is 2-0 with a 4.82 ERA in 11 career outings (two starts) against the Rays. Key Matchups: Travis d’Arnaud (1-3), Guillermo Heredia (1-2)

TNWN: Rays look for a series sweep after a 4-0 win over Miami

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  • RHP Charlie Morton threw six efficient shutout innings against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a 4-0 combined shutout against the Marlins on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays will for the sweep tonight. Tampa Bay enters the day a game ahead of New York in the AL East and is 13-5 on the road this season — an MLB best.

If we had to name two heroes from last night’s contest, Charlie Morton and Avisail Garcia would easily make the cut.

Charlie Morton pitched six shutout innings, scattering three hits while striking out five to earn the win in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins. The right-hander had one of his cleanest performances of the season Tuesday and got enough support to take the win. Morton has 61 punchouts over 50-1/3 innings (nine starts) this season and owns a 2.32 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Morton is scheduled to face New York on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Garcia had three hits and three runs batted in on Tuesday night. His first hit, RBI, and run came on a massive 471 solo blast to center field in the second inning.

Garcia’s blast was the furthest ball hit by an opponent in Marlins Park.

Ever the conspiracy theorist, Kevin Kiermaier feels the ball traveled even further than that, and in all honesty, he has a point:

The outfielder drove in a second run in the sixth inning against reliever Nick Anderson with a base hit to left and capped the scoring with a bases-loaded infield hit against Tyler Kinley.

All told, the Rays went 2-for-7 wRISP (.286 BA) and scored a pair of two-out runs.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.57 ERA) will open for the Rays tonight, with Jalen Beeks (2-0, 2.48 ERA) likely to be the bulk pitcher. They’ll be opposed by Jose Urena (1-5, 4.82 ERA).

Ryne Stanek will open for the 11th time this season. So far he’s allowed just one run 15.2/3 innings (10 opens, 3 ER, 1.72 ERA).

Jalen Beeks allowed one run on three hits over 3-1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. He fanned three and walked none. The southpaw followed Ryne Stanek and continues to pitch well when utilized as a bulk reliever. With the loss of Tyler Glasnow to the IL, there is the potential for Beeks to temporarily join the starting rotation. He has a 2.48 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 2.9 K/BB across 21 innings to begin the season.

Jose Urena allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three over seven innings on Wednesday. Urena allowed eight baserunners, although he was able to escape trouble most of the night. After giving four combined home runs in his last two starts, Urena kept the ball in the yard and generated 75% groundballs. He has a 1-5 record with a 4.82 ERA and 6.2 K/9 over eight starts this season. Urena is 0-0 with a 0.84 in seven games (one start) against the Rays. He relies primarily on a worm-killer 96 mph four-seam fastball with obvious tail and an 86 mph 12-6 slider while also mixing in a whiffy 91 mph changeup with slight arm-side fade. Key Matchups: Travis d’Arnaud (2-5, RBI, BB), Daniel Robertson (1-3)

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.

TNWN: Rays vs. Marlins — an Interleague series preview

Rays 5/15/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Lowe 2B
  5. Diaz 3B
  6. Kiermaier CF
  7. Adames SS
  8. Bemboom C
  9. Stanek RHP

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have an MLB-best 2.88 ERA. Meanwhile, the Marlins have scored just 105 runs (2.62 per contest) so far this year.

— The Marlins are averaging just 2.62 runs per game.

— Matt Duffy (hamstring, back) continued his rehab assignment today, playing third base today for the Class-A Charlotte Stone Crabs.

— Jose De Leon (Tommy John surgery) will start tonight for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.