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The league and the players association discuss the proposal for the resumption of play; Blake Snell on the league’s proposal

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On Wednesday, Blake Snell argued the risk for players was too high, and not worth the decreased money.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) engaged on a possible restart to the COVID-19-paused 2020 season. In spite of the very public dispute surrounding economic issues leading up to Tuesday’s negotiations, both sides started by debating less contentious proposals.

According to Jesse Rogers (ESPN, link), the discussions revolved around roster and transaction rules, as well as the plan for a second Spring Training.

Both sides also discussed the proposed universal DH plan, which would see all teams adopt a designated hitter for the 2020 season. The players association is expected to approve of that portion of the league’s proposal.

While unpopular with baseball purists, universal DH is a reasonable arrangement since pitchers will be asked to prepare for a season unlike any they’ve played before, with a schedule that could go deeper into the year. The removal of banal tasks, like swinging bats and running the bases, could reduce some unnecessary wear and tear on a pitcher, thus allowing them to stay healthy longer.

Universal DH will serve other purposes too, such as allowing tired players to get rest without missing at-bats. That will come in handy if/when the 82-game schedule calls for playing six-to-seven games a week, including scheduled doubleheaders.

The matter of health and safety were debated as well. According to Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic; paid subscription), the league is preparing an 80-page presentation on measures and protocols for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The league, which made a presentation Tuesday to the Major League Baseball Players Association on how to restart the season, soon plans to present the union with an 80-page document outlining potential health and safety protocols for the COVID-19 pandemic, sources said.

— Ken Rosenthal

Rosenthal notes that the document will cover a wide range of topics, including testing, procedures for the possibility a player or staff member becomes ill and guidelines for clubhouses, hotels, and transportation. The protocols will be subject to union input and approval.

Both sides appear to be laying a foundation of trust and consensus before they move on to the owners’ desire to further reduce payroll by 50%.

The public debate between owners and the players association turned ugly on Wednesday when Rays southpaw Blake Snell said he wouldn’t return to play baseball amid the COVID-19 pandemic unless the money’s worth it.

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I’m not playing unless I get mine. That’s just the way it is for me. Like, I’m sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way … higher and the amount of money I’m making is way lower. Why would I think about doing that?

— Blake Snell

Snell was slated to make $7-million this season alone, a figure that was reduced to $3.5-million when you take the agreed-upon game-for-game reduction in salary into consideration. With something like a half-season on the table, a 50% pay cut on top of the already reduced salary would mean that players would instead be making a quarter of their contracted salary in 2020. For Snell, that equals $1.75-million.

You all gotta understand. Cause you all are going to be like, ‘Blake, play for the love of the game — what’s wrong with you? The money should not be a thing.’ Bro. I am risking my life. And then be on lockdown, not around my family, not around the people I love, and getting paid way the hell less. And then the risk of injury runs every time I step on the field. So it’s just, just not worth it. It’s not. I love baseball to death, it’s just not worth it.

— Blake Snell

Snell later clarified his comments, saying

I mean, honestly, it’s just scary to risk my life to get COVID-19 as well as not knowing and spreading it to others. I just want everyone to be healthy and get back to our normal lives, ’cause I know I miss mine!

— Blake Snell

I know many people will take an unsympathetic view of Snell or any other highly paid ball-player for that matter. And in all fairness, that opinion does hold water, after all, big-league players are far more privileged than most of us.

However, it also bears mentioning that during any labor dispute — even those involving big-league baseball players who make exorbitantly more money than, say, a grocery store clerk — union bargaining sets precedent for everyone; a precedent that can be utilized in other labor disputes that may arise both inside and outside the worlds of professional sports. Put in layman’s terms, while we all may not agree with Snell, his rights and our rights as workers are one and the same.

In other words, you too would be upset if your boss proposed a 50% pay cut to do a job that expects the same amount of effort … especially when your contracted payout was already cut in half.

On Thursday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed “great confidence” that both sides will ultimately see eye to eye, “both that it’s safe to come back to work and work out the economic issues that need to be resolved.” Finding a path to play that’s responsible for participants as well as the general public now remains the primary challenge.

MLB is set to present the players union with a proposal for the resumption of play

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The Rays have been acknowledging the hard work put in by frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 by lighting up the roof of Tropicana Field.

While an official start date to the 2020 baseball season has not yet been set, Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic, paid link) wrote on Tuesday that Major League Baseball is inching closer to an abbreviated season — one that is subject to frequent abbreviations, and without fans in attendance.

Per Rosenthal and according to sources, officials from at least one team, the Indians, gave their players a “mark in the sand” Tuesday for Opening Day — July 1, the same date former Twin and Ray Trevor Plouffe had mentioned in a tweet Monday.

Indians officials, on a Zoom call that included about 70 members of the organization, estimated the season would begin after a three-week ramp-up, putting the start of Spring Training 2.0 around June 10, another date Plouffe specified. But the officials made it clear the dates were mere targets, fully expected to change. They simply wanted players to be prepared if the league meets all of the logistical challenges necessary to play.

— Ken Rosenthal

Yet, nothing is certain.

Baseball officials are confident a 2020 campaign will happen, although the possibility of further COVID-19 flareups in states starting to open up, such as Florida, Texas, and Arizona, could lead to additional shutdowns, making it difficult for baseball to resume.

According to sources, the league would like to open in as many home cities and in as many home parks as possible. As Rosenthal notes, playing at home, even without fans, also would be a sign of normalcy returning in those cities, an idea that appeals to many politicians as well as league officials.

Yet, and again, everything is contingent upon the spread of the virus, which is not even close to being as under control as it is in South Korea, where the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) began play Monday night.

The MLB’s proposal is expected to be presented to the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) by early next week and perhaps before the weekend, writes Joel Sherman (New York Post, link). That proposal is expected to include a pay scale, although the MLBPA “almost certainly will reject” the terms put forth by the league. Even so, the league is laying the groundwork for a best-case scenario so that if it comes together, the wheels can be in motion. Conversely, and if not, that groundwork can be applied to something further down the road.

Still, as Rosenthal points out, the next three weeks will be critical for baseball.

If the virus erupts in enough places, the league might need to rethink any possibility of starting spring training in early June and the season in early July. The threat of a second wave of COVID-19 hitting in the fall might leave the sport even less room to maneuver.

— Ken Rosenthal

Any hope of a 2020 campaign will also depend upon the availability of testing. Ballclub staff, including players, will need to undergo regular tests and routine temperature checks to ensure the infection of one team member does not require an entire club to stop play. For context, KBO players have their temperature checked twice daily among other things. If the development of COVID-19 treatments continues to trend in the right direction, thus reducing the health risks, the sport might push forward with an abbreviated season and adjust from there.

And adjustments will need to be made.

Say, for example, the Reds begin the season at home but after a month the virus flares up in Cincinnati. The state of Ohio might enact strict stay-at-home measures, and the league might need to relocate the team to its spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. Travel plans would be disrupted. Broadcast capabilities are more limited in spring training facilities than they are in major-league parks. But those are the types of inconveniences that the sport will need to tolerate if it wants to have a season.

“If everyone is expecting baseball to look like and feel like and be the way it’s been over the past 10 years, it’s going to be really hard to get through the season,” one executive said. “If teams and players are willing to be flexible and adaptive, that gives us the best chance to get through.

“We have to be prepared for postponed and canceled games, and not have the expectation we’re going to get every single game in. Hopefully that doesn’t happen. Hopefully we get back playing and it’s smooth sailing to play the way we expect. But hope isn’t a good plan.

“The reality is, we don’t know what’s going to happen over the next five months. I would guess there are things that aren’t going to go the way we planned. Our ability to adapt is going to be really important.”

— Ken Rosenthal

None of this speaks to the potential to the economic dispute between players and owners.

The players union already agreed to prorate salaries, yet the league does not agree, saying further adjustments would be necessary because the teams would spend more on salaries than they would earn in revenue in games without fans.

The union disputes that characterization, saying the language regarding players receiving prorated salaries in the event of a partial season does not distinguish between games with or without fans. It should also be noted that teams draw significant income from television and media rights.

When all is said and done, both the owners and the MLBPA will need to build on the premise that a return in any form is better than a canceled season.

…And so it goes. At least you can stream KBO baseball on ESPN!

Noteworthiness

— The Tampa Bay Rays recently posted an update regarding ticket refunds for the 2020 season. You can read that update below:

With the games originally scheduled to be played in March, April, and May impacted by COVID-19, Rays Season Ticket Holders will receive an account credit that can be used toward any future payment plans, 2020 postseason tickets, or rolled over to your 2021 season ticket renewal. You will also receive a 25% bonus to spend on concessions and merchandise at Tropicana Field during the 2020 or 2021 seasons. This bonus will be made available through the free MLB Ballpark app prior to the rescheduled start of the season (date TBD). 

If you prefer to request a refund for these games, please email your name and account number to seasonticketservices@raysbaseball.com, and allow up to four weeks for the refund to be processed. Refunds will be issued to the original method of payment. All refund requests must be received by May 31, 2020. 

The Rays have created a website to host all updates on the 2020 season. Fans are encouraged to visit raysbaseball.com/update as we work with Major League Baseball during this time. Stay safe and socially distant!

If you have any questions, email seasonticketservices@raysbaseball.com.

— Tampa Bay Rays

MLB planning to salvage the 2020 season, COVID-19 resources in St. Petersburg, teams participating in COVID-19 antibody study

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The Tampa Bay Rays are lighting the roof of Tropicana Field blue to honor first responders and healthcare providers working exhaustively on behalf of St. Pete residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the list of priorities facing the country at the moment does not include Major League Baseball, much less any professional sport — unless you live in Florida, where the WWE is viewed as an essential business (thanks, Governor Desantis) — Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich (The Athletic, paid link) write baseball continues to explore a variety of ways to conduct the 2020 season. League officials, however, are not ready to commit to one idea before the timeline of the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic becomes clearer.

One such idea is the Arizona plan, where all 30 teams, and team staff, would relocate to the Phoenix area. All games would be played without fans in attendance. This particular plan would utilize Chase Field, home ballpark of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and in the many nearby Spring Training complexes. MLB is reportedly considering getting this underway as early as late May.

While stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders would, presumably, still be in place, the plan is to work around this by sequestering players, team personnel, and umpires in local hotels. The league would also do its best to maintain social distancing during the games; for example, possibly utilizing an automated strike zone and having players in the stands as opposed to cramped together in dugouts.

Yet the Arizona plan is fraught with obstacles, as Rosenthal and Drellich noted.

Temperatures in Phoenix in the summer months routinely soar over 100 degrees, making for less-than-ideal playing conditions. The city’s location potentially would reduce the size of night-time television audiences. The potential inclusion of families in the sealed environment – an idea many players advocate – would dramatically increase the number of people quarantined and tested.

To implement the plan, baseball would need to reserve entire hotels, arrange for food service and ensure extensive testing for everyone under quarantine, all in advance. Such a commitment might turn out to be premature if a better alternative became available in 45 to 60 days. But the Arizona plan could morph into that better alternative as well.

Some of the 15 clubs that train in Florida, meanwhile, would prefer the league to explore playing in both that state and Arizona, sources said. Baseball is considering the two-state concept, but the training camps in Florida are more spread out than the complexes in Arizona, and some are in relatively remote locations, creating other challenges.

Television – which will be the sole outlet for fans to see games if they are prohibited from entering parks – is another issue the sport would need to address. If a quarantine was in effect, would broadcasts emanate from the usual on-site production trucks or off-site control rooms? Would the announcers be on location? Would robotic cameras replace individual operators? Whatever baseball decided, its local and national TV partners likely would need significant time to prepare.

— Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich

Bob Nightengale (USA Today, link) reported that MLB has also discussed radical realignment for the 2020 season. According to Nightengale, who spoke with an MLB official on the condition of anonymity (because the proposal is one of several being discussed), the American and National Leagues would be scrapped — for the 2020 season only — and replaced by Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues in which the teams play during Spring Training. The 15 teams in either the Grapefruit or Cactus League would each call their Spring Training complexes home, playing games in empty parks in realigned divisions.

The divisions would be realigned based on the geography of their Spring Training homes. Nightengale envisions three divisions in each league:

Grapefruit League

  • North: New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • South: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles.
  • East: Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins.

Cactus League

  • Northeast: Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics.
  • West: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels.
  • Northwest: Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals.

The Cactus League provides more flexibility given all of the teams are within an hour’s drive of each other.

Also, Florida, with teams spread throughout the state, presents a bigger challenge if players, officials and support staff would needed to be quarantined, which has not been determined. 

— Bob Nightengale

The Grapefruit League/Cactus League plan holds several advantages, such as allowing teams to establish home bases in facilities they are already familiar with. In total, 26 ballparks would be available including three domed facilities: the Trop, Marlins Park, and Chase Field in Phoenix.

Nightengale goes on to say:

Financially, it could be a huge boon for the TV rights holders. You could have a captive TV audience the entire day. Games in Florida could begin at 11 a.m. ET and still have games in prime-time for East Coast teams and their fans. The time slots still would permit West Coast teams to play prime-time games in Arizona.

Baseball, even with the realignment, could still play 12 games apiece against their new divisional opponents and six games apiece against the other teams in the state. There would be at least one doubleheader a night when all teams are scheduled to play because of the odd number of teams in each state.

The DH would likely be universally implemented as well.

There could still be division winners and wild-card winners, perhaps adding two more wild-card teams to each league, or a postseason tournament with all 30 teams.

— Bob Nightengale

This particular plan does come with drawbacks, however. While an empty ballpark would cap the number of people present for any given game, it might not effectively limit the number of people in one particular place…at least not as much as one would think. In addition to each team’s rosters, which would likely be expanded to at least 29 players, ball-clubs would still need to have coaching staffs and team personnel (including scouts and front-office staff) on hand in addition to umpires, medical and training personnel, camera crews, production crews, food preparation staff, and security staff for any given facility.

Temporary housing for that many players could be problematic as well. And, as Steve Adams (MLB Trade Rumors) writes, as with the all-Arizona plan, the Florida-Arizona plan carries questions about weather conditions — playing primarily in open-air stadiums in the dead of an Arizona or Florida summer is clearly sub-optimal — and prolonged separation of players and their families. The looming issue of how to proceed if (or more likely when) an active player tests positive for the virus remains perhaps the most notable obstacle to address.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, addressed the potential of baseball resuming play this summer in a podcast with Peter Hamby.

Fauci didn’t give a strong prediction of whether we’ll see MLB in 2020, saying the feasibility of holding sports is “really going to depend on what actually evolves over the next couple of months.”

Fauci envisioned a scenario where baseball is able to launch a season by the middle of the summer without fans in the stands.

If you could get on television, Major League Baseball, to start July 4… Well, I think you’d probably get enough buy-in from people who are dying to see a baseball game. Particularly me. I’m living in Washington. We have the World Champion Washington Nationals. You know, I want to see them play again.

Dr. Anthony Fauci

At any rate, thinking outside the box could be the best course of action if the 2020 season is to be salvaged. These are just two of the dozens of scenarios that have been, or will be, discussed by the MLB and the MLBPA as they attempt to find a way to restore some normalcy given the strange circumstances the entire world has been thrust into.

St. Petersburg COVID-19 Resources

Andrew Harlan (ilovetheburg.com, link) listed some of the food resources offered up to the citizens of St. Pete. Those are listed below.

  • The St. Pete Free Clinic created a mobile food pantry to provide for Pinellas County residents in need. Pacific Counter has done its part to provide relief for hospitality workers who are out of a job, and Gratzzi has served hundreds of hospitality workers.
  • Tropicana Field is lighting up to show its support. A recent post from the Rays shows the ‘Burg’s baseball stadium with a blue top to honor the first responders and healthcare providers working exhaustively on behalf of St. Pete residents.

Noteworthiness

— 27 of the league’s 30 teams are participating in a study that could test around 10,000 people for coronavirus antibodies, writes Jeff Passan (ESPN, link). Stanford University, the University of Southern California and the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory are running the study.

This is the first study of national scope where we’re going to get a read on a large number of communities throughout the United States to understand how extensive the spread of the virus has been. Why MLB versus other employers? I’ve reached out to others, but MLB moved by far the fastest. They’ve been enormously cooperative and flexible. We’re trying to set up a scientific study that would normally take years to set up, and it’s going to be a matter of weeks.

— Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University

Bhattacharya hopes to get the results by week’s end. At the moment it isn’t clear which teams are not participating in the study.

TNWN: Rays vs Red Sox — one last series preview

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The Tampa Bay Rays return home on Friday, where they went 9-1 on their most recent homestand. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

The Tampa Bay Rays will continue the push toward a postseason run on Friday when they open a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox. After taking two-of-three from the Los Angeles Angels, the Rays split an Interleague meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ll try to avoid a setback against the slumping Red Sox, who are coming off a series loss to the San Francisco Giants.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

With Oakland leading the pack in the AL Wildcard race, the second spot could come down to Tampa Bay and Cleveland, who enter play neck-and-neck for the final playoff spot. The Rays next six games will be against the Red Sox and Yankees, putting them in a situation where they’ll have to play their best ball of the season to ensure they’re still playing in October.

Tampa Bay recently dropped a couple of road games to the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels which could come back to haunt them. Yet, there is hope as Cleveland is set to start a pair of tough Interleague series against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. Whatever the case, the Rays still control their own destiny. They need to win as many games as possible, starting Friday.

The Rays enter the series with a “magic number” to clinch a Wildcard spot (by eliminating Cleveland) of 10 — the needed combination of Tampa Bay wins and Cleveland losses. As Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) wrote, don’t expect a playoff berth in this homestand. Even in a best-case, or worst case, scenario, it would take six more days, so until Wednesday, for that race to be decided. And that would be with one team winning all its games and the other losing all its game. Barring that extreme, and with the Indians off Monday and the Rays off Thursday, the more realistic scenario is this being settled — bottles popped or dreams shattered — in Toronto.

After their impressive 8-7 11-inning win over Los Angeles, Tampa Bay has a 54.5% chance to make the playoffs per FanGraphs (65.2% chance per Baseball Prospectus).

That’s marginally better than Cleveland, who averages out at 50.5% per FanGraphs (39.9% per Baseball Prospectus).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Rays are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and 9-6 in the season series against Boston. The Red Sox, who have been stunningly bad of late, are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, although they have won five of six games against Tampa Bay at the Trop.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will throw Charlie Morton (15-6, 3.16 ERA), Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 2.03 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (11-4, 3.78 ERA), and Blake Snell (6-7, 4.19 ERA). Alex Cora is expected to counter with Rick Porcello (13-12, 5.77 ERA), a pitcher to be named before Saturday’s ballgame, Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 6.19 ERA), and Jhoulys Chacín (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Charlie Morton limited the Angels to three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four across six innings on Friday. Aside from a third-inning, two-run home run to Kole Calhoun, Morton turned in yet another quality start en route to his second consecutive 15-win season. This time around, the right-hander has 18 more strikeouts with a similar ERA compared to his previous campaign. Morton will take a 3.16 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 4.21 K/BB. This season Morton is 2-0 with a 4.18 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox.

Rick Porcello allowed two runs on five hits with one walk across five innings against the Phillies on Sunday. He struck out and six. Porcello gave up yet another homer, but he broke his two-game streak of yielding at least six runs. Porcello has had a disappointing season, posting a 1.7 HR/9, which is tied for the highest in his career, and a 2.5 BB/9, his highest mark since his rookie season. He also maintains a 5.77 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts across 162-1/3 innings this year. Porcello is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in three 2019 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-11, HR, RBI), Jesus Aguilar (2-3, RBI), Ji-Man Choi (6-15, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Travis d’Arnaud (3-6, HR, 3 RBI), Matt Duffy (9-24, RBI), Avisail Garcia (12-30, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (14-55, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI, BB), Michael Perez (1-3, BB), Daniel Robertson (2-7), Joey Wendle (5-12, 2B, BB)

Tyler Glasnow didn’t factor into the decision on Saturday, giving up two hits and a walk across three scoreless frames. He struck out five. Glasnow got stretched out to 51 pitches (29 strikes, 57% strike rate) in his second outing since returning from the IL, and looked much sharper in this one than he did last weekend against Toronto. Glasnow has a 3.33 K/BB across five innings in September, and the team will continue gradually ramp-up his workload as it tries to lock down a postseason spot. This season he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox.

TBA

Ryan Yarbrough allowed six runs on 10 hits and two walks across five innings on Sunday, striking out just three batters. After allowing three runs in the first two innings, Yarbrough settled down before Albert Pujols crushed him with a three-run shot in the fifth. It was the southpaw’s first loss since June 13, which was also the last time he faced the Angels. He carries a 3.78 ERA into his start on Sunday. Yarbrough is 2-0 with a 4.80 ERA in three outings (one start) against Boston this season.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed five earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six across four innings against the Giants on Tuesday. Eovaldi surrendered two solo homers and was sunk by a general lack of command. Most notably, the former Ray walked two of the first three batters he faced to begin the third inning, resulting in a three-run frame. He had pitched fairly well entering Tuesday’s ballgame, allowing only seven earned runs across his prior 16-1/3 innings of work, yet Eovaldi still owns an ugly 5.81 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP across 52-2/3 innings on the season. The Rays have faced Eovaldi twice in a relief role (1-2/3 innings), tagging the right-hander for three runs on six hits and a walk. Key Matchups: Micahel Brosseau (1-1), Ji-Man Choi (2-3, RBI), Travis d’Arnaud (3-9, 2 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Guillermo Heredia (1-1), Kevin Kiermaier (2-8, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Austin Meadows (1-1, 2B, RBI, BB), Tommy Pham (1-3, BB), Eric Sogard (3-8), Joey Wendle (2-3, 2B)

Blake Snell was impressive on Tuesday, pitching two perfect innings while striking out four. Snell showed no rust from his nearly two-month absence after undergoing the knife, tossing 17 of 26 pitches for strikes (65% strike rate) and whiffing four of the six batters he faced. The outing was a great step for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner as Snell looks to build stamina in anticipation of a playoff run. The left-hander maintains a 4.19 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 21 starts this season. He’ll likely square off against the Red Sox on Monday, although he will likely be on a short leash.

Jhoulys Chacín allowed two hits and walked two while fanning three over 2-2/3 scoreless frames as an opener on Thursday against the Blue Jays. Chacin, who had not allowed a baserunner in his first two outings with the Red Sox, faced his first bit of adversity since yet avoided any damage. The veteran has thrown 5-2/3 scoreless innings for Boston. Over his career, Chacín is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three outings (one Start). Key Matchups: Avisail Garcia (2-3, 2B), Guillermo Heredia (1-3, RBI), Mike Zunino (2-4, 2B, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— As Marc Topkin also noted, the right players are hot at the right time:

Playoff-chasing and postseason games can produce the occasional unheralded star. But for the most part, teams at this time of year need their best players to be their best players. And the Rays are getting a lot of that, starting with Austin Meadows, who is hitting .407 with eight homers and 19 RBIs on a career-best 16-game hitting streak. Tommy Pham, who had five hits Wednesday, is hitting .351 since Sept. 1. Ji-Man Choi has become an on-base machine. Travis d’Arnaud continues to deliver clutch hits and runs. Willy Adames is hitting .300 over the past two-plus weeks and playing strong defense at short. Closer Emilio Pagan is pitching with confidence.

— Marc Topkin

Rays look for a series split Wednesday night

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  • Ji-Man Choi got the Rays back into last night’s ballgame with a middle-inning’s blast to right. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a biting 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tampa Bay Rays will look to split the two-game series, and the eight-game road trip, Wednesday night. The Rays also look to hold onto the slim half-game lead in the Wildcard race.

Tampa Bay enters play two games behind Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, and a half-game ahead of Cleveland with 10 games left to play. Both the Athletics and Cleveland won last night.

Given the two straight losses, FanGraphs gives the Rays a diminished 57.8% shot at a postseason berth — down 24.3% since Saturday. Baseball Prospectus gives them a more favorable — albeit not that much — 59.5% chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The New What Next

Brendan McKay (2-4, 5.27 ERA) will get the start for the Rays tonight, pitching opposite of Tony Gonsolin (3-2, 2.83 ERA).

Brendan McKay gave up three earned runs on six hits across 3-1/3 innings, striking out two and walking two. After dominating the Blue Jays in an abbreviated 3-2/3 inning start his last time out, McKay couldn’t carry it over to this contest. The southpaw has shown flashes of brilliance this season, although his overall numbers remain pretty “meh”, with a 5.27 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 42-2/3 innings. He is expected to hit tonight, assuming that the score of the game is favorable at that point.

Tony Gonsolin tossed three innings in his last outing and allowed one run on two hits while striking out four. Gonsolin was expected to follow Rich Hill after two innings, but the Dodgers were forced to bridge the gap with two additional relievers after Hill left after retiring only two batters. Gonsolin was unphased, allowing a solo home run to Pedro Severino but otherwise limited Baltimore to a single while whiffing four across three innings. The 25-year-old has been good in eight appearances, posting a 2.83 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 3.1 K/BB across 35 innings. Superlatives aside, Gonsolin has only once pitched more than five innings, and that was back at the beginnings of August. Gonsolin relies primarily on a 93 mph four-seam fastball and a firm 86 mph splitter with a lot of backspin and arm-side run, while also mixing in an 88 mph 12-6 slider, and an 81 mph 12-6 curveball with sharp downward bite.

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

TNWN: Rays vs Dodgers — an Interleague series preview

Rays 9/18/19 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows RF
  2. Pham LF
  3. Lowe 3B
  4. Choi 1B
  5. d’Arnaud C
  6. Wendle 2B
  7. Garcia CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. McKay LHP

Noteworthiness

— Pham for the win once again:

— Blake Snell was impressive on Tuesday, pitching two perfect innings while striking out four. Snell showed no rust from his nearly two-month absence after undergoing the knife, tossing 17 of 26 pitches for strikes (65% strike rate) and whiffing four of the six batters he faced. The outing was a great step for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner as Snell looks to build stamina in anticipation of a playoff run. The left-hander maintains a 4.19 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 21 starts this season. He’ll likely square off against the Red Sox on Monday, although he will likely be on a short leash.