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LBWMF: Rays on the cusp of a division title after defeating the Mets, 2-1

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Nate Lowe plated the deciding run on a homer to center off Jacob deGrom.

Jacob deGrom was fantastic against Tampa Bay on Monday night, yet the Rays pitching staff was able to outpitch both him and the Mets, allowing them to edge out New York, 2-1. Nate Lowe scored both runs in the victory.

With Tampa Bay’s win and the Yankees 11-5 loss in Buffalo, the Rays end the night 17 games over .500 on the season and with a magic number of one to clinch the division. What’s more, given the White Sox loss to Cleveland, the Rays lead the South-Siders by 1-1/2 games for the top record in the American League with five games left to play.

After abruptly leaving his previous start after two innings and three runs with a right hamstring spasm, Jacob deGrom was absolutely dominant, striking out 14 (tying a career-high) over seven frames, while walking two and scattering four hits. Tampa Bay, however, made those hits count.

deGrom struck out the side in the first inning on 10 pitches, although Nate Lowe earned a full-count walk to begin the second. Lowe moved up to third on Joey Wendle’s first-pitch double to the left-center gap before Manuel Margot hit a two-strike sacrifice-fly to center, scoring Lowe for a 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Lowe blasted a 1-0 solo solo shot to center for a two-run lead. It was Lowe’s fourth homer in 11 games.

On the mound for Tampa Bay, Pete Fairbanks opened his second game of the season and threw 1-2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander walked Brandon Nimmo to start the first, yet he was erased when he was caught stealing. All told, Fairbanks struck out two and threw 15 of 25 pitches for strikes (60% strike rate).

Ryan Thompson followed Fairbanks and struck out Pete Alonso to get the final out of the second. He took the mound again in the third inning and got the first two batters of the frame before former Rays backstop Wilson Ramos hit a single to right, signaling the end of Thompson’s night. Josh Fleming — who was slated to pitch the bulk of the innings — came in and got the final out of the third and allowed just a grounder in the fourth.

Even so, former Ray Guillermo Heredia battled back from an 0-2 count to earn a free pass, while Ramos hit a single to right on the next pitch, putting two on and moving a runner into scoring position. After Nimmo was hit by a pitch, consequently loading the bases, Jeff McNeil hit an infield RBI single that Willy Adames made a diving stop on, scoring Heredia and bringing the Mets within one. But, J.D. Davis lined to right on the very next pitch, keeping the Rays in front.

Fleming came out in the sixth and got the first two batters before Diego Castillo took over with Alonso, whom he quickly put away, stepping into the box. Castillo came out in the seventh and put down all three batters (all right-handers) in order. Ryan Sherriff worked around a two-out walk for a scoreless eighth, preserving the one-run lead.

Finally, Nick Anderson battled in the ninth to earn the save. The right-hander started the frame with an 11-pitch at-bat against Robinson Cano which resulted in a fly-ball out to deep centerfield. Alonso followed and got ahead of Anderson 3-0 before he struck out. Finally, Andrés Giménez popped out, ending the ball game.

The New What Next

The Rays will look to clinch the AL East title in game two of the series against the Mets on Tuesday. Blake Snell (4-1, 3.05 ERA) will get the start pitching opposite of right-hander Seth Lugo (2-3, 4.34 ERA).

Blake Snell allowed one run on two hits and a walk over 5-1/3 innings against the Orioles on Thursday. He struck out four. Snell was in line for his fifth win of the season in an eventual 3-1 victory, but after he exited the game with a runner on second and one out, Diego Castillo allowed the inherited runner to score. Snell tossed 73 pitches (47 strikes, 64% strike rate) in the strong outing, and carries a 3.05 ERA and a 3.6 K/BB through 44-1/3 innings into his final start of the regular season, on Tuesday. Snell is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career start (7-1/3 IP) against the Mets.

Seth Lugo allowed six runs on eight hits and no walks across 1-2/3 innings against the Phillies on Thursday. He struck out three. Lugo entered the game having posted a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings since joining the starting rotation on August 25, although he was unable to tame Philadelphia’s bats. The right-hander surrendered four home runs in the brutal outing, two of which came against Bryce Harper. In only 1-2/3 innings of work, Lugo yielded a season-worst eight hits and saw his season ERA balloon to 4.34. He relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball and a 94 mph sinker with slight arm-side run and slightly above average velocity, while also mixing in a 79 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement, an 88 mph slider with less than expected depth, and an extremely hard ground ball inducing 88 mph changeup. He has never faced the Rays. Key Matchup: Manuel Margot (5-6, 2B)

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

TNWN: Rays vs. Mets — a series preview

Rays 9/22/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Tsutsugo DH
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Arozarena LF
  4. N. Lowe 1B
  5. Wendle 3B
  6. Adames SS
  7. Kiermaier CF
  8. Phillips RF
  9. Perez C

Noteworthiness

— The Rays unveiled the 40-man player pool for the 2020 postseason. Below, you will find the player pool, including top overall prospect Wander Franco:

Catchers (4): Mike Zunino, Michael Perez, Kevan Smith, Ronaldo Hernández

Infielders (9): Willy Adames, Mike Brosseau, Vidal Bruján, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Díaz, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe, Nate Lowe, Joey Wendle

Outfielders (8): Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Austin Meadows, Brian O’Grady, Brett Phillips, Hunter Renfroe, Yoshi Tsutsugo

Pitchers (19): José Alvarado, Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo, John Curtiss, Oliver Drake, Pete Fairbanks, Josh Fleming, Sean Gilmartin, Tyler Glasnow, Brent Honeywell Jr., Aaron Loup, Shane McClanahan, Charlie Morton, Trevor Richards, Ryan Sherriff, Aaron Slegers, Blake Snell, Ryan Thompson, Ryan Yarbrough

LBWMF: Rays sink the Fish (again), 5-4

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A little rusty, but no worse for the wear. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

A timely hit by Michael Perez allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to continue their winning ways against the Marlins on Friday, as they won the first game of the Citrus Series 2.0, 5-4.

At 27-12, the Rays enter play Saturday 15 games above .500, with a 5-1/2 game lead over the second-place Yankees and Blue Jays in the division, and with a 100% chance of a postseason berth (94.0% chance of winning the AL East) with 21 games left to play according to FanGraphs.

Josh Fleming got the start Friday and allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings and 73 pitches (45 strikes, 62% strike rate, 5 swinging strikes, 9% SwStr%). He struck out two and did not issue a walk. It wasn’t Fleming’s best performance — he gave up a pair of homers to a pair of former Rays, Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar — yet the offense and the relief corps picked him up and carried Fleming to his third win of the season. He is a contact pitcher, which leaves the door open for some flareups, but Fleming maintains good control, so he, ideally, will make some adjustments before his next start.

With the score knotted at 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a 406-foot solo homer to the triangle in left-center for the Rays’ first lead of the contest. Yet, the dynamic duo of Dickerson and Aguilar hit a pair of solo shots in the third and fourth innings (respectively) to put the Fish ahead by a run.

Fortunately Tampa Bay took the lead for good against Pablo Lopez in a 38 pitch fourth inning.

Joey Wendle hit a single to left then proceeded to swipe second, while Austin Meadows walked to put two on with none out. After Willy Adames — who had a tough night overall, going 0-4 and committing a potentially costly error in the ninth — struck out, Tsutsugo dropped a single in front of Lewis Brinson in right, loading the bases. Manuel Margot lined out softly to second, but Kevin Kiermaier earned a free pass to walk in a run and tie the game at two.

Michael Perez capped the scoring by lining a double to the left-center gap, putting the Rays up by three.

While the perception may be that Perez is substantially better at the plate than Mike Zunino, however, the reality is that neither player is an offensive juggernaut — nor is the catching platoon as a whole. As Jared Ward (DRaysBay) points out…

Mikey Perez: 53 PA, .167 BA/.226 OBP/.229 SLG, .209 wOBA, 28 wRC+

Mike Zunino: 68 PA, .133 BA/.235 OBP/.383 SLG, .267 wOBA, 68 wRC+

In other words, Perez isn’t hitting better, rather he tends to get timely hits in clutch moments like the one above.

The sizeable lead wouldn’t last long, as the Marlins answered for two two-out runs the very next inning. Fleming got Miguel Rojas and Dickerson out before Jorge Alfaro and Brinson hit back-to-back singles. Berti then lined a ball to the right-center gap that registered 103 mph off the bat. Kiermaier got a great jump on the ball, but it glanced off the tip of his glove, allowing both runners to score on the double. In the next at-bat, Wendle made a diving stop on a Starling Marte grounder to third, but Marte beat the throw to put runners on the corners. As luck would have it, Garrett Cooper grounded to second Fleming, keeping Tampa Bay in front and ending Fleming’s night.

The Rays had multiple chances to add to the lead although they left a lot of chicken on the bone. In the bottom of the fifth, Tampa Bay was unable to take advantage of two walks and a base loading single by Meadows that Marte lost in the roof. Reliever Nick Vincent struck out Margot looking on a full-count pitch that dotted the outside corner to end the threat.

Three innings later, Tsutsugo drew a one-out walk against reliever James Hoyt. Newcomer Brett Phillips pinch-ran and went to second on an errant pickoff throw. Margot finally earned his walk which led to the two executing a perfect double steal. But — and stop me if you’ve heard this one before — Kiermaier struck out, while Perez flew out to deep center, ending, you guessed it, the threat.

The Stable was able to preserve the lead in relief of Fleming. Ryan Thompson struck out the side in the sixth inning, while Pete Fairbanks worked around a Matt Joyce double to right an inning later. Berti walked against Fairbanks, but Marte grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice, ending the frame. Diego Castillo hurled a perfect eighth, including a punchout after a pair of groundouts.

Nick Anderson, who made a rehab outing on Wednesday, took over in the ninth and, well…looked like a player who had been on the shelf since August 19th. Anderson’s velocity was in the 95/96 mph range and he walked Miguel Rojas (the leadoff batter) on five pitches. For context, prior to Friday, the right-hander had walked just one and struck out 15 this season.

Jazz Chisholm pinch-ran for Rojas before Corey Dickerson hit a ground ball to the hole at short. Adames backhanded the play but couldn’t get a good grip on the ball which went for an error — allowing both runners to safely reach base. Jorge Alfaro grounded to Wendle at third, and Joey was able to get the lead runner for the first out, but he wasn’t able to get Dickerson sliding into second in time.

With two on and one out, Anderson got Joyce to pop out on the infield, bringing the speedy Berti to the plate. The right-hander got ahead of Berti 0-2 on two 95 mph center/center fastballs (talk about lucky), however, the rusty Anderson continued to misplace fastball after fastball, forcing him into a full count.

He, however, got lucky when home plate umpire Marty Foster gifted the scuffling hurler strike three to end the game. A win is a win, even if it isn’t pristine.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (3-0, 3.14 ERA) will get the start in the middle game of the set, pitching opposite of Sandy Alcantara (1-1, 5.06 ERA).

Blake Snell allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings against the Marlins on Sunday. The southpaw now feels as though he’s completely recovered from the shoulder issue that bothered him during Spring Training, and his results have backed up that claim. He now maintains a 3.14 ERA and 37:9 K:BB over 28-2/3 innings and seven starts this season. Snell is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two career starts against the Marlins.

Sandy Alcántara allowed eight runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks while punching out two over four innings on Sunday against the Rays. Alcantara was shelved for the past month after testing positive for COVID-19 but he was roughed up in his return to the mound as the Rays tallied three runs in the first inning, making for a short day as Tampa Bay continued to drive up the score. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Ji-Man Choi (2-3, 2B), Yoshi Tsutsugo (1-2, HR), Joey Wendle (1-3, HR).

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below.

TNWN: Rays vs Marlins — a series preview, part two

Rays 9/5/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Wendle SS
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Choi 1B
  4. Meadows LF
  5. N. Lowe 3B
  6. Renfroe RF
  7. Tsutsugo DH
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Perez C

TNWN: Rays vs Marlins — a series preview, part two

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Kike Brosseau got his revenge on the Yankees on Wednesday, hitting two home runs en route to a 5-2 over New York.

After a successful 5-1 road trip, including series wins against Miami and the New York Yankees, the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays play welcome to the Marlins on Friday, when they start a three-game set against their cross-state rival. Miami is coming off a series split against the Blue Jays.

The Rays enter play 14 games over .500 and with a five-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the AL East, thanks to a loss against the Mets on Thursday.

According to FanGraphs, they have a 100% chance of their second consecutive postseason berth with 22-games left to play.

This series kicks off a 22-game stretch of play where the Rays will face six teams — the Marlins, Nationals, Red Sox, Orioles, Mets, and Phillies — that have a cumulative winning percentage of .431. They can lose half of those games and still get into the playoffs given the number of tallies they’ve accumulated in the win column.

Tampa Bay is in firm control in the AL East after a contentious series against New York. Mike Brosseau, who had a 101 mph fastball thrown at him by Aroldis Chapman on Tuesday night, responded with a two home run game on Wednesday. And while Chapman was handed a three-game suspension for his actions, Brosseau capped a four-run first inning with a 420-foot blast into left-center field, giving the Rays all the runs they’d need.

Miami is coming off an off-day following the series against the Blue Jays, culminating in a loss on Wednesday. The Marlins trail Philadelphia by one game for second place in the NL East, and sit four games behind Atlanta.

Miami has been a far better team away from home this season, going 14-7 on the road as opposed to 2-9 at Marlins Park, where the Rays swept them a week ago.

Tampa Bay’s offensive production has regressed over the last two weeks, which is to be expected given that pitchers have made adjustments. Even so, the Rays are still performing 16% better than league average (as it relates to wRC+) and 30% better than Miami.

The Rays are now 7-0 in their last seven games after allowing two runs or fewer in their previous game, and 5-0 in their last five interleague home games. What’s more, Tampa Bay will be eager to get another series win, knowing that the Yankees could certainly sweep their doubleheader with Baltimore on Friday.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will lean on Josh Fleming (2-0, 1.74 ERA), Blake Snell (3-0, 3.14 ERA), and Tyler Glasnow (2-1, 4.24 ERA). Don Mattingly is expected to counter with Pablo López (3-2, 2.10 ERA), Sandy Alcántara (1-0, 5.06), and Trevor Rogers (1-0, 2.00 ERA).

Josh Fleming scattered three hits and no walks while striking out six across 5-1/3 scoreless innings. Fleming silenced the Marlins at the plate, surrendering just two base hits and a double while not allowing multiple batters to reach base in any inning. He needed only 74 pitches (47 strikes, 64% strike rate) to retire 16 batters. Fleming coaxed eight swinging strikes for an excellent 17% SwStr%. The lefty pounded the left side of the plate with his sinker, and came in on the right side with his slider, limiting the Marlins’ ability to make solid contact. Through two major-league starts, Fleming has allowed just two earned runs with nine strikeouts and two walks across 10-1/3 innings.

Pablo López allowed two earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out five across seven innings against the Rays in his last start. Lopez held Tampa Bay scoreless through five innings although he surrendered a run in both of his final two innings of work. He dominated with groundball outs, racking up 12 groundouts to go along with his five strikeouts. Lopez has now allowed two runs or fewer in each of his seven outings this season, performing to a 2.10 ERA with a 4.57 K:BB across 34-1/3 innings. Key Matchup: Joey Wendle (2-6, 2B, HR)

Blake Snell allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings against the Marlins on Sunday. The southpaw now feels as though he’s completely recovered from the shoulder issue that bothered him during Spring Training, and his results have backed up that claim. He now maintains a 3.14 ERA and 37:9 K:BB over 28-2/3 innings and seven starts this season. Snell is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two career starts against the Marlins.

Sandy Alcántara allowed eight runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks while punching out two over four innings on Sunday against the Rays. Alcantara was shelved for the past month after testing positive for COVID-19 but he was roughed up in his return to the mound as the Rays tallied three runs in the first inning, making for a short day as Tampa Bay continued to drive up the score. Key Matchups: Not available at the moment.

Tyler Glasnow posted six innings of scoreless ball against New York, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine on 87 pitches (55 strikes, 63% strike rate). The right-hander kept the Yankees’ offense off-balance for most of the night by leaning on all three of his pitches. He threw his 97 mph four-seam fastball 55 times, his curveball 24 times (nine swings and misses, 16% SwStr%) — eight at-bats ended on the curveball, resulting in seven K’s and a groundout — and eight 92 mph changeups which he threw to whomever regardless of handedness. All told, New York hit just four hard-hit balls against Glasnow.

I just feel like every time he gets on the mound, especially his last couple starts, he’s figured something out — I’m playing behind greatness out there. I am.

Watching what he does and how silly he makes guys look every inning he’s out there, it’s incredible.

— Kevin Kiermaier

Trevor Rogers allowed two runs on five hits and two walks across five innings pitched against the Mets on Monday. He struck out five. After five walks prevented Rogers from working past the fourth inning in his first start, the southpaw issued just two free passes on Monday. Rogers spotted the Mets a 2-0 lead in the third inning, although Miami rallied for four runs off Jacob deGrom in the top of the sixth to take the lead. Rogers relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, while also mixing in a firm 85 mph changeup that dives down out of the zone, and an 81 mph slider with two-plane movement.

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have activated Nick Anderson (forearm inflammation) off the Injured List. To clear space on the 40-man roster, Edgar Garcia was optioned following Wednesday’s game.

Additionally, Brett Phillips was added to the roster. Since the Rays needed a 40-man roster spot, as Phillips was on the COVID-19-related IL while he underwent intake testing following his acquisition, the Rays shifted reliever Jose Alvarado from the 10-day to the 45-day IL and optioned Ryan Sherriff to the alternate site in Port Charlotte.

Phillips told Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) that he is extremely excited to join the Rays, as he went to Seminole High School and the Rays were his favorite team growing up.

My excitement cannot be measured right now.

— Brett Phillips

Phillips was also very complimentary of skipper Kevin Cash , saying:

I saw his interview the other night, obviously he cares about the boys. I’m excited to play for him. … I’m going to give 110 percent for that man just knowing that he has our backs like that.

— Brett Phillips

— Kevin Cash said Alvarado’s shoulder has been improving of late, and he could help the team in the playoffs, as his backdated stay ends September 18th.

TNWN: Rays vs Yankees — one last series preview

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Willy and the boys celebrate after Adames hit a grand slam on Sunday in Miami.

After sweeping the Marlins — Tampa Bay’s fifth sweep of the season — the Rays will make one last stop on their six-game road trek: New York City, where they will start a three-game set against the Bronx Bummers on Monday. The Yankees took three of five from the Mets this weekend…and yes, it was quite weird typing that.

The Rays enter play a season-high 13 games above .500 and atop the American League.

Winners of five in a row, Tampa Bay is playing well at the moment. As Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) writes, the Rays are in the midst of their best stretch of play in seven years.

…they have matched the best 35-game start in franchise history, tying the 24-11 mark of 2010. They have won 18 of their past 21, their best 21-game stretch at any point in a season since 2013.

— Marc Topkin

Just two weeks ago, the Rays were third in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 2-1/2 games. Yet since they have won 12 of 14 and hold a 3-1/2 game lead over the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have struggled over the past week, and have lost seven of the last 10 contests. They’ve also lost five consecutive games to Tampa Bay.

Overall, New York has played well offensively this season, yet they have struggled during this slump. In fact, the Rays have outperformed the Yankees by 17% over the last 14 days as it relates to wRC+, while the Yankees enter the series with a very subpar -5.4 weighted runs above average (wRAA) across that stretch.

Note: This does not reflect the Rays 12-run onslaught on Sunday.

Tampa Bay swept New York in the Bronx the last time these paired up. This is the last time the two will face one another in the regular season.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash is expected to lean on Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 5.14 ERA), a pitcher to be named before the middle-game of the set, and Charlie Morton (1-1, 5.40 ERA). Man-baby Aaron Boone will counter with Gerrit Cole (4-1, 3.51 ERA) and Masahiro Tanaka (0-1, 3.48 ERA) — no surprise there — and Jordan Montgomery (2-1, 4.44 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow got the start Tuesday and fanned a career-high 13 over seven dominant innings — the longest start by a Ray this season. He allowed the first run of the ball game on a two-out first-inning home run down the left-field line, that just cleared the 162 Landing, off the bat of Renato Nunez — his sixth homer of the season. Then, with one out in the fourth, Ryan Mountcastle flicked a ball into right with a pair on, scoring a run. Glasnow coaxed a comebacker from Mason Williams before he struck Pat Valaika out, ending the threat. And from there the righty really dialed it in.

Nine of Glasnow’s punches came on the curveball (48 thrown, 13 swings and misses), while he struck out nine the last 10 hitters, and retired the final 11 batters he faced. Glasnow threw 72 of 96 pitches for strikes (75% strike rate) and induced a career-high of swings and misses; 24 of 72 strikes for a 33% SwStr%.

Gerrit Cole surrendered five runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks over five innings against Atlanta. Leadoff man Ronald Acuna hit a 473-blast on Cole’s sixth pitch of the game, and things didn’t improve much the rest of the way. The right-hander allowed two runs on six hits including two homers in a Yankee loss to the Rays on August 19. He now has a 3.51 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 6.625:1 K:BB over 41 innings this season. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (7-15, 3 2B, 2 HR), Yandy Diaz (3-12, HR), Joey Wendle (3-12, 3B)

TBA

Masahiro Tanaka allowed three hits and no walks while fanning four across five scoreless innings on Wednesday in Atlanta. Tanaka was dominant, allowing just a trio of base hits in his time on the mound. Tanaka was pulled after only 66 pitches as he felt he was running out of energy. Tanaka has completed five innings of work in only two of his five starts this season, although they have been high quality. The Rays dusted Tanaka up back on August 18, tagging the right-hander for six runs (five earned) on eight hits including two homers. He now maintains a 3.48 ERA with a 5.67:1 K:BB across 20-2/3 frames this season. Key Matchups: Michael Brosseau (2-3, 2 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (11-37, 2 2B, 2 3B, HR), Austin Meadows (5-15, 2 HR), Micahel Perez (1-4), Joey Wendle (4-14, 2 2B)

Charlie Morton (shoulder) will return from the 10-day Injured List to start either Tuesday or Wednesday against the Yankees. Morton’s shoulder responded well to his latest bullpen session Saturday, leaving Rays skipper Kevin Cash optimistic that the right-hander will be ready to rejoin the rotation this week. Morton last started against the Yankees on August 9, allowing one run on three hits across two innings. Before he was shut down with the shoulder injury, Morton performed to a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 4.25:1 K:BB over 16-2/3 innings over four starts.

Jordan Montgomery allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks while striking out six over five innings on Friday against the Mets. Montgomery tossed four scoreless frames to begin Friday’s doubleheader, but he surrendered a run in the fifth inning before things started to unravel in the sixth. The Mets totaled five runs in the sixth inning, forcing Montgomery to settle for his second consecutive no-decision. He relies primarily on an 83 mph worm-killer changeup with a lot of backspin and a 93 mph sinker, while also mixing in a whiffy 93 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, an 81 mph 12-6 curveball with surprisingly little depth, and an 89 mph cutter with good “rise”. He is 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA in five career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (1-2), Austin Meadows (1-1)

Noteworthiness

— Following a poor outing on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays designated left-hander Anthony Banda for assignment. Banda allowed five runs in one-plus inning of work on Sunday.

— The Rays also reinstated Brendan McKay from the IL and sent him to the team’s alternate training site. McKay, however, is still out for the rest of the season after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, although the team had to officially bring him back off the COVID-19 IL, and thus needed to create an opening on the 40-man roster — hence the DFA of Banda.

TNWN: Rays look to sweep the Marlins on Sunday

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Lefty Josh Fleming spun a gem last night.

After blanking the Marlins once again last night in Miami, 4-0, the Tampa Bay Rays will go for a clean sweep on Sunday. At 12-games over .500 (a season-high), the Rays have won 17 of their last 20 games, including four in a row.

The Rays became the first team to shutout the same opponent in four consecutive road games (a total of 36 innings) since the 1981/82 Orioles in Toronto.

Tampa Bay enters play with the top record in the American League thanks in part to a loss by the Oakland Athletics last night. They still lead the Yankees by four games in the division and maintain a fantastic chance of a postseason berth — a 99.9% chance, according to FanGraphs — with 26 games left to play. Put another way, even if the Rays played .500 ball for the rest of the season, they would still make it into the playoffs. All this despite the 11 injuries they have been faced with.

Last night, Josh Fleming scattered three hits and no walks while striking out six across 5-1/3 scoreless innings. Fleming silenced the Marlins at the plate, surrendering just two base hits and a double while not allowing multiple batters to reach base in any inning. He needed only 74 pitches (47 strikes, 64% strike rate) to retire 16 batters. Fleming coaxed eight swinging strikes for an excellent 17% SwStr%. The lefty pounded the left side of the plate with his sinker, and came in on the right side with his slider, limiting the Marlins’ ability to make solid contact. Through two major-league starts, Fleming has allowed just two earned runs with nine strikeouts and two walks across 10-1/3 innings.

Offensively, Tampa Bay has scored six runs in this series, all coming with two outs. Overall, the Rays have scored 65 of their 171 runs (38%) this season with two outs.

Kevan Smith will likely get the start behind the plate today after Michael Pérez caught the first two games, and Mike Zunino (oblique strain) was placed on the Injured List. Smith has caught eight innings with Tampa Bay this season. Even so, the Rays are still reportedly interested in acquiring Hans Klopek lookalike, Christian Vázquez, from the Boston Red Sox.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (2-0, 3.04 ERA) will get the start in the series finale, pitching opposite of Sandy Alcantara (1-0, 1.35 ERA).

Blake Snell allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out nine over 5-2/3 innings on Monday against the Blue Jays. Snell one run in the third on a double and another in the sixth on a solo homer before exiting the game with a one-run lead. It was positive to see Snell rack up nine punchies after fanning just three in his last outing Tuesday in New York. Over six starts this season (23-2/3 IP), Snell owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 32 strikeouts.

Sandy Alcantara will come off the COVID-19 IL to make the start for Miami. Alcantara reportedly looked “really good” in a 50-pitch simulated game on Thursday. He threw very well against the Phillies on Opening Day, allowing just one earned run across 6-2/3 innings while punching out seven. He, however, has been sidelined all month after testing positive for COVID-19 at the end of July, and there is no word on how long he may go on Sunday given the extended time on the shelf.

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 8/30/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Wendle 2B
  2. Choi 1B
  3. Diaz 3B
  4. Tsutsugo DH
  5. Adames SS
  6. O’Grady LF
  7. Renfroe RF
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Smith C

Noteworthiness

— Charlie Morton is slated to throw a bullpen session today. If all goes well, he will rejoin the staff during the Yankees series.

— Nick Anderson threw a bullpen session in Port Charlotte yesterday and will throw live batting practice Monday. If all goes well, he could be activated following Thursday’s off-day.