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LBWMF: Rays top Yanks, 4-2

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Mike Brosseau put the Rays ahead on an RBI base hit in the eighth inning on Wednesday.

Tyler Glasnow put together his best start of the season, while an eighth-inning rally gave the Tampa Bay Rays all the runs they would need on Wednesday, as the good guys beat the Yankees 4-2 in New York. The Rays are now 8-1 on their 10-game road trip after taking the first two games versus the Yankees, against whom they have won five-out-of-six games this season.

Glasnow got the start and tossed 5-2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while punching out eight. Down by a pair in the third, New York answered when Luke Voit hit a two-out solo home run into the second deck in right in the third inning. Then in the sixth, Aaron Hicks lined a 1-0 pitch down the right-field line for a triple to lead off the sixth before Voit drew a free pass on a full count curveball. With runners on the corners, Gio Urshela hit a sacrifice fly to right, tying the game at two. Yet Glasnow struck out Mike Ford for the second out of the inning before he gave way to Ryan Thompson. All told, Glasnow threw 51 of 88 pitches for strikes (58% strike rate) while coaxing nine swinging strikes (18% whiff rate). While his strike and whiff rates weren’t eye-popping, the results speak for themselves.

Backing up a bit, the Rays took the initial lead after Ji-Man Choi homered off Gerrit Cole to right with one out in the second. The long ball, ironically, came on the same day that Choi said he was going to focus on hitting only from the left side because it would benefit the team.

An inning later, Mike Zunino launched his third home run of the season, a blast to straightaway center for a two-run lead. Prior to Wednesday, Cole had not relinquished multiple home runs in one game in just over a year (8/7/19 against Cleveland).

New York’s ace allowed five more base runners, yet none past second. He threw 109 pitches (78 for strikes, 72% strike rate) and surrendered six hits and a walk while fanning 10. He left the game with two outs and a runner on in the seventh, yet the sinker throwing left-hander, Zack Britton, got Austin Meadows to strike out swinging to end the inning.

But with the game tied in the eighth, Yandy Diaz led off the go-ahead rally against Britton by hitting a grounder just wide of first. Voit fielded the ball and threw it to Britton, yet it glanced off the hurler’s glove which allowed Diaz to end up at second on the error by the pitcher. Britton wild-pitched Diaz to third before Brandon Lowe walked. With two on and none out, Jose Martinez chopped a ball to third that Gio Urshela fielded before he threw home to cut Diaz down at the plate.

Still, the Rays would be undeterred. Pinch hitter Mike Brosseau stepped into the box and worked a 2-0 count before he lined a 96 mph center-cut fastball into center, putting the Rays ahead by a run. Then Willy Adames worked a 3-0 count before he lined an RBI single into right, scoring Martinez — Chasing Britton, and capping the scoring.

That put Pete Fairbanks — who struck out Aaron Hicks to end the seventh — on the winning side of the ledger.

After Nick Anderson notched a perfect eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, Chaz Roe took over in the ninth and promptly walked the first two batters of the frame, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres. Still, he got Brett Gardner to fly-out to center before Kevin Cash had seen enough and pulled the plug on the frisbee throwing right-hander.

Jalen Beeks took over for Roe and struck out Miguel Andujar (who pinch-hit for Mike Tauchman). Be that as it may, Beeks made things interesting when he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed both runners to move into scoring position. But, Beeks punched out Thairo Estrada for the save.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for a sweep Thursday afternoon behind Trevor Richards (0-0, 5.92 ERA), who will either start or pitch out of the bulk role. He’ll be opposed by James Paxton (1-1, 7.04 ERA).

Trevor Richards allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three across 4-1/3 innings on Friday against the Blue Jays. Richards made a spot start in lieu of Charlie Morton who is on the Injured List. But the right-hander struggled in his outing. Richards is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two outings (one start) and 9-1/3 innings against the Yankees.

James Paxton allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two across five innings on Friday. Far from dominant, Paxton needed 83 pitches to make it through five frames and yielded three runs. The left-hander has allowed exactly three earned runs in each of his four starts this season, though he lasted a combined four innings in his first two outings as opposed to the 11-1/3 combined innings he has pitched in his last two outings. Paxton was fantastic against Tampa Bay for most of his start on August 9, however, the Rays dinged him up toward the end of his outing, tagging him for three runs on four hits including two home runs. Overall, Paxton is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (4-9, 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (2-5).

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

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

Rays 8/20/20 Starting Lineup

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

Noteworthiness

— Another day, another pitching injury. 35-minutes before Wednesday’s contest, the Rays placed right-hander Yonny Chirinos on the Injured List with a strained right elbow. They recalled right-hander Aaron Slegers from its taxi squad to take his place on the active roster.

In the words of Connor Byrne (MLB Trade Rumors),

It’s always troubling when a pitcher goes down with an arm injury, especially considering Chirinos just came from an IL stint by a triceps issue. Chirinos spent the minimum amount of time on the shelf then, but it’s unclear how long he’ll need to return from this injury.

Connor Byrne

— The Yankees vs. Tampa Bay this season: 1-5, .207 BA/.314 OBP/.358 SLG/.672 OPS/3.2 RPG.

The Yankees vs. everyone else this season: 15-3, .269 BA/.356 OBP/.511 SLG/.867 OPS/6.2 RPG

TNWN: Rays look to take three-of-four from New York on Sunday, roster moves

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The Tampa Bay Rays split a doubleheader with the Yankees on Saturday.

After splitting a doubleheader against New York on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays will look to take three-of-four from the Yankees Sunday afternoon in the final game of their current homestand. A win against New York would get the Rays back to the .500 mark ahead of their upcoming road trip through Boston, Toronto Buffalo, and New York.

Eight of the Rays nine combined runs came with two outs yesterday. If Tampa Bay has done one thing really well during this truncated season, it’s plate two-out runs — on the season, 34 of their 61 total runs have come with two outs (56%). Still, the Rays’ offense needs to apply more pressure during the first and second innings, as just two of their runs have come in the first two frames (3%).

In a shocking turn of events that no one would ever have expected, Giancarlo Stanton was pulled from the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader because of a tight left hamstring. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game that Stanton would be placed on the Injured List.

In another outrageous set of events, New York’s skipper was tossed during the second game — an event that is akin to finding the ultrarare gem Tanzanite given Boone’s never petulant, always even-keeled demeanor. I digress.

The New What Next

Charlie Morton (1-1, 5.52 ERA) will take the mound in the series finale, pitching opposite of James Paxton (0-1, 13.50 ERA).

Charlie Morton got the start for the Rays and allowed just one earned run on five hits and no walks while punching out five across 5-2/3 innings. The right-hander threw 65 of 93 pitches for strikes (70% strike rate) and coaxed 14 swings and misses (22% whiff rate). Morton held Boston’s lineup in check, with the only major damage coming on a solo homer by Mitch Moreland. Most importantly, Morton’s velocity ticked up, as his fastball sat between 93 and 94 miles per hour for much of his start — an increase of one to two mph from his previous two outings — while hitting 95 mph on a few occasions. Morton was able to lower his ERA to 5.52 (4.09 FIP) across 14-2/3 total innings this season. His 7:1 K:BB suggests even better results are on the way.

James Paxton allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out four across three innings on Sunday. The southpaw labored through his second start of the season, needing 62 pitches (45 strikes, 73% strike rate) to complete the three innings. He’s surrendered eight runs (six earned) across two short starts this season. While Paxton has just walked one batter, he continues to deal with a drop in velocity — he hovered around 91 mph with his fastball Sunday (down 4.4 mph from last season). He relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker and a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, while also mixing in a hard 79 mph knuckle curveball, an 85 mph cutter with heavy sink, and an 81 mpg changeup that dives down out of the zone. He is 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in five career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (3-6), Kevin Kiermaier (2-5)

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

Rays vs Yankees — a series preview; roster moves

Rays 8/9/20 Starting Lineup

  1. DĂ­az 3B
  2. Meadows LF
  3. MartĂ­nez DH
  4. Renfroe RF
  5. Brosseau 1B
  6. Lowe 2B
  7. Margot CF
  8. Adames SS
  9. Zunino C

Noteworthiness

— The Rays shuffled the roster this morning.

RHP Oliver Drake has been placed on the Injured List with right bicep tendinitis. Meanwhile, RHP Ryan Thompson has been recalled from Port Charlotte, while Manuel Margot (who was previously on the bereavement list) and RHP John Curtiss have been activated. In order to make room on the roster for Curtiss, the team designated Sean Gilmartin — husband of professional asshole Kayleigh McEnany — for assignment, after he allowed three runs on two homers across 3-1/3 innings of work on Saturday, as well as catcher Kevan Smith.

Of note, Rays manager Kevin Cash said Drake missed some time in Summer Camp and felt it was right by him to get his arm to calm down a bit. He also said Curtiss can provide some innings, while he hopes Smith doesn’t get claimed, as they hope to keep him in the fold.

— Ji-Man Choi! Ji-Man Choi! Per Neil Solondz (Rays Radio), Ji-Man Choi appreciated the chant played when he came to the plate during this series, and said it helped him stay calm and helped since he normally interacts with fans before the game.

TNWN: Rays vs Yankees — a series preview, part four

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  • Mike Brosseau hit his first big league home run in the series finale against the Baltimore Oriole on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The two top teams in the American League East will kick off one last series before the All-Star break on the Fourth of July at Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the New York Yankees into town for a four-game set. Tampa Bay had a chance at a sweep against the Orioles after picking up a pair of 6-3 wins the previous two nights, yet Jose Alvarado had other ideas in mind, as he allowed six one-out runs in the ninth inning Thursday night. In spite of a three-run rally, the Rays fell, 9-6. Meanwhile, New York split a two-game Interleague series against the Mets.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

In spite of the loss, the Rays looked good at the plate against the Orioles, scoring 18 total runs and hitting .361 with runners in scoring position (13-for-36 wRISP). As BA noted during Wednesday’s broadcast, the test will be whether Tampa Bay can slow things down against New York. Over the previous three series, the Rays have looked jumpy and over-amped, and they’re a far better team than the 2-7 season series record would indicate.

At the end of the day, the Rays have survived a brutal gauntlet over the last seven weeks and has hung in the playoff picture and division in spite of it all. They enter the series 6-1/2 games back in the AL East and looking to gain ground on the Yankees.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will throw Yonny Chirinos (7-4, 3.10 ERA), Brendan McKay (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Blake Snell (5-7, 4.87 ERA), and Charlie Morton (9-2, 2.36 ERA). Aaron Boone will counter with J.A. Happ (7-4, 5.23 ERA), Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.74 ERA), the ever swarthy C.C. Sabathia (5-4, 4.04 ERA), and James Paxton (5-3, 4.09 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Yonny Chirinos allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks over six innings while striking out five on Friday. It was far from a sharp outing by Chirinos even though he, technically, tossed a quality start. The error that led to the unearned run was his own, while Chirinos threw only 59 of 105 pitches for strikes (56% strike rate) en route to a season-high four walks — for context, he hadn’t walked more than two batters in any previous outing. The right-hander still maintains a 3.10 ERA and 3.62 K/BB across 93 innings on the season. Chirinos is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in five career outings (two starts) against the Yankees.

J.A. Happ threw four innings in his last starts and allowed eight runs on 11 hits with no walks with just two strikeouts. Happ is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA, a 1.93 WHIP, four walks, and seven strikeouts over his last 14 innings of work in his last three starts. He also is 5-4 with a 4.30 ERA, a 1.356 WHIP, 30 walks and 75 strikeouts across 90 innings in 18 career appearances (17 starts) against Tampa Bay (1-2 with a 5.36 ERA, a 1.557 WHIP, 17 walks and 34 strikeouts over 43.2 innings at Tropicana Field). Happ is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in one start (5 IP) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Travis d’Arnaud (1-3), Avisail Garcia (4-12, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Guillermo Heredia (3-9, BB), Tommy Pham (2-3, 2B), Mike Zunino (3-11, RBI, BB)

Brendan McKay pitched six scoreless innings in his big league debut, allowing just one hit (tracked at 66.5 mph off the bat) and one walk with three punch outs. The left-hander took a perfect game into the sixth inning when he gave up two baserunners. McKay’s curveball was especially sharp, as he held Texas to 1-for-18 on his breaking pitch and generated 11 swings and misses.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed six runs on four hits and two walks across 2/3 of an inning on Saturday. He did not record a strikeout. The first game in London saw neither team’s starter make it out of the opening frame, with Tanaka delivering his worst start of the season by a significant margin. The 30-year-old now has a 3.74 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 3.70 K/BB over 98-2/3 innings this season. Tanaka has been very tough against the Rays this season, going 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA in three starts (22 IP). Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-12, 2B, RBI), Guillermo Heredia (1-4), Kevin Kiermaier (8-31, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Tommy Pham (4-15, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Joey Wendle (3-8, 2B 2 RBI), Mike Zunino (5-19, 2 2B, HR, RBI)

Blake Snell struck out 12 and allowed two runs on three hits over six innings in a win over Texas on Sunday. Snell was desperate for a good outing after lasting just seven innings in his previous three starts combined. He got exactly what he needed Sunday. The 26-year-old lefty flattened the Rangers’ lineup with Joey Gallo’s two-run blast being the only significant damage he allowed. It was his first start with double-digit strikeouts since May 12 and he lowered his season ERA to 4.87 in the process.

C.C. Sabathia gave up two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings while striking out nine on Monday. The Grimmace like southpaw did give allow some hard contact although his control was decent, throwing 64 of 104 pitches for strikes (62% strike rate) en route to his fourth quality start of the season. Sabathia will take a 4.04 ERA and 2.54 K/BB through 69 innings into his start on Saturday. Sabathia is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts (17 innings) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (4-14, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Travis d’Arnaud (3-12), Kevin Kiermaier (5-16, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Tommy Pham (3-10, 2 2B, RBI), Joey Wendle (1-2), Mike Zunino (5-11, HR, RBI, BB)

Charlie Morton was dominant in his outing against Baltimore, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out 12 across seven innings. Morton’s sole blemish of the contest came on a third-inning solo homer by Chris Davis, otherwise, he held the Orioles without an extra-base hit and didn’t allow a baserunner into scoring position until his final inning of work. It was his second double-digit strikeout performance of the season, and he’s now racked up 132 strikeouts across 107 innings of work. Morton has also supplied All-Star ratios, managing a 2.36 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.

James Paxton allowed one earned run on eight hits and two walks while striking out three across six innings on Tuesday. Paxton surrendered just a solo home run to J.D. Davis in his outing — only his second quality start in seven chances since coming off the IL in late May. Paxton was unable to generate much deception with his pitches, recording just 12 swinging strikes on 103 total pitches (12% SwStr). The left-hander is 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against the Rays, and 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts at the Trop. Key Matchup: Avisail Garcia (3-5, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— An average of 20,970 fans showed up to the old ballpark the last three nights (62,911 overall), with large crowds also expected this weekend.

I know, what you’re thinking, “…but that’s only because the Rays sold out of the 30-thousand $2.00 tickets that were made available prior to the start of this series.” That is undoubtedly true. And it should not be forgotten that a good number of fans came through the turnstiles when the Rays had a $5.00 flash sale a few weeks back, which led into a successful day/night doubleheader with the Rowdies. To the naysayers, I posit this: 10-thousand fans per night, at $2.00 a pop, is far better than 30-thousand (overall) empty seats. The team made a moderate revenue on the ticket sales and even more money when you factor in concessions and team merchandise — cash they wouldn’t have generated otherwise.

To Stu Sternberg and the Rays front office, fans have shown that they will attend games when family-friendly and affordable ticket options are offered. Instead of bashing the market and the fan-base, saying things like an 81-game season is untenable in Tampa Bay (and yes, most of us know that’s a rhetorical leverage ploy), how about continuing to roll out ticket specials throughout the balance of the season? The Rays have hit the 20-thousand mark 12 times in 2019, and we aren’t at the halfway point yet. For context, 20-thousand fans (or more) attended just nine ballgames last season. We love the love Rays in Tampa Bay. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

— Brandon Lowe was a late addition to the 2019 All-Star Game roster, joining Austin Meadows and Charlie Morton for the Rays’ contention.

It’s the icing on the cake, I’d say. The dream is always to be a big leaguer, so I got here. And to keep performing and be able to go out there and take the field with some of the guys that will be out there will be very special.

— Brandon Lowe

Lowe said having a chance to talk to players like Mike Trout will be a highlight of the trip.

What he’s done throughout the game has been nothing short of incredible. I would love to pick his brain and see just what goes on in his head.

— Brandon Lowe

— Never forget:

TNWN: Rays vs Yankees ― yet another series preview

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Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays capped their seven-game home stand with a series split against the Angels. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After defeating the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Sunday, allowing Tampa Bay to earn a series split, the Rays hit the road for a 10-game, 11-day road trip. First stop the Bronx, where they’ll face the first-place Yankees. The Yankees are coming off a series split against the White Sox.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays have the best road record in baseball at 23-10, yet this trip will be a challenging one. They’ll start in New York (2-4), fly across the country for a three-game set in Oakland (1-2), and cap things off in Minnesota (1-3) ― all while facing three teams that have won their respective sets against Tampa Bay this season. The first two series wrap up a 21-game, 20-day stretch of play without an off-day. So far, Tampa Bay is 8-6 over that spread.

New York is the only team to win a road series against Tampa Bay this season. In kind, this set provides a particularly tough matchup for a few reasons. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) noted, one is that the Rays have had a difficult time lately against lefties, and two of the three pitchers New York will throw are southpaws (C.C. Sabathia and J.A. Happ). The other starter is Masahiro Tanaka (4-5, 3.58 ERA) who has already faced and won against the Rays twice this season.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Yankees haven’t been firing on all their cylinders of late, however, they are expected to activate Edwin Encarnacion on Monday and Giancarlo Stanton on Tuesday. Tampa Bay will likely add another right-hander to the relief corps to compensate for New York’s right-handed heavy lineup.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on bulk guys Yonny Chirinos (7-2, 2.88 ERA) and Ryan Yarbrough (5-3, 5.59 ERA) in some capacity, and left-hander Blake Snell (4-5, 3.70 ERA). Aaron Boone will counter with Masahiro Tanaka (4-5, 3.58 ERA), J.A. Happ (6-3, 4.66 ERA), and the ever swarthy C.C. Sabathia (3-4, 4.42 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Yonny Chirinos allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk across six innings against the Athletics on Wednesday. He struck out seven. Oakland had traffic on the basepaths most of the night, yet they only scored against Chirinos on an infield single and solo home rum. The Rays didn’t give right-hander much run support, although they did score twice in the seventh inning to tie the game and get him off the hook. Chirinos enters play with a 7-2 record and a 2.88 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts across 75 innings this season. He is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA across 19-1/3 career innings against the Yankees, and 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA across 4-2/3 innings at Yankee Stadium.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks over 6-2/3 innings in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets on Tuesday. He struck out seven. Tanaka ran into trouble in the third inning when he allowed a run on a Juan Lagares infield single and a three-run homer to Jeff McNeil. He steadied after that, relinquishing just one more run on a sixth-inning RBI single and pitched into the seventh inning. The right-hander has a 3.58 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season and is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two 2019 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (4-11, 2 2B, BB), Avisail Garcia (5-18, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Guillermo Heredia (1-4), Kevin Kiermaier (8-28, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Tommy Pham (4-11, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Joey Wendle (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Mike Zunino (5-16, 2 2B, HR, RBI)

Ryan Yarbrough allowed five runs on five hits and one walk across six innings against the Angels on Thursday. He struck out four. All five hits went for extra bases ― including a three-run homer from Shohei Ohtani, and a two-run shot from Albert Pujols. Aside from that, Yarbrough pitched quite well and needed an efficient 90 pitches (58 strikes, 64% strike rate) to complete six innings. Yarbrough’s form has been erratic lately; he’s allowed five or more earned runs three times in the last six starts while yielding two or fewer in the other three. He is 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 17 career innings against the Yankees.

J.A. Happ allowed four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two through five innings in his last start. Happ looked solid until the fourth inning when he loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks ― it was the first time all season that Happ pitched with the bases loaded. Despite throwing nine straight balls, the 36-year-old managed to wiggle out of the jam without any damage. The White Sox got to Happ again in the fifth inning when the left-hander gave up a leadoff walk to Yolmer Sanchez, then allowed a single to Ryan Cordell and an RBI double to Leury Garcia. Tim Anderson followed with a three-run, 416-foot homer to even the score at four apiece. The long ball has proven to be Happ’s nemesis this season, and Thursday was no exception. He carries a 4.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 3.21 K/BB on the season, and is 4-4 with a 4.34 ERA in 16 career starts against Tampa Bay. He relies primarily on a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball and an 89 mph worm-killer sinker which has some natural sinking action, while also mixing in an 84 mph slider with little depth, and an 86 mph changeup with some natural sinking action. Key Matchups: Avisail Garcia (3-9, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Guillermo Heredia (2-7, BB)

Blake Snell allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks across 3-1/3 against the Angels on Friday. He struck out three. That start marked Snell’s shortest outing since May 1, although he was able to avoid a loss because the Rays offense scored nine runs against the Angels bullpen. Snell has been a little hot and cold of late, yielding just one run in three of his last seven starts, but more than three runs in under five frames in his other two. Overall, Snell is 4-5 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 101 punch outs across 75-1/3 innings this season, and is 3-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 13 career starts against the Yankees (59.0 innings of work).

C.C. Sabathia coughed up six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks while striking out three over 4-2/3 innings against the White Sox. Sabathia was tagged for four first-inning runs, including a three-run blast by Eloy Jimenez, and things went downhill from there. The left-hander had been taken deep at least once in nine straight starts, and as a result, he carries a 4.42 ERA and 2.38 K/BB through 57 into his next outing against Tampa Bay, on Wednesday. Over his career against the Rays, Sabathia is 17-16 with a 3.63 ERA and is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season ― although he averaged 5.5 IP in each of those starts. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-12, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Travis d’Arnaud (3-9, 2 BB), Kevin Kiermaier (5-16, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-4, BB), Austin Meadows (1-4, BB), Joey Wendle (1-2), Mike Zunino (5-11, HR, RBI, BB)

Noteworthiness

― Update on RHP Jose Alvarado, who will immediately report to Port Charlotte:

TNWN: Rays vs Yankees — a series preview

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Kevin Kiermaier went 1-for-2 with an RBI in the series finale against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The top two teams in the AL East are set to open up a three-game weekend series at Tropicana Field when the Tampa Bay Rays face the New York Yankees for the first time this season, starting Friday night. Tampa Bay took two-of-three from Arizona, although they missed an opportunity to sweep the Diamondbacks when they fell 3-2 in 13 innings on Wednesday. The Yankees took three-of-four from the Mariners.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays were handed just their second defeat in the last six games, finishing their marathon 13-inning contest with eight hits and a whopping 23 strikeouts. Tommy Pham was the only player with two hits in the ballgame, while Tampa Bay went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Still, the Rays averaged 6.67 runs per game over the life of the series, while the pitching staff allowed seven runs total over the previous three days.

Outfielder Austin Meadows (thumb sprain) is expected to be activated from the Injured List and back in the lineup on Friday. Prior to the injury, Meadows was hitting .351 with six home runs, 19 RBI and a fantastic 1.097 OPS. To create space on the 25-man roster, the Rays optioned rookie 1B/DH Nate Lowe, who hit .257 with one RBI across nine games, back to Triple-A Durham.

However, the team is still sorting out the catching situation, with the potential for Mike Zunino to be placed on the IL after he left Wednesday’s game due to quad tightness.

If Zunino is out for an extended amount of time, Tampa Bay will have to make another roster move, with Anthony Bemboom the most likely candidate for promotion — a move that would leave them with a very inexperienced duo of backstops; he and Nick Ciuffo. The 29-year-old Bemboom signed as a minor-league free agent this past offseason after he spent 2-1/2 seasons at Triple-A with the Rockies and Angels organizations. He has no big league experience.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

New York won the season series last season, 10-9, but Tampa Bay won six of the 10 meetings at Tropicana Field.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will lean on Tyler Glasnow (6-0, 1.47 ERA), Yonny Chirinos (4-1, 3.52 ERA) — pitching in the bulk inning role — and Blake Snell (3-3, 3.62 ERA). Aaron Boone will counter with Domingo German (6-1, 2.35 ERA), CC Sabathia (2-1, 3.20 ERA), and Masahiro Tanaka (2-3, 3.77 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tyler Glasnow allowed just three hits while striking out eight batters across seven scoreless innings against the Orioles. The right-hander didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning en route to his sixth win of the season. Glasnow is undefeated with a pristine 1.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 6.57 K/BB across seven starts this season.

Domingo German allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven over 6-2/3 innings against the Twin. German worked around seven base runners thanks in part to 21 called strikes. The right-hander has been great this season, and his 2.72 FIP suggests that his 2.35 ERA could stick. German relies primarily on a 94 mph four-seam fastball with slight arm side run and a whiffy 82 mph 12-6 curveball, while also mixing in a firm 88 mph worm-killer changeup and a 94 mph sinker with obvious tail. He is 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA in three games (two starts) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Kevin Kiermaier (1-3, 3B), Brandon Lowe (1-1)

Yonny Chirinos took a hard-luck loss against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits across 7-1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one. Chirinos was used as a traditional starter and ended up delivering a quality start for the Rays. The right-hander has pitched well with a 3.52 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 4.14 K/BB over 38-1/3 innings, with most of his damage coming in one outing in which he allowed six runs over 2-1/3 innings (April 12).

CC Sabathia gave up three earned runs on five hits over five innings while striking out five and walking three against the Mariners. The swarthy southpaw wasn’t particularly efficient, needing 99 pitches to make it through five innings, yet he was able to pick up his second victory of the season thanks to a lot of early run support. Sabathia has posted solid ratios over his five 2019 starts, performing to a 3.20 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP across 25-1/3 innings. Sabathia relies primarily on an 89 mph cutter with strong cutting action and an 80 mph sweeping slider, while also mixing in an 89 mph sinker, and a whiffy 83 mph worm-killer changeup. Sabathia is 17-16 with a 3.67 ERA in 48 career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-8, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (5-16, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Mike Zunino (5-11, HR, RBI, BB)

Blake Snell bounced back from a pair of tough outings and cruised to his third win of the season. Snell gave up just one hit and no walks while striking out nine across six scoreless innings. The southpaw induced 19 swinging strikes (61 strikes overall, a 71% strike rate and a 31% SwStr%) on 86 total pitches. It was a phenomenal performance by Snell, who posted a 12.79 ERA in his first two starts since returning from the IL because of a fractured toe. He is now 3-3 on the season with a respectable 3.62 ERA and 5.56 K/BB over seven starts this season.

Masahiro Tanaka gave up two earned runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings on Tuesday against the Mariners. He struck out four and walked two. Tanaka struggled in his previous two starts, but he was sharp against Seattle. The right-hander carries a 3.64 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with a 2.86 K/BB across 45-1/3 innings. He relies primarily on an 84 mph slider with glove-side cut and two-plane movement, a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball, and a firm 88 mph splitter with arm side fade. Tanaka is 8-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-7, 2B, RBI), Avisail Garcia (4-13, 2B, RBI), Guillermo Heredia (1-4), Kevin Kiermaier (7-23, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Brandon Lowe (2-4, 2B), Tommy Pham (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 BB), Daniel Robertson (1-4, 2B, BB), Mike Zunino (5-16, 2 2B, HR, RBI)