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Rays set their Wildcard roster ahead of the series with Toronto

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Born ready, war ready. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays announced their 40-man Wildcard roster, which you can see (and read about) below. While the roster welcomes back Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz from the Injured List, there is also an exciting surprise.

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Both Diaz and Choi had shown plenty of improvement over the past several days, so their return is neither surprising nor remarkable in the sense that it was expected. Let’s be honest, how great would it be if Yandy regains some of that 2019 Wildcard swagger?

I digress.

The biggest surprise on the 40-man roster is the addition of “Sugar” Shane McClanahan, one of the team’s first round picks in 2018 draft. McClanahan had been at the alternate site, in Port Charlotte, throughout the summer, and has made just four appearances above the A-ball level.

McClanahan boasts a fastball that reaches the century mark (but consistently sitting at 95 mph – 98 mph), a slider, and a changeup. He’s also able to throw multiple innings and Toronto hasn’t seen him before. He is one of the 10 relievers on the opening round roster.

As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) writes, “Diaz has been out since September first, and in the interim, the team’s walk rate, which led the AL at the time, dropped significantly, and the team’s strikeout rate went up. Choi has been out since September 12th, and while not as impactful as Diaz, had been coming around at the plate. Diaz had a .428 on-base percentage to lead Tampa Bay. Against Toronto this year he was particularly tough, going 9-for-25 with 12 walks and just three strikeouts.” Curiously enough, he is not in the starting lineup tonight.

With the return of Diaz and Choi as well as the addition of McClanahan, catcher Kevan Smith, and pitchers Josh Fleming and Ryan Sherriff did not make it. They, however, are still eligible for future rounds. To place Shane McClanahan on the 40-man roster, Sean Gilmartin was designated for assignment.

Pitchers (13): Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo, John Curtiss, Oliver Drake, Pete Fairbanks, Tyler Glasnow, Aaron Loup, Shane McClanahan, Charlie Morton, Aaron Slegers, Blake Snell, Ryan Thompson, Ryan Yarbrough.

Catchers (2): Michael Perez, Mike Zunino

Infielders (7): Willy Adames, Mike Brosseau, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Nate Lowe, Joey Wendle

Outfielders (6): Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Brett Phillips, Hunter Renfroe, Yoshi Tsutsugo

Rays 9/29/20 Starting Lineup

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

Noteworthiness

— You can read about the Wildcard series in our preview.

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — a postseason series preview

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — a postseason series preview

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Headgear or neck gaiter … it’s all somewhat similar for Joey Wendle. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After collecting one last series sweep this past weekend — the seventh on the season — the Tampa Bay Rays welcome the Toronto Blue Jays into the friendly confines of Tropicana Field, where they are set to play in the best of three Wildcard series, starting Tuesday. The Blue Jays took two of three from the Orioles over the weekend.

Tampa Bay enters its second consecutive postseason 20 games over .500 and with the best record in the American League at 40-20 (which extrapolates to a 108-54 record across a 162 game season). Meanwhile, Toronto clinched the final AL playoff spot and finished the season eight games behind the Rays in the loss column (equivalent to a 22 game gap in a 162 game season).

Despite how unfair you may think that this season’s playoff bracket might be — and let’s be honest, it is ridiculous that the best team in the American League will be facing the number eight seed in a Wildcard series — that’s neither here nor now. Both teams will play at most three games to determine who moves on to southern California and who goes home. Yet, it is still better than the one-and-done first round of the playoffs from years past. At any rate, blink and either team could be one game shy of elimination.

The Rays are the favored team because of their pitching staff — they’ll have the advantage in all three potential games of this series when you take starters and relievers into account. What’s more, the Rays offense is marginally better — Tampa Bay managed a 109 wRC+ in 2020 while the Blue Jays performed to a 108 wRC+ — and expect Kevin Cash to deploy more hitters in advantageous positions than Charlie Montoyo, who has less roster flexibility. Put another way, as Ben Clemens (FanGraphs) writes, “Toronto has a puncher’s chance, and they have offensive stars, but those stars will have to succeed through difficult initial conditions while Tampa’s hitters face their preferred type of pitching.”

Yandy Díaz, one of Tampa Bay’s most important right-handed bats, looks ready to return for the playoffs, as does Ji-Man Choi. That gives Kevin Cash the ability to play Díaz and Mike Brosseau on the infield corners, with an all right-handed outfield of Randy Arozarena, Manuel Margot, and Hunter Renfroe against Matt Shoemaker and Robbie Ray, both of whom are better against southpaw hitters. As Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) writes, both Diaz and Choi tend to stabilize the team’s free-swinging ways.

Diaz had a .428 on-base percentage before a hamstring injury sidelined him, but he also changes the look of the Tampa Bay lineup. When he was gone, the walks for the team went down (11.5% walk for the team pre-injury, 9.6% after) and the strikeouts went up by a significant margin (24.2% pre-Diaz injury, 31.1% after). Ji-Man Choi’s ability to work at-bats also could help significantly, and would take pressure off several players who moved up in the lineup in their absence.

— Neil Solondz

This series will likely come down to which team out pitches the other. The Rays boast the fourth-lowest ERA when you adjust for their home stadium, thanks in part to the core starters who are fully stretched out. Toronto, on the other hand, is 18th in park-adjusted ERA. And yes, that is including starters Matt Shoemaker and  Hyun-jin Ryu, both of whom gave Tampa Bay’s hitters fits this season.

After the starters, Cash will turn things over to The Stable, his highest-leverage relievers — Nick Anderson, Pete Fairbanks, John Curtiss, and Diego Castillo — who combined for a 1.17 ERA and 2.95 FIP this season. They struck out 32.85% of the batters they faced. Anderson in particular performed to a 0.55 ERA and a 1.35 FIP on the season while striking out a disgusting 44.8% of his opponents and walking just three total batters across 16-1/3 innings of work. Bear in mind too, Cash can turn to Ryan Yarbrough, Ryan Sherriff, Ryan Thompson, or Aaron Loup as he sees fit.

Still, Toronto finished the season playing its best baseball, winning four consecutive ball-games against the Yankees and Orioles before dropping the season finale. Even so, they also went 5-5 over the final 10 games of the season. For their part, the Rays also finished the season strong, winning four in a row, and eight of their last 10.

Be that as it may, the Blue Jays were tough competitors against the Rays this season. Eight of the 10 games between the two clubs were decided by just one or two runs. And even though Tampa Bay won 60% of the matchups, they went 4-3 against the Jays at the Trop and were outscored by four runs in total.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Blake Snell (4-2, 3.24 ERA), Tyler Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA), and Charlie Morton (2-2, 4.74 ERA). Charlie Montoyo will counter with Matt Shoemaker (0-1, 4.71 ERA), Hyun-jin Ryu (5-2, 2.69 ERA), and Taijuan Walker (4-3, 2.70 ERA).

Blake Snell gave up three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out nine against the Mets last Tuesday. After keeping the ball in the yard in both of his prior two starts, Snell couldn’t keep the streak going Tuesday, as both Robinson Cano and Yonder Alonso took him deep for solo shots. That was enough offense to back Seth Lugo, who outdueled Snell by allowing only two runs (one earned) over 6-1/3 innings. Even so, Snell matched his season-high in strikeouts, with the southpaw racking up 22 swinging strikes among his 108 pitches (67 strikes, 62% strike rate, 33% SwStr%). The left-hander allowed two runs across 7-2/3 innings against Toronto this season (two outings) for a 2.35 ERA. Overall, Snell is 4-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 13 career starts against the Blue Jays.

Matt Shoemaker allowed one run on three hits and two walks across three innings on Monday against the Yankees. He struck out one. It was a short start for Shoemaker, as he was only built up to throw a maximum of 60 pitches after being held out since August 21 with a lat strain. He was able to log three innings on 54 pitches, allowing an RBI single to Gio Urshela in the second inning. The finesse right-hander is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA in three starts (15 innings) against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchup: Yandy Díaz (3-4), Brandon Lowe (3-7, HR)

Tyler Glasnow allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings against the Mets on Wednesday. Glasnow allowed solo shots to Andres Gimenez and Dominic Smith, but he was otherwise dominant. The right-hander has won three consecutive starts and five of his last six outings. He enters the postseason with a respectable 4.08 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 4.14 K/BB across 57-1/3 innings this season. Glasnow is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in six career starts against Toronto.

Hyun-jin Ryu allowed five hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings on Thursday against the Yankees. He struck out four. The veteran left-hander came through with another dazzling effort to clinch a playoff berth for Toronto. Ryu heads into the postseason with a 2.69 ERA and a 4.24 K/BB through 67 innings. Ryu is 0-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. Key Matchup: Yoshi Tsutsugo (1-4, HR)

Charlie Morton got the start against the Phillies on Saturday and looked dominant from the beginning of his outing, allowing just a walk to Bryce Harper over the first two frames, while striking out four. However, that changed in the third.

Scott Kingery grounded a one-out single to centerfield, then stayed out of an inning-ending double play because he was in motion when Andrew McCutchen hit a grounder to third. Kingery moved up third on a wild pitch before Alec Bohm flicked a single to right, tying the game at one. Harper followed, slashing a ball down the right-field line for a triple/Little League homer. He also crossed the plate when Willy Adames’ relay throw got past Brosseau at third, putting the Phillies up by two.

Kingery struck again in the fifth. The infielder hit a one-out double to left-center before Bohm lined a single to right, moving Kingery up 90 feet. Harper plated a run on a single, his tenth consecutive plate appearance in which he had reached. Morton retired J.T. Realmuto on a groundout to end his outing. All told, Morton was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight on 93 pitches (64 strikes, 69% strike rate, 22% SwStr%). Morton is 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA in seven career starts against Toronto.

Taijuan Walker retired all nine batters he faced before giving way to the bullpen on Friday. He struck out four. With an eye on setting up his postseason rotation, Charlie Montoyo pulled Walker after only 42 pitches (28 strikes, 67% strike rate), denying the right-hander a chance at his fifth win of the season. This came after he struck out eight Phillies in his previous start. Since joining the Jays, Walker has posted a stellar 1.37 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 2.72 K/BB over 26-1/3 innings. He relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball and a hard 86 mph slider, while also mixing in an 89 mph splitter with a ton of backspin, a 93 mph sinker, and a 75 mph curveball with exceptional bite. Walker is 0-0 with a 7.00 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay.

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have announced that Kevan Smith, Ryan Sherriff and Josh Fleming did not make the Wildcard round roster, although they are still in the playoff pool and eligible for future rounds. Additionally, they have have formally announced that Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Díaz have been activated and are on the playoff roster. Shane McClanahan has also been selected and will make his big-league debut in the postseason. Sean Gilmartin has been designated for assignment to make room the on the 40-man roster.


— Let’s Get Wild!

— By the by, Dave and Andy on the radio side will be calling the games for Tampa Bay.

— …Lest I forget

https://twitter.com/TriciaWhitaker/status/1310612027849797632?s=20

— And finally

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — one last series preview

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Mike Zunino hit an important three-run homer in the series finale against the Yankees, on Thursday.

The Tampa Bay Rays return home on the heels of a massively successful 9-1 road trip (a franchise-best for a road-trip) which included a pair of series sweeps against the Yankees and Red Sox. In doing so, Tampa Bay became the fifth team in MLB history to sweep a three-game series (or more) at Fenway Park and at Yankee Stadium on the same road trip, and the first team to do so since September 1990 (Oakland Athletics). They will play host to the Toronto Blue Jays, who are coming in for a four-game set after notching a doubleheader sweep of the Phillies.

The Rays enter the four-game set as the top team in the AL East by 1/2 game, eight-games over .500 on the season, and with a 99.2% chance of a playoff berth according to FanGraphs.

The Rays were able to limit New York to just 10 runs total over the life of their series, good for an average of 3.33 runs per game. Because of it, they were able to complete their third-ever sweep of a series of three or more games at Yankee Stadium. This season they’ve beaten the Yankees six times in seven tries, ensuring their first season-series win since 2014.

And though they hit just .090 with runners in scoring position against the Blue Jays in the previous series, the Rays bounced back against the Yankees to the tune of a .409 batting average wRISP. Tampa Bay was able to go yard and hit situationally, while also limiting the number of home runs they allowed. All told, the Rays hit six home runs to the Yankees’ four, accounting for 11 of their 20 total runs.

As for Toronto, they mounted a comeback in the second game of a doubleheader against Philadelphia on Thursday. The Blue Jays allowed seven runs to Philadelphia in the top of the first inning, yet a seven-run sixth inning propelled them to a 9-8 win. Hey Fernando Tatís Jr., if you’re reading this, who cares if you’re staked to a seven-run lead. Advantages can evaporate in an instant. Swing away, my friend!

I digress.

Rowdy Tellez led the way in the come from behind win, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also added three runs batted in. Toronto also won the first game of the doubleheader, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win, 3-2. Gurriel hit an RBI single in the seventh inning to drive in Teoscar Hernández and win the game.

Both teams have been productive over the last two weeks, however, the Rays offense has been a smidge more effective, outpacing the Blue Jays by 16% as it relates to wRC+, with a +14 run differential. Much like the Yankees, the Blue Jays tend to lean on the home run ball a little too much. If Tampa Bay can keep the ball in the yard, they should be able to collect a series win against Toronto in this, the third and final regular-season set against these AL East rivals.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will likely call on Ryan Yarbough (0-2, 4.13), Charlie Morton (1-1, 5.40 ERA), Blake Snell (2-0, 3.00 ERA), and Tyler Glasnow (0-2, 6.00 ERA). Charlie Montoyo is expected to counter with Matt Shoemaker (0-1, 5.23 ERA), Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-1, 3.46 ERA), a pitcher to be named before Sunday’s ball game, and Tanner Roark (2-1, 4.76 ERA).

Ryan Yarbrough allowed four hits while striking out two across three scoreless frames against Toronto on Saturday before the contest was suspended due to rain. Yarbrough wasn’t spotless in the performance — he stranded runners in scoring position in two of his three frames — yet the lefty managed to escape both jams and finish his three innings of work with a 1-0 lead. Yarbrough has been dominant against the Blue Jays, going 6-1 with a 2.00 ERA across 11 games and 45 innings of work.

Matt Shoemaker, like a petulant child, was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Rays when he argued about a pitch that was two baseballs off the plate. I guess a real-life pitch f/x box would’ve benefitted Shoemaker. I digress. He ultimately allowed three runs on three hits (including a home run) and one walk while punching out seven across four innings prior to the ejection. It had all the makings of another one of those games against the finesse pitcher. Shoemaker is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in four starts (23-2/3 IP) at Tropicana Field. Key Matchups: Not available at the moment.

Charlie Morton was pulled from an August 9 contest against the Yankees after just two innings due to a right shoulder injury. It is thought that he will be activated from the Injured List this weekend after a 13-day stint on the shelf. It, however, is not yet clear if he will pitch Saturday afternoon or not, although it would seem reasonable for him to get the start given that the Rays have yet to announce their pitching plans. Morton is 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in seven starts (41-2/3 IP) against Toronto.

Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed one run on four hits across six innings of a 7-2 win over Baltimore. He struck out three. Ryu appears to have shaken off his early-season struggles, and the lefty has now turned in back-to-back quality starts while posting a 5:1 K:BB over those 12 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits and three walks over 4-2/3 innings against Tampa Bay on Opening Day. Key Matchups: Not available at the moment.

Blake Snell allowed three runs on four hits (two home runs) and two walks over five innings against the Yankees on Tuesday. He struck out three. Snell has yet to last longer than five innings in a start this season, although his last two outings have resembled vintage Snell, and he’s won both of them. He threw 46 pitches (26 strikes, 57% strike rate) in three scoreless frames against the Blue Jays on July 26. The southpaw has been good in his career against Toronto, going 4-3 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts (58-1/3 IP).

TBA

Tyler 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.

Tanner Roark gave up two runs (one earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk over five innings against the Orioles. The right-hander certainly wasn’t at his best Wednesday given that he allowed 10 baserunners, although he benefited from Baltimore running into two outs at home plate. Roark has a 4.76 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, and a 15:10 K:BB across 17 innings (four starts) this season. Roark gave up three runs on four hits (including one homer) and four walks across four innings of work against the Rays on August 14. Still, he is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts (17 IP) against the Rays.

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — a series preview, part two

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The high-flying Rays tagged the Boston Red Sox for 42 runs across four games, culminating in a series sweep. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After tagging the Boston Red Sox for 42 runs over their last four games, culminating in a series sweep, the Tampa Bay Rays look to keep the ball rolling against the Toronto Buffalo Blue Jays Bisons in a three-game road set starting Friday. The Blue Jays are coming off a series split with the Marlins.

The Rays turned things around after scuffling in the second and third series of the truncated season. Because of it, they enter the three-game set against the Blue Jays four-games over .500 with a 96.5% chance of a playoff berth (per FanGraphs) with 40 games left to play.

In Boston, the Rays…

  • Scored their most runs and hits since July 12, 2019
  • Notched their first four-game sweep since September 5-8 2019
  • Collected the second four-game sweep against the Red Sox in club history
  • Hit four home runs in back-to-back games for the fourth time in club history.
  • And because they scored 42 runs in the series, they currently lead all of baseball in runs scored.

Because of their hot spate of play, Tampa Bay’s ISO, wOBA, wRC+, and wRAA all increased significantly, as has their BABIP, making them a far more formidable opponent than they were two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jay’s young lineup hasn’t quite lived up to their lofty expectations through the first three weeks of the season. And while they boast a ton of potential — led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette — they haven’t been able to consistently manufacture offense. To their credit, Wednesday’s 11-run output was a step in the right direction.

It bears mentioning, the Rays pitching staff allowed 11 two-out runs against Boston, something that was buried given the offenses explosive output. They will need to rein it in and fast, starting yesterday.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on Trevor Richards (0-0, 5.79 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (0-2, 4.71 ERA) and Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 1.04 ERA) will pitch at some point over the weekend. This piece will be updated as Kevin Cash’s pitching plan becomes clear. Charlie Montoyo will counter with Tanner Roark (1-1, 5.63 ERA), Chase Anderson (0-0, 3.00), and Matt Shoemaker (0-1, 4.86 ERA).

Trevor Richards covered four innings out of the bullpen Sunday against the Yankees, surrendering two runs (zero earned) on four hits and two walks while punching out four. Richards entered the contest in the top of the third inning with no outs and a runner on first base after Charlie Morton departed early with right shoulder inflammation. The right-hander started 23 games last season between Miami and Tampa Bay.

Tanner Roark gave up four runs on three hits (two homers) and five walks across three innings against the Red Sox. He struck out one. The right-hander was making his first start since July 28, due to the Blue Jays’ scheduling chaos, and the time off clearly affected him. Roark threw just 31 of 68 pitches for strikes (46% strike rate) before he got the hook. He relies primarily on a worm-killer 90 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 89 mph two-seam fastball/sinker with little sinking action, an 85 mph 12-6 slider, an 85 mph cutter with good “rise” and has strong cutting action, a 73 mph curveball with exceptional bite, and a 79 mph changeup. Roark is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchup: José Martínez (2-6)

Ryan Yarbrough gave up four runs on five hits and two walks over 4-1/3 innings on Monday. He struck out one. He didn’t have his best stuff, getting tagged for three runs in the first inning, but Yarbrough was able to settle down and limit the damage the rest of the way. He threw 49 of 77 pitches for strikes (64% strike rate) although he didn’t complete at least five innings for the first time in four starts. Yarbrough is 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 10 outings (42 IP) against Toronto, and

Chase Anderson allowed one run on a hit and two walks while fanning one in three innings of work against the Red Sox on Saturday. Anderson threw 26 of his 45 pitches for strikes (58% strike rate). He missed a couple of weeks due to an oblique strain, although he pitched fairly well in a short debut. His only run came on a Christian Vazquez single. The right-hander pitched to a 4.21 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 124 strikeouts across 139 innings last season with Milwaukee. He still may need a few weeks to get to a starter’s workload. Anderson relies primarily on 93 mph four-seam fastball and a whiffy 78 mph curveball with exceptional bite, while also mixing in an 89 mph cutter, and an 84 mph circle changeup with a ton of added backspin. He has never faced the Rays. Key Matchups: Manuel Margot (2-8), Hunter Renfroe (2-7, 2 2B)

Yonny Chirinos, in his last start before he hit the Injured List, allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three across 4-2/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles. Chirinos increased his pitch count in his second to 72 pitches in his second start of the season, however, expect him to be on a short leash if he takes the mound this weekend. Chirinos is 2-0 with a 6.31 ERA in six outings (25-2/3 IP) against the Blue Jays.

Matt Shoemaker allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and no walks while punching out six across six innings on Sunday against the Red Sox. Shoemaker allowed two solo homers, one to Mitch Moreland and the other to Rafael Devers, however, the only other hit he allowed was a single to Jackie Bradley Jr. Shoemaker has a bloated 4.86 ERA after getting hit hard in his second outing, yet he has recorded quality starts in his other two turns. The soft-tossing right-hander limited the Rays to one run on three hits and two walks across six innings back on July 25.

TNWN: Rays vs. Blue Jays — one last regular-season series preview

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The Tampa Bay Rays closed out their regular-season home schedule with a sweep of the Yankees. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

After sweeping the New York Yankees, and winning five of six in their final regular-season home stand, the Tampa Bay Rays hit the road for one last road trip. On Friday, the Rays will start a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays, who took two of three from the Orioles.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay is in the driver’s seat in the AL Wildcard race after their sweep of the Yankees. The Rays pitching staff was dominant in the two-game series, combining for 29 strikeouts and allowing just one run across 21 total innings. In the series finale, the Rays fanned 16 and allowed just one hit; the only other time the Yankees struck out that often with just one hit was the famous Pedro Martinez one-hitter on September 10, 1999, when he struck out 17.

Tampa Bay enters the final series of the season 31 games over .500 for the first time since 2010, a game behind Oakland for the top Wildcard spot, and with a two-game lead over Cleveland for the final AL Wildcard spot. The Rays can clinch their first postseason berth since 2013 with a win and a Cleveland loss, or a pair of wins this weekend.

With three games left to play, the Rays have a 97.1% chance of a postseason berth according to FanGraphs. Baseball Prospectus gives them a 92.8% chance.

The Blue Jays put 11 runs on the board against Baltimore twice in a week, however, aside from those two ballgames, Toronto averaged just over four runs per game in 10 of the last 12 contests. Even so, the Jays are 8-4 over that stretch which included a series win against New York. Expect Toronto to try and play spoiler against Tampa Bay.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Rays have owned the Blue Jays this season, going 12-4 with a 28 run differential. In the season series, Toronto has averaged just under four runs per game.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash is expected to throw Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.92 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (11-5, 4.08 ERA), and Blake Snell (6-7, 4.21 ERA). Charlie Montoyo will counter with T.J. Zeuch (1-1, 4.58 ERA), Trent Thornton (5-9, 5.00 ERA), and Clay Buchholz (1-5, 7.00 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tyler Glasnow was impressive across three innings on Saturday, allowing two hits with zero walks while punching out seven. The right-hander joined Andrew Kittredge and Shawn Camp as one of only three Rays to strike out seven in three innings or fewer. The team has been cautious with Glasnow, who missed a majority of the summer with a forearm strain since he returned from the IL. He didn’t make it through the four innings the Rays had planned, yet he was spectacular in his time on the mound. Glasnow owns a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts in eight innings (three outings) since returning from the IL. Overall, he is 6-1 with a 1.92 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a .198 batting average against with 72 strikeouts across 56-1/3 innings this season. Glasnow will get one final regular-season tuneup against the Blue Jays on Friday.

T.J. Zeuch allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts across four innings against the Yankees on Saturday. Zeuch was making his second start this season, and he shut out the Yankees over the first three frames before the 24-year-old allowed two runs in the fourth inning on doubles by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and a single by Mike Ford. He was removed after 70 pitches. In 17-2/3 big-league innings, Zeuch has a 4.58 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts. Zeuch relies primarily on a whiffy 92 mph sinker with armside run and has some natural sinking action, while also mixing in an 84 mph 12-6 slider with two-plane movement, an 83 mph changeup with a ton of backspin, and a whiffy 76 mph curveball.

Ryan Yarbrough gave up six runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out just two over 3-1/3 innings against the Red Sox on Sunday. Yarbrough endured a disastrous first inning in which he allowed six hits, including a three-run home run, before running into trouble again in the fourth. Expect Yarbrough, who has a 4.08 ERA with 114 strikeouts through 27 appearances this season, to be on a short leash.

Trent Thornton worked five innings and gave up four runs on five hits while striking out three on Sunday against the Yankees. Thornton had previously shined in his previous two turns as a primary pitcher with a sparkling 5.5 K/BB and one run allowed over 10 innings, but the two-run homer he allowed to DJ LeMahieu prevented the right-hander from maintaining momentum. Thornton is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in four starts against the Rays this season (16 innings of work). Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-8, HR, 2 RBI), Matt Duffy (1-2), Avisail Garcia (4-7, 1 HR, 4 RBI, BB), Brandon Lowe (3-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), Austin Meadows (7-9, 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB), Eric Sogard (1-2), Joey Wendle (1-3, 2B)

Blake Snell allowed one run on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 1-2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Monday. Snell struggled with his command, allowing three free passes before being pulled in the second inning after allowing a run on a double. The Rays are still easing the left-hander back into his usual workload, and he was not expected to pitch more than a few innings. Snell has a 4.21 ERA with 143 strikeouts through 22 starts this season.

Clay Buchholz allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings against the Orioles on Monday. Buchholz was hit hard, allowing three home runs, including two in the fifth inning. The right-hander has a 1-5 record with a 7.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 11 starts this season. He is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two 2019 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-4, 2 2B), Austin Meadows (3-8, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-3), Joey Wendle (2-2)

Noteworthiness

— Free on Sunday? Join us at Golden Dinosaurs Vegan Deli for only last regular season watch party, as OUR guys finalize their playoff push!

Let’s fill the patio with blue — both light and dark — grey, and sunburst yellow. Discounts for Rays fans…oh, and did I mention fun and camaraderie? Help cheer on OUR crew, hope to see you there!

Do they owe is a Wildcard? Of course they do, of course, they do.