Rays vs Blue Jays series preview Archives

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

September 27, 2019 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

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.

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.

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).

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.

TNWN: Rays vs Blue Jays — one last home series preview

September 5, 2019 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Can Travis d’Arnaud keep up his offensive productivity when the Blue Jays come to town? (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After winning two consecutive series against Cleveland and Baltimore and going 5-1 on the current homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the Toronto Blue Jays into the Trop for a four-game set, starting Thursday. The Blue Jays dropped both games of a two-game series against Atlanta, and seven of their last 10.

In spite of going 3-for-15 wRISP (.200 BA) and plating just nine runs total against the Orioles, Rays hitters have fared much better at the plate of late, slashing an overall .265 BA/.325 OBP/.454 SLG/.779 OPS line over the last 14 days, with a moderately powerful .189 ISO and an improved but not stellar 106 wRC+.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays seem to be going in the opposite direction, slashing a combined .213 BA/.287 OBP/.364 SLG/.651 OPS line, with a significantly below league average 72 wRC+ over the last 14 days.

Toronto’s pitching staff also hasn’t been great over the same stretch, posting an overall 3-9 record with a 4.17 ERA and a 4.64 FIP (starters: 1-5, 4.01 ERA and a 4.51 FIP, relievers: 2-4, 4.78 ERA and a 4.74 FIP).

The Rays should be able to limit the Blue Jays offense and tag the pitching staff with some runs.

After this series, Tampa Bay will embark on a pretty big road trip which will take them out west. Before they face the mighty Dodgers on the 17th and 18th — kicking off a stretch of eight consecutive games against plus .500 teams — the Rays will have an opportunity to pad the win column while also staying relevant in the AL Wildcard race. However, that doesn’t mean they should take this series for granted … after all, Toronto took two-of-three from Tampa Bay the last time the two teams met, at the beginning of August.

The Rays are 8-4 against the Blue Jays this season, and 4-2 at home.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will throw Austin Pruitt (2-0, 4.78 ERA), Brendan McKay (2-3, 5.55 ERA), Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.06 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.49 ERA). Charlie Montoyo is expected to counter with Trent Thornton (4-9, 5.34 ERA), Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.45 ERA), a hurler to be named before Saturday’s contest, and Jacob Waguespack (4-3, 3.97 ERA).

Austin Pruitt got the start against Cleveland on Friday because the Rays had used seven pitchers against Houston the day before. Contrary to his season numbers, “Cy” Pruitt set the tone with the best outing of his big league career. Pruitt surrendered four hits while striking out six across 5-1/3 scoreless frames. The right-hander threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes (68% strike rate) as well as 14 of 20 first-pitch strikes while coaxing 11 swinging strikes. He lowered his ERA by almost a full point — from 5.57 to 4.78 — and now carries a 1.27 WHIP and a 3.67 K/BB over 37-2/3 on the season. Color me surprised … I’ll take it.

Trent Thornton yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out six over five innings on Friday against Houston. Thornton gave up all four of his runs in the fifth inning, allowing a three-run blast before getting the hook. Even though he owns a 5.34 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP, with 123 punchouts over 129-2/3 innings this season, the 25-year-old has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four consecutive outings. Be that as it may, Thornton is 0-1 with a whopping 11.12 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-6, HR, 2 RBI), Travis d’Arnaud (1-3), Matt Duffy (1-2), Avisail Garcia (4-6, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (3-6, 2B, 3B, RBI, BB), Austin Meadows (6-7, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB), Tommy Pham (1-4), Eric Sogard (1-2)

Brendan McKay was recalled by the Rays on Tuesday. The highly-touted prospect made his big league debut in late June although he hasn’t really established himself. He owns a 5.55 ERA in 35-2/3 big-league innings thus far, which led to an August demotion. However, the southpaw struck out eight and allowed just a hit and a walk across three scoreless frames in his last appearance with Triple-A Durham. McKay ripped through opposing hitters over 53 pitches, 39 of which were strikes (74% strike rate). He allowed three runs on six hits (including two home runs) and a walk across five innings in his last start against the Blue Jays.

Clay Buchholz allowed two runs on three hits and five walks with three strikeouts across 5-2/3 innings against the Astros on Saturday. It’s been a tough season for Buchholz, as he missed three months with a shoulder injury, yet he finally tallied the first win of his 2019 campaign. Buchholz also pitched well in his previous start, yielding just three hits. The right-hander owns a 3.08 ERA in two outings since his return from the shoulder ailment but is 1-3 with a 5.45 ERA, and a 1.35 WHIP, with 18 strikeouts in 36-1/3 innings this season. He is 9-8 with a 2.62 ERA in his career against the Rays, and 6-3 with a 1.87 ERA in 12 starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Ji-Man Choi (1-4), Austin Meadows (2-5, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-3), Eric Sogard (1-3, RBI, BB)

Charlie Morton gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts across 5-1/3 innings against Cleveland on Sunday. Morton guided the Rays to a huge series sweep against Cleveland after he got blasted by the Astros in his previous outing. Morton yielded an RBI double in the second inning and found himself in a bit of a jam, although he was able to escape and finish the rest of his outing cleanly. He needed 108 pitches to get through just 5-1/3 innings, which isn’t the height of efficiency, yet the bullpen got the job done over the balance of the game. Morton now sports a 3.06 ERA and a 4.18 K/BB ratio over 170-1/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts against Toronto this season.

TBA

Ryan Yarbrough got the start on Monday and battled over six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while fanning four against Baltimore. Yarbrough cruised through the first five frames, but the Orioles dinged him up for four runs in the sixth inning on a homer, three singles, and a double. Still, the 27-year-old has put together a solid 2019 campaign, posting a 3.49 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, with a 7.29 K/BB across 121-1/3 innings.

Jacob Waguespack allowed four runs (two earned) on one hit with five walks and four strikeouts across four innings against Atlanta on Monday. While he gave up just one hit, it was a home run, while the walks just killed him. One of his five walks scored on the long ball, and two more Braves who reached with walks crossed the plate because of an error. Waguespack threw seven shutout innings two starts ago, but since he’s yielded five earned runs (nine total) in seven innings. He owns a 3.97 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts across 59 innings this season. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three outings (two starts) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Jesus Aguilar (1-3), Ji-Man Choi (2-7, RBI, BB), Travis d’Arnaud (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Avisail Garcia (1-3), Nate Lowe (1-3), Tommy Pham (2-7, 2B, RBI, BB), Eric Sogard (1-2)

Noteworthiness

— Enter Tommy Pham, the smoothie king:

From Sunday @TB_Times: https://t.co/O9xgHHQTDj pic.twitter.com/f2IiNqO8X9
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 4, 2019

— After all the chatter about whether or not Orioles pitchers were trying to hit Pham, one of their hurlers did hit a Ray, Eric Sogard, late in Tuesday’s game. Fortunately, the utility player is okay.

https://twitter.com/EricSogard/status/1169090744482697217

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

August 5, 2019 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Charlie Morton will get the start in the series opener against the Blue Jays, on Monday.

After the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Marlins 7-2 on Sunday afternoon, completing a two-game sweep of Miami, they will welcome the Toronto Blue Jays into the Trop for a three-game series. The Blue Jays are coming off a series split against the Orioles.

For the first time in franchise history, the Rays have scored six or more runs in seven consecutive games. Over that stretch, Tampa Bay has gone 6-1 and swept two consecutive series. They are a red-hot 8-2 in the last 10 games and have won three consecutive series.

The Rays offense has been very good of late, slashing a combined .333 BA/.417 OBP/.640 SLG/1.057 OPS line with a .307 ISO, a 179 wRC+, and a 21.5 wRAA over the last seven days. A caveat, however, they’ve been very lucky to the tune of an unsustainable .408 BABIP over that stretch. Be that as it may, Tampa Bay has done a good job of getting the important situational hits over the last four series (.300, .303, .290, .333 BA wRISP), during which the Rays took two-of-three from the Blue Jays.

Toronto has gotten toasty since the two clubs last met, winning five of seven games. It should be noted though, those five victories came against the dregs of the American League (the Royals and Orioles). Still, the Blue Jays played Tampa Bay very competitively three series ago, and more of the same can be expected this week.

The Rays are 7-2 against the Blue Jays this season, having outscored them 57-41.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will throw Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.78 ERA), Ryan Yarbough (10-3, 4.01 ERA) in some capacity, and Brendan McKay (2-1, 4.38 ERA). Charlie Montoyo will counter with Jacob Waguespack (2-1, 4.80 ERA), Trent Thornton (4-7, 5.23 ERA), and a pitcher to be named before the series finale.

Charlie Morton allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks across 4-2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He struck out two. Morton’s previous start was also against the Red Sox, and it’s clear that Boston’s hitters made some adjustments. Still, had Morton not been pulled two outs into the fifth inning, he would have been in line for the win. The right-hander is having a great season, as he is 12-3 with a 2.78 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 165 strikeouts across 136 innings. Morton is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in one start against the Blue Jays this season.

Jacob Waguespack allowed one run on three hits over six innings against the Royals on Tuesday. He struck out two and walked one. Waguespack completed six innings for the first time in six starts. The 25-year-old maintains a 4.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 2.67 K/BB over 30 innings this season. Waguespack is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in two games (one start) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (2-5, RBI), Travis d’Arnaud (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (1-3), Austin Meadows (1-4, 3B, RBI, BB), Tommy Pham (2-4, 2B, RBI, BB)

Ryan Yarbrough allowed four runs on six hits over 4-1/3 relief innings against the Red Sox on Wednesday. He struck out three. Yarbrough served up as many homers as he generated swinging strikes (two) over 75 pitches (51 strikes, 68% strike rate) — but the Rays offense picked him up, allowing Yarbrough to earn his fifth straight win. It was the first time the left-hander allowed more than one run in an outing since June 13. He is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three games (11 innings) against the Blue Jays this season.

Trent Thornton hurled six innings on Wednesday and allowed one run on five hits and no walks while striking out two. Thornton was coming off a 10-day stint on the IL with right elbow inflammation but limited Baltimore to six baserunners on five singles and a hit batsman while tossing 58 of 87 pitches for strikes (67% strike rate). He was successful despite missing few bats — he induced just six swinging strikes. The quality start came after a pair of rough post-All-Star Break outings in which the rookie surrendered nine earned runs across 4-1/3 combined frames. Thornton is now 4-7 with a 5.23 ERA and a 2.27 K/BB over 105 innings this season. He is 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4), Avisail Garcia (3-5, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, BB), Austin Meadows (4-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Tommy Pham (1-4, BB)

Brendan McKay allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk over 5-1/3 innings against the Red Sox on Thursday. He struck out seven. McKay got off to an inauspicious start by allowing three of the first four hitters to reach base, including a two-run homer. He settled down though and left with a lead for his second big-league win. McKay was rocked for six runs in his previous outing, so Thursday’s effort was a positive sign for Tampa Bay.

TBA

Noteworthiness

— Jose Alvarado is scheduled to pitch in back-to-back games with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday and Wednesday. If all goes as planned, he will be activated from the IL this weekend on the road.

— Yandy Diaz (left foot bruise) ran on a treadmill Sunday, but there remains no timetable for his return.

— Brandon Lowe (right shin contusion) took ground balls before Sunday’s ballgame, the first time he has done so in several days. Lowe told reporters that a cortisone shot has greatly improved his rehab.

Hopefully, it keeps progressing and I’m back out there soon.
— Brandon Lowe

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

July 26, 2019 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Pitcher/first baseman Adam Kolarek in the field during the eighth inning of the series finale against Boston, on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a disappointing homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays made their way to Toronto, where they are set to face the Blue Jays over the next three days. Both teams are coming off of series losses.

After having a stranglehold on a postseason spot for most of the season, the Rays have slid down the AL Wildcard standings. They enter the series 1/2 game behind the Athletics for the league’s final postseason spot after losing seven of their last 10 games.

Per FanGraphs, Tampa Bay’s chances of making it to the postseason have dwindled to just 51.3% — 4.6% lower than the Boston Red Sox, who currently sit just a half-game back of the Rays in the standings. Can the Rays keep pace in the playoff race with a series win over Blue Jays?

This is a crucial series for the Rays for another reason. A series win in Toronto, and a good showing in the first game of the upcoming series in Boston could push the front office to look to the trade market to acquire players to bolster the roster, including arms for the rotation.

Per Juan Toribio (MLB.com), scouts from the Tigers, Mets and a handful of other teams have been around the Rays’ organization over the last month.

Even though Toronto’s youngsters have flashed some potential in the second half of the season, the Blue Jays have drastically underperformed the Rays over the last 14 days — 74 wRC+ vs 98 wRC+, -15.5 wRAA vs -2.0 wRAA. Considering the gravity of the next four games for Tampa Bay, it will be incumbent upon Willy Adames, Avisail Garcia, Guillermo Heredia, and the rest of the team to step it up and play competitive baseball, starting last Wednesday.

The Rays are 5-1 against the Blue Jays this season.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on Ryan Yarbough (8-3, 3.93 ERA) and Jalen Beeks (5-1, 3.69 ERA) — both as bulk inning guys — and Yonny Chirinos (8-5, 3.29 ERA). Charlie Montoyo will counter with Jacob Waguespack (1-0, 5.68 ERA), Ryan Borucki (0-1, 3.86 ERA), and Aaron Sanchez (3-14, 6.06 ERA).

Diego Castillo will serve as the opener on Friday. Castillo worked as an opener 11 times last season, although this will be his first time in that role this year. With Castillo getting the ball first, Tampa Bay will likely turn to Emilio Pagan should a save opportunity arise. Castillo has logged 4-1/3 innings over five appearances since his return from the Injured List, allowing two runs (both against Boston on July 23) while notching five strikeouts and a hold over that span.

Ryan Yarbrough was impressive again, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing two hits with no walks against the White Sox on Saturday. He struck out five. Tampa Bay didn’t score through six frames, and it was disappointing to not see Yarbrough get the win. At the end of April, the left-hander’s ERA sat at 8.10, but overall, Yarbrough owns a 2.75 ERA in his last 11 appearances. What’s more, since June 18, he has allowed just three runs across 27-1/3 frames (0.99 ERA). Yarbrough is 8-3 with a 3.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts in 75-2/3 innings this season. He is 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA across six games (one start) against Toronto, spanning 21-2/3 innings.

Jacob Waguespack allowed three runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out seven over 5-1/3 innings against the Tigers on Sunday. Waguespack was hittable, yet he generated 14 swinging strikes while notching plenty of strikeouts. Waguespack’s ERA isn’t impressive (5.68), although he has a 3.94 xFIP and a 9.5 K/9 over four appearances this season. The hurler relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball and a 91 mph worm-killer cutter, while also mixing in a hard 80 mph 12/6 curveball, an 86 mph slider, a 92 mph sinker with little run and sink, and a whiffy 85 mph changeup with cutting action and a lot of backspin. He is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in one game (four innings) against the Rays this season. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (1-2, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-2, 2B, RBI)

Jalen Beeks surrendered eight runs on seven hits — including three home runs — and two walks over 3-2/3 innings on Monday against the Red Sox. He struck out two. All three homers came in a disastrous seven-run third, as Beeks saw his winning streak snapped at 10. It served as a reminder of why Beeks is better out of the bulk role when he only faces opposing batters two times through the order. The southpaw now maintains a 3.69 ERA and 2.32 K/BB through 68-1/3 innings on the season. Beeks is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three career outings (seven innings) against Toronto.

Ryan Borucki gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks over 4-2/3 innings on Monday. He fanned three. After missing the first four months of the season, Borucki made his 2019 debut but looked like he needed a little more time to shake off the rust. The southpaw threw just 47 of 94 pitches for strikes (50% strike rate), and when he did find the plate he caught too much of it — four of the seven hits he allowed went for extra bases. Borucki is 0-3 with a 3.66 ERA in three career starts (19-2/3 innings) against the Rays. Key Matchups: Austin Meadows (1-2, HR, RBI, BB), Tommy Pham (2-7, 2 BB), Joey Wendle (1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 BB)

Yonny Chirinos allowed just two runs on six hits and no walks over 5-2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He struck out five. Chirinos all his damage on three hits and a wild pitch in the first inning, and settled in after that, allowing only three baserunners across the next four-plus frames. The right-hander has a 3.29 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 4.25 K/BB across 117-2/3 innings. Chirinos is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in four career outings (one start) against the Blue Jays.

Aaron Sanchez allowed one run on five hits with zero walks and six strikeouts across five innings against Cleveland on Tuesday. The performance broke a 10-game losing streak. Before Tuesday, the last time Sanchez received anything but a loss was May 22, and the last time he captured a victory was April 27. Sanchez is 3-14 with a 6.06 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts across 107 innings this season. Sanchez is 2-3 with a 2.02 ERA in his career against Tampa Bay, and 0-1 on the season after the Rays tagged him for six hits and two walks in a three-inning outing earlier this year. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-5), Travis d’Arnaud (1-1), Brandon Lowe (1-3, 2 BB), Austin Meadows (2-2, RBI), Tommy Pham (1-1, 2B)

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have recalled Michael Perez to add a bat and take Snell’s place on the roster for the time being. Brendan McKay is expected to be recalled in August.

— Second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe received a pain-relieving shot and will not do anything baseball-related for the next few days. Lowe has been out with a shin contusion since fouling a ball off his left leg on July 2.

What was initially considered a day-to-day injury for Lowe has turned into a lengthy stint on the IL. His status will be updated during this series.

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

May 27, 2019 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

The Rays left Cleveland having won three of four and outscoring their opponent 20-10. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a successful four-game series in Cleveland, where Tampa Bay won three of four, the Rays return to St. Pete where they will kick off an early week series against the Toronto Blue Jays, starting Monday afternoon. Toronto avoided a three-game sweep against the Padres with a win on Sunday after being pounded 19-4 on Saturday.

The Rays offense was consistently good in four of the last five contests, plating six runs or more per game. However, things look grim with runners in scoring position as Tampa Bay hit .184 wRISP in the last series and has a .243 wRISP batting average overall. For context, league average wRISP is in the ballpark of 31%-35%. In other words, when they drop close games, more often than not it is due to the fact that the Rays have left a lot of chicken on the bone. One need only to look at the 3-1 loss to Cleveland on Friday when they went 1-for-13 wRISP (.077 BA).

Even so, the Rays enter the series with the Blue Jays with the lowest overall team ERA in the American League and are 12 games over .500 for the first time this season. All this with more than a few key players on the IL.

If you would have told us this coming out of spring training, I think we would all have signed up for it. We’ve got a lot of, a lot of work to do. And a lot more that we’d like to accomplish. But we’ve got to be pretty happy with how we’ve positioned ourselves to this point. Every team has injuries. Ours, we have to find a way to overcome some of those, and I think the guys have done a really good job to this point of doing that.
— Kevin Cash

This is a series the Rays should win ahead of a big, and important, four-game weekend set against Minnesota.

The Rays took two of three from the Blue Jays between April 12-14.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will lean on Yonny Chirinos (5-1, 3.20 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (3-1, 6.38 ERA) in some capacity, and Blake Snell (3-4, 3.07 ERA) over the next three days. Charlie Montoyo will counter with Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 3.79 ERA), Clayton Richard (0-0, 2.25 ERA), and Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.42 ERA).

Yonny Chirinos allowed one run on three hits while striking out two over 3-2/3 innings on Wednesday. Chirinos followed opener Ryne Stanek, who tossed the first 1-2/3 frames and shut down an aggressive Dodgers lineup. The right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past seven appearances, allowing him to manage a 3.20 ERA with a 4.38 K/BB across 50-2/3 innings of work. A caveat: the right-hander allowed six runs on seven hits in 2-1/3 innings against the Blue Jays the last time he faced them (April 14).

Aaron Sanchez gave up two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings while striking out five on Wednesday. The blister issue that cut short his previous turn wasn’t evident this time around, as Sanchez threw 61 of 91 pitches for strikes (67% strike rate) in his third quality start of the season. Sanchez has been good at the Trop, going 1-1 with a 1.27 ERA in four career starts. He’ll take a 3.79 ERA and 1.77 K/BB through 57 innings into the series opener. Sanchez relies primarily on a 95 mph sinker with arm side run and a whiffy 79 mph curveball with sweeping glove-side movement, while also mixing in a whiffy 95 mph four-seam fastball, and a hard 89 mph changeup with obvious arm side fade. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-3), Kevin Kiermaier (4-15, 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-2, BB)

Ryan Yarbrough limited Cleveland to two runs on four hits and a walk on Thursday while striking out four across 7-1/3 innings of work. Yarbrough looked sharp in his first start of the season after getting called up from Triple-A Durham, where he posted a solid 2.14 ERA through 21 innings of work. In his five previous appearances for the Rays this season, Yarbrough held an 8.10 ERA. The quality start on Thursday allowed him to lower his ERA to 6.38, with a 1.13 WHIP and a 3.6 K/BB.

Clayton Richard allowed one run on two hits and two walks across four innings on Thursday against the Red Sox. He struck out two. Richard made his season debut after recovering from an injury, and kept a dangerous Red Sox lineup in check, with the only blemish against him coming on a groundout in the third inning. The veteran was limited to just 54 pitches in what amounted to an efficient outing. He relies primarily on a 91 mph sinker with heavy sinking action and arm side run, and an 80 mph slider with exceptional depth. Key Matchup: Travis d’Arnaud (1-4, RBI)

Blake Snell allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven across 6-2/3 innings on Friday. The only run allowed by him came on a fourth inning on a solo homer to right field. Snell nearly managed to get through seven innings but was pulled with two outs in the seventh after 104 pitches (65 strikes, 63% strike rate). The southpaw has turned in quality starts in three of his last four outings, although he has not won decision since May 6 because the offense has given him just three runs of support. Snell owns a 3.07 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with a 5.2 K/BB over 55-2/3 innings of work this season. He shut down the Jays in April, limiting them to just one hit while striking out nine.

Trent Thornton gave up three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out 10 over six innings on Friday. Thornton surrendered two runs in the third inning and another in the fifth before exiting the contest. The right-hander was able to turn in his second consecutive quality start, although he wasn’t able to pick up the victory in either outing. Thornton carries a 4.42 ERA with 60 punchouts over 55 frames on the season. The Rays hammered the 25-year-old on April 12, touching him for five runs on eight hits (including three homers) and two walks in three innings of work. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Ji-Man Choi (1-2, 2B), Avisail Garcia (2-2), Kevin Kiermaier (1-3, 3B, RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-2, HR, 2 RBI), Austin Meadows (2-2, 2HR, 2 RBI)