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TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview

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Brandon Lowe sent the series finale into extra innings with a two-out, two-strike homer to right field. The Rays inevitably fell 4-2 in extras. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After splitting a brief two-game series against the Washington Nationals, the Tampa Bay Rays hit the road for the last time in the regular season. The first stop is Baltimore, where the Rays will face the Orioles in a four-day, five-game series which includes a doubleheader. The Orioles are coming off a series win against Atlanta.

Tampa Bay enters play 13 games over .500, three games ahead of the second-place Yankees in the division, and with a magic number of two to clinch a postseason spot (eight to win the AL East).

The Rays looked great in the first game of the set against Washington, as they plated six runs, limited the reigning World Series champions to just one, and scored three two-out runs. Yet in the series finale, Tampa Bay went 0-11 with runners in scoring position, and, as Dave Wills would say, they left a lot of chicken on the bone. Put another way, they could have swept Washington, yet the all-important “big hit” eluded them. Consistency in the batter’s box continues to be an issue with Tampa Bay.

Yet even though the Rays haven’t been what one would call an offensive juggernaut over the last five series, things are starting to trend upward for them … even though the rate of change is at a glacial pace. They are starting to get “lucky” again when they put the ball in play (as it relates to BABIP), while their OBP and SLG are still in good (well, decent) order. The Rays have been striking out at an alarming clip, however, curbing the number of times they actually put the ball in play. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s offense looks similar to the Rays over the last 14 days, so this series could be good for the pitching staff, and bad for the hitters.

Tampa Bay should clinch a playoff spot during the series.

Pitching Probables

Over the next five games, Kevin Cash will depend on Blake Snell (4-1, 3.23 ERA), a pitcher to be named before the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader, Tyler Glasnow (3-1, 4.47 ERA), Charlie Morton (1-2, 5.14 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 4.31 ERA). Brandon Hyde will counter with Dean Kremer (1-0, 1.64 ERA), a pitcher to be named before the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader, Alex Cobb (1-4, 5.03 ERA), John Means (1-3, 5.63 ERA), and Jorge Lopez (2-0, 3.80 ERA).

Both team’s starters in the second game of the doubleheader are TBA.

Blake Snell got the start Friday night against Boston and fired off 5-1/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, and two walks while striking out five on 103 pitches (62 strikes, 60% strike rate, 24% SwStr%). Snell bounced back with a sharp performance against Boston, albeit one filled with deep counts — the left-hander found himself in seven full count situations which limited his ability to pitch deep in the ball game. That being said, it was Snell’s first scoreless start in nearly a month and he now carries a 3.23 ERA/4.37 FIP and a 3.57 K/BB over 39 innings on the season.

Dean Kremer allowed one run on four hits over five innings on Saturday against the Yankees. He struck out seven and walked three. Kremer managed to keep the Yankees in check for the second time in as many starts and has surrendered just two runs on five hits with a 2.33 K/BB through his first two big-league starts (11 IP). Kremer is a three-pitch pitcher who relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball with slight arm side run, and a 76 mph curveball with exceptional bite, while also mixing in a hard 88 mph slider that coaxes a lot of swings and misses.

TBA

TBA

Tyler Glasnow gave up four runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings on Saturday against the Red Sox. He struck out seven. It wasn’t the sharpest outing for Glasnow yet he got just enough offensive support to get the win. Part of Glasnow’s problem was his inability to control the running game —the Red Sox went 6-for-6 on steal attempts against the battery of Glasnow and Michael Perez, an ongoing weakness that other teams could exploit down the stretch if they get the chance. The right-hander will take a 4.47 ERA and 3.84 K/BB across 46-1/3 innings into his next start on Friday. Glasnow is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in five starts against the Orioles, and 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts at Camden Yards.

Alex Cobb coughed up five runs on seven hits — including three homers — and a walk over four innings of work against the Yankees. He struck out three. The right-hander’s first start since August 29 went poorly, to say the least, as New York took Cobb deep twice before he even recorded the first out. It’s the first time in eight outings he’s served up multiple homers, while the rough return to action pushed his ERA above 5.00 for the first time this season. The Rays scored two runs on four hits over four innings of work against Cobb back on July 31, although they were able to chase him after 87 pitches. Overall, Cobb is 0-3 with a 4.61 ERA in five starts against his former team. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-4, 2B), Manuel Margot (1-2, 2B), Michael Perez (1-4, 2B), Hunter Renfore (1-2, 2B), Yoshi Tsutsugo (1-2, 2B), Joey Wendle (4-11)

Charlie Morton allowed three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four across 4-1/3 innings on Sunday against the Red Sox. The Rays’ offense staked Morton to a narrow lead in the fourth inning, but the advantage quickly slipped away in the top of the fifth inning. On a more encouraging note, the right-hander threw 77 pitches (55 strikes, 71% strike rate) as he continues to steadily build back up to full strength following his month-long absence. Morton is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six career starts against Baltimore.

John Means allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings on Sunday against the Yankees. After posting shaky results to start the season, Means has settled into a groove over his past two outings, allowing one run over six innings in each appearance. While he was rewarded with the win his last time around, he had to settle for a no-decision Sunday as Baltimore mustered only one run. The right-hander relies primarily on a whiffy 94 mph four-seam fastball that has some added backspin, and an 85 mph changeup, while also mixing in a hard 87 mph slider and an 80 mph curveball with sweeping glove-side movement. Means is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four games against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Michael Brosseau (4-9, 3 HR), Nate Lowe (1-3, HR), Kevan Smith (1-3, 2B)

Ryan Yarbrough took over with one out in the second and quickly went to work against the Nationals, working around a Carter Kieboom single and striking out two to get out of the frame unscathed. Even though Yarbrough went just 2-2/3 innings against the Nationals in his last start, the lefty posted 5-2/3 frames of one-run ball on this night, allowing five hits, and hitting a batter while striking out five. He threw 52 of 86 pitches for strikes (60% strike rate, 17% SwStr%). Yarbrough allowed just four hard-hit balls and kept the Nationals off-balance throughout the night.

Yarbrough’s biggest frame came in the fifth inning. After he allowed back-to-back hits with just a 2-0 lead, Victor Robles laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners up to second and third. But Adam Eaton grounded to third with the infield in, and Trea Turner popped to first to end the threat.

Washington was able to get run off Yarbrough in the sixth inning when Juan Soto doubled then came around to score on a pair of groundouts. Even so, Yarbrough held the Nationals to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Yarbrough is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA in seven games (two starts) against Baltimore.

Jorge Lopez allowed one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings on Monday. He struck out three batters. Lopez dominated Atlanta’s lineup all night with the lone blemish — a solo shot by Freddie Freeman in the sixth inning. It didn’t hurt that his offense tallied 14 runs of support for the right-hander. Lopez moved to 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 5.23. Lopez relies primarily on a 94 mph sinker with slight arm-side run, a hard 81 mph 12-6 curveball with sharp downward bite, and a 94 mph four-seam fastball with some natural sinking action, while also mixing in a firm 87 mph changeup with slight arm-side fade. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Kevin Kiermaier (2-2, 2B), Manuel Margot (1-1)

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

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Out at the plate. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After splitting a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays continue their seven-game homestand on Tuesday, when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles into the Trop for a three-game set. The Orioles split a series against the Red Sox … but, who hasn’t?

The Rays enter play eight games over .500 and with a 99.1% chance of a playoff berth according to FanGraphs.

Aside from a slew of pitching injuries, a lot of things have changed for Tampa Bay since the Orioles swept them from August 1-3 in Baltimore. The rattled off 14 wins in 19 games and overtook first place in the AL East. Meanwhile, in that same stretch of play, the Orioles have posted a .450 winning percentage, although something is lurking under the covers.

When you look at the Orioles over the last 14 days, one thing becomes abundantly clear: they’re not an awful team … at least offensively speaking. Hell, even though the Rays have outperformed Baltimore over that stretch of play, they are still playing 19% better than average as it relates to wRC+. In other words, the Orioles are a bad team because of pitching, not hitting.

Given that the Rays have been pretty mediocre from a pitching point of view — thanks in part to a plague of injuries that have ravaged the pitching staff — Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe, José Martínez, and the rest of the hitters need to be prepared to put some runs on the board. After all, if the Orioles perform as they had a few weeks back, things could again go in their favor.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 6.00 ERA), a pitcher to be named before Wednesday’s ball game (Charlie Morton?), and Ryan Yarbrough (0-2, 4.45 ERA). Brandon Hyde will counter with Tommy Milone (1-3, 4.13 ERA), Asher Wojciechowski (1-3, 4.84 ERA), and John Means (0-2, 10.13 ERA).

Tyler Glasnow got the start on Wednesday 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.

Tommy Milone allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings against Toronto on Wednesday. He had seven strikeouts and zero walks. Randal Grichuk did all the damage against Milone on a solo homer during the fourth inning and two-run shot during the sixth accounting for all his earned runs. The left-hander maintains a 4.13 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 25:3 K:BB across 24 innings. Milone relies primarily on an 87 mph four-seam fastball and a whiffy 80 mph changeup with some natural sink, while also mixing in an 80 mph slider and a 76 mph 12-6 curveball. He is 3-4 with a 6.18 ERA in six career starts against the Rays. Key matchups: Willy Adames (5-7, 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (6-9, 2B, HR), José Martínez (3-7), Mike Zunino (6-15, 3 HR)

TBA

Asher Wojciechowski allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four across 3-2/3 innings of work. Wojciechowski was coming off his first win of the season in his previous start, but he was unable to replicate his success against the Red Sox. The right-hander allowed a season-high seven hits and needed 88 pitches to retire just 11 batters. Wojciechowski’s ERA rose to 4.84 with the rough outing while his WHIP spiked to 1.34. He relies primarily on a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball, a 79 mph worm-killer slider, and an 87 mph cutter with heavy sink, while also mixing in a firm 85 mph changeup with slight cut action and a lot of backspin. He is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Not available at the moment.

Ryan Yarbrough allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six over 6-1/3 innings on Frida. Yarbrough’s previous start was cut short due to rain, but he matched his longest start of the season Friday by going 6-1/3 innings. Unfortunately, the four runs he gave up in the second inning forced him to settle for his third straight no-decision. To his credit, Yarbrough locked it in from that point on and was fairly effective outside of the second inning. He now carries a 4.45 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 30-1/3 innings (six starts).

John Means allowed three runs on four hits — including two homers —while striking out two batters over three innings against the Red Sox on Friday. It’s been a rough first couple of outings for Means, just after he posted a 3.60 ERA across 155 innings in 2019. The southpaw gave up a solo shot to Xander Bogaerts to open up the second inning and followed that up by gifting J.D. Martinez a two-run shot to center in the third. Means has now given up 12 runs in 10-2/3 innings this season and isn’t notching many strikeouts to help his case. Means relies primarily on a 5 MPH four-seam fastball and an 85 mph changeup, while also mixing in an 87 mph slider and an 81 mph curveball. He is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in three career starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Not available at the moment.

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview

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Someone should’ve told Ozzie not to test the arms of the Rays.

After splitting an Interleague series against Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Rays make their way to Charm City, where they will start a three-game set against the Orioles on Friday. Baltimore most recently dropped a pair to the Yankees.

Tampa Bay enters play having plated 38 runs through seven games (first place in the American League in runs scored), however, they rank 12th in the AL with a .219 team batting average. The Rays are also outside the top-10 in slugging percentage with a tepid .388. “How did they score all those runs?” you might be asking. They get on base at a fairly healthy .322 OBP clip, and with the exception of the Opening Series, the Rays have done a good job with runners in scoring position, hitting .298 — including .320 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Juxtapose that with Baltimore, which enters the set scoring exactly five runs per game across five contests. That isn’t going to cut it in the AL East. However, both teams share something: with just seven homers apiece, both are in the bottom five in the AL as it relates to home runs. In all fairness, the Orioles have had an uneven schedule given the number of COVID-19 postponments they’ve faced…it isn’t easy to get consistent at-bats when you’re not playing games.

The Rays are coming off two offensively strapped contests which led to two consecutive losses. As the old adage goes, “You need to take advantage of the bad teams,” and Baltimore is one of the weakest teams Tampa Bay will play this season. A series win would be the cake, while a sweep would be the icing.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will lean on Blake Snell (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 2.25 ERA), and Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Brandon Hyde will counter with former Ray Alex Cobb (1-0, 1.69 ERA), Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 6.35 ERA), and a pitcher to be named ahead of the series finale.

Blake Snell allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five across two scoreless innings on Sunday. The lefty punched out the first two batters he faced, using a heavy dose of fastballs, yet he also struggled with location — throwing only four of 11 first-pitch strikes. Snell’s first start of the season was scheduled to be short, but he did not work efficiently which shortened that outing even further; he retired just six batters. If he can improve his command on Friday, expect a longer leash for the southpaw hurler. Snell is 2-2 with a 4.67 ERA in five starts against the Orioles, and 0-1 with a 10.57 ERA in two career starts at Camden Yards.

Alex Cobb — the former Ray that has oft been injured the last few seasons — allowed just one run on four hits and no walks while striking out six across 5-1/3 innings against Boston. Cobb cruised through the first five innings with a three-hit shutout, but he was pulled at 78 pitches with one out in the sixth inning after surrendering a solo homer to Mitch Moreland. It was his first victory since 2018 after making just three starts last season. Cobb is 0-3 with a 4.63 ERA in four career starts against his former team. Key Matchups: Michael Perez (1-4, 2B), Joey Wendle (4-11), Mike Zunino (5-10, 2B, HR)

Tyler Glasnow was absolutely dominant over the front four innings, allowing just one hit — a solo homer to Dansby Swanson — and two walks while striking out nine. Leaning heavily on his big fastball — which he got up to 100.1 mph in the first inning — his 12-6 curveball which induced some awkward swings and misses, and a handful of mid-90’s changeups (!!!), Glasnow retired the last seven batters in a row — punching out five of them — including the side in the fourth inning. Glasnow threw 72 pitches, 45 for strikes, and coaxed 15 swings and misses (63% strike rate, 33% whiff rate).

Swanson opened the scoring in the second inning by hitting a home run to centerfield on a 98.8 mph 3-2 fastball — the fastest Glasnow pitch that’s ever been hit for a home run.

Wade LeBlanc allowed four runs on four hits and no walks while striking out four over 5-2/3 innings on Sunday against the Red Sox. LeBlanc wasn’t particularly dominant in his start, but an early-game offensive onslaught by the Orioles put him in line for the win in his season debut. Last season, the southpaw logged a 5.71 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 121-1/3 innings in 26 appearances (eight starts). LeBlanc relies primarily on a whiffy 78 mph changeup with some natural sink to it, an 83 mph cutter boasting strong cutting action, and an 87 mph sinker, while also mixing in a whiffy 71 mph curveball with sweeping glove-side movement. He is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in three career outings (15-2/3 innings) against Tampa Bay.

Yonny Chirinos missed two weeks of Summer Camp due to COVID-19, and because of it, questions surrounded the right-hander as he took the mound … questions regarding his pitch count, command and control of his stuff, and stamina. And though he threw just one first-pitch strike to the first nine batters (7-of-17 overall), Chirinos was able to maintain his composure and turn in a fairly effective outing, allowing one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out four on 68 pitches (41 strikes, 60% strike rate).

It doesn’t hurt that he was helped by double plays in each of the first two scoreless frames, including a strike ’em out, throw ’em out twin killing in the first.

Yet, Chirinos ran into trouble in the third inning when Ender Inciarte reached on Ji-Man Choi’s error, then went to third on Alex Jackson’s double to left, his first big-league hit. Ronald Acuña Jr. earned a base loading free pass before Chirinos was able to strike out both Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman. Still, Marcell Ozuna drove in the game’s first run on a base hit to left, although Matt Adams popped out to cap the rally at just one run. Chirinos threw 31 pitches in the frame but finished his outing with a clean eight-pitch fourth.

TBA

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — one last series preview

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  • Nate Lowe, who rejoined the Rays on Sunday, hit a home run in the series finale against Cleveland. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After sweeping Cleveland in an important three-game series with postseason implications, the Tampa Bay Rays continue their homestand on Monday, when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles into the Trop for a two-day, three-game series. The Orioles took one of three from the Royals this past weekend.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Because of the sweep, the Rays enter play with a 0.5 game lead over Cleveland and Oakland in the AL Wildcard race. In spite of the fairly difficult schedule ahead, when the Rays play eight consecutive games against plus .500 teams (the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees), FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay a 73.3% chance of a postseason berth — up 25.8% in the last five days. Baseball Prospectus views their chances similarly, giving the Rays a 72.8% chance — up 9.8% from yesterday.

The Orioles have won four of their last seven games since they dropped a pair in last series against the Rays, which is impressive for a team that has struggled all season long. Even though they’ve held their own over the last 14 days, Baltimore hasn’t played well overall. The Orioles are 22nd in the league in batting average (.246), 23rd in the league in on-base percentage (.309), and 24th in the league in slugging percentage (.414) and runs scored (598).

On top of that, Baltimore’s pitching staff is one of the worst in the league. Opponents have tagged the Orioles with a .273 BA and a 5.77 ERA, while their 34 quality starts is 28th in the league.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

That doesn’t mean this will be a slam-dunk series. It should be remembered the Rays are 10-6 (62.5% WP) against Baltimore this season, which is good, not great, and the Orioles outscored them 15-4 in the final two games of the previous series. But, with 2/3 of the season left against sub .500 teams, Tampa Bay needs to pad the win column as much as possible before they face LA, Boston, and New York in the final two weeks of the season.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will throw Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.36 ERA), and likely Trevor Richards (4-12, 4.29 ERA), and Austin Pruitt (2-0, 4.78 ERA) over the next two days. Brandon Hyde will counter with Asher Wojciechowski (2-7, 5.12 ERA), a pitcher to be named before the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and John Means (10-9, 3.55 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryan Yarbrough allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over six innings against the Astros while striking out five. Yarbs kept Houston off the board for the first three frames before getting tagged for three runs in the fourth, yet the southpaw still delivered his third quality start in his last four turns. He carries a 3.36 ERA, an 0.87 WHIP, and an outstanding 7 K/BB across 115-1/3 innings on the season. Yarbrough has been tough on Baltimore over his career, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.86 ERA in six games (28-1/3 innings).

Asher Wojciechowski allowed five earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out three across four innings against the Nationals on Wednesday. Wojciechowski surrendered all five of his runs in the first inning, punctuated by a two-run homer off the bat of Kurt Suzuki. He was able to settle down, allowing only one hit across his final three frames, although the damage had already been done. Granted he’s had some success, yet Wojciechowski has allowed at least one home run in each of his past seven outings. His inability to keep the ball in the yard combined with a lack of command — he has a 3.6 BB/9 — has led to uneven results. He will wear a 5.12 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP with 61 strikeouts across 58 into the start on Monday. Wojciechowski is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three career games (two starts) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-4, HR, RBI), Avisail Garcia (1-4, 2 RBI), Nate Lowe (1-1, RBI), Tommy Pham (3-9, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Eric Sogard (2-8, BB), Joey Wendle (1-1, 2B, BB)

Trevor Richards exited Thursday’s contest against Houston after hurling just 2-1/3 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks while striking out four. Richards entered with two Astros on base in the second inning and served up an RBI double to allow an inherited run to score. He also served up a leadoff homer in the third inning to George Springer and got himself into trouble with a pair of walks and a throwing error in the fourth before being pulled from the game. Although Richards has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 15 hitters in 11-2/3 innings since joining the Rays, Kevin Cash appears determined to keep his pitch count low; he has averaged a mere 72.3 pitches in his three outings. Richards blanked Baltimore on five scattered hits and a walk across six innings on August 23.

TBA

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.

John Means allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out four against the Royals on Friday. Kansas City got on the board first, but Means settled down after he served up a solo shot to Jorge Soler in the first inning. The lefty carries a 3.55 ERA and a 3.09 K/BB through 124-1/3 innings on the season, although he is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay in his campaign. Key Matchups: Avisail Garcia (4-10, 2B, 2 RBI), Nate Lowe (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Tommy Pham (3-9, 2 2B), Eric Sogard (2-3, HR, RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Tampa Bay will make a roster move on Monday, adding right-handed reliever Cole Sulser (6-3, 3.27 ERA), who was on the taxi squad. It will be Sulser’s first-ever big-league promotion. He came to the Rays organization in the trade involving Jake Bauers.

— The Rays also promoted RHP Anthony Banda from Triple-A Durham.

— Tyler Glasnow is set to pitch two innings for Triple-A Durham in the final regular-season game. He could join the Rays thereafter pending the outcome of his outing.

— Juan Toribio (MLB.com) made his predictions of the Rays postseason roster.

TNWN: Rays vs Orioles — a series preview, part six

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  • The Rays walked it off for a third time on the home stand on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After salvaging the final game of what would otherwise be considered a disastrous series against the Mariners, the Tampa Bay Rays will make their way to Charm City, where they’ll face the Orioles over the next four days. The Orioles took two of three from Kansas City at home.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Even though the Rays’ offense has not fired on all cylinders of late, they were able to average 4.67 runs per game against the Mariners, up from two runs per game against Detroit. The pitching staff, however, appeared incapable of corraling the tepid Seattle offense. Tampa Bay allowed 22 runs to cross the plate, half of which came with two outs.

Meanwhile, the lowly Orioles handed it to the lowly Royals this week, outscoring them 16-6. However, don’t confuse a two-game win streak for an indicator of anything other than the fact that sometimes the moon is blue. After all, Baltimore has won just five of the last 20 games, and seven games since the All-Star Break.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Rays are 8-4 against the Orioles this season, including a 4-2 record at Camden Yards. Considering that they could use a few buffer wins before they head to Houston, Tampa Bay needs to win this series.

Pitching Probables

Aside from Ryan Yarbrough (11-3, 3.34 ERA), Kevin Cash has not named any starters for games two through four of this series. Trevor Richards (0-0, 5.40 ERA), a pitcher to be named before Saturday’s ballgame, and Jalen Beeks (5-3, 4.10 ERA) are expected to pitch during the series. Brandon Hyde will counter with Asher Wojciechowski (2-6, 4.84 ERA), Ty Blach (0-1, 10.61 ERA), John Means (6-9, 3.94 ERA), and Dylan Bundy (5-13, 5.03 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryan Yarbrough fanned 10 batters while allowing zero runs on three hits with no walks across 6-1/3 innings. Even though he didn’t go as deep into the game, the southpaw was arguably better in this outing than his last one, extending his scoreless streak to 15 frames. His 10 strikeouts were a season-high, and Yarbrough has allowed just one earned run in his last 19-2/3 innings of (0.47 ERA). He further lowered his ERA 3.34 ERA (down from 8.10 at its peak, in April), his WHIP to 0.88, and has 88 punchouts in 105 innings this season. Taking into consideration all of the injuries that have impacted the Rays starting rotation, the team has gained an opportunity to see how good Yarbrough can be. To his credit, the southpaw has taken advantage of pitching without an opener and should get to keep doing so.

Asher Wojciechowski allowed two runs on five hits and three walks across 4-1/3 innings against Boston. He struck out four. The right-hander managed to keep the Red Sox off the board through four innings, but the wheels came off in the fifth. Wojciechowski carries a 4.78 ERA and a 2.8 K/BB over 49 innings this season. He is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two outings (one start) against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchup: Tommy Pham (2-7, 2B, RBI, BB)

Trevor Richards allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six over 3-1/3 innings on Sunday. The right-hander surrendered a two-run homer in the first inning, yet he was able to hold Detroit off the board for the remainder of his outing. He was lifted with 71 pitches (51 strikes, 72% strike rate), as the Rays continue to build him back up to a starting role. Richards now owns a 4.53 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP with a 2.10 K/BB across 115-1/3 big league innings this season.

Ty Blach allowed five runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts across 5-1/3 innings against the Red Sox on Sunday. Baltimore staked Blach to a six-run lead, but the Red Sox scored 13 of the final 14 runs in the game, five of which came against Blach. He has allowed at least five runs in three of his four outings this season, so that’s led to some ugly numbers. He is 0-1 with a 12.06 ERA and a 2.30 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and 10 walks across 15-2/3 innings this season. Blach relies upon a heavy 90 mph four-seam fastball with arm-side run and an 80 mph changeup with natural sink, while also mixing in a 76 mph curveball with sharp downward bite and an 83 mph worm-killer slider.

TBA

John Means gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks over five innings against the Royals. He struck out five. The southpaw continues to struggle in the second half and is now 1-5 in six starts since the All-Star break with a 7.48 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and a 1.9 K/BB through 27-2/3 innings. Monday’s outing was the first time during that stretch he didn’t serve up a homer. Tampa Bay worked Means over in his last appearance against them, tagging him for six runs on eight hits including three homers. Key Matchups: Mike Brosseau (2-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Guillermo Heredia (2-6, 2B), Erik Sogard (2-3, HR, RBI)

Jalen Beeks gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out four across five innings on Tuesday against the Mariners. Beeks entered the game in the second inning and turned in three scoreless frames to begin his night. However, things took a turn for the worse when an error allowed the leadoff runner to reach base in the fifth innings, and Beeks went on to allow two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch to account for his two unearned runs. An inning later, he gave up a two-run homer to Tom Murphy, the deciding hit of the contest. Beeks hasn’t been good in the second half, as his ERA has ballooned from 2.79 to 4.10 in seven appearances.

Dylan Bundy allowed one run on five hits with two walks over seven innings against the Royals on Tuesday. He struck out seven. The right-hander turned in his best start in more than a month, yet he settled for a no-decision because of no offense early in the game. Overall, he is 5-13 with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP, with 129 strikeouts in 127 innings this season. Bundy is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts (13-1/3 innings) against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-7, 2B, RBI), Travis d’Arnaud (1-1, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (5-15, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB), Austin Meadows (2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 BB)

Noteworthiness

— Not the best rehab news for Brandon Lowe, who was removed from a game in Durham with a left quadriceps strain, which is an unrelated injury to his bruised right leg. He will return to St. Petersburg to be re-evaluated.

— Avisail Garcia (oblique) will begin a short minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Durham. If all goes well, he could rejoin the team by the weekend.