The Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back from last night’s 5-4 loss against the New York Yankees with Blake Snell on the mound tonight.
Tampa Bay hit four homers yesterday, two each by Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr. The Outlaw is currently in the midst of a career-long 12-game hit streak, and has 11 homers — his highest total with the Rays. On the whole, the Rays have mashed 188 homers; they need to hit 12 more to set a new franchise record.
The New What Next
Blake Snell (5-7, 3.39 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay, opposite of Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.80 ERA).
Snell allowed just one earned run on two hits and two walks over six innings on Saturday. The southpaw put together one of the best starts of his career, in spite of the residual effects of a leg bruise incurred against Against Houston in his last start. Snell recorded 13 whiffs overall, and put in his longest outing since July 24 against the Athletics, while also snapping a two-start losing skid.
Pineda threw 87 pitches over four innings on Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while fanning four. He came away with a no-decision. It was his shortest, and most inefficient, outing since being chased by the Rays after 3-2/3 innings on May 28. Pineda has managed to pitch six innings just three times in his last six turns, posting a shaky 5.01 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 32-1/3 innings over that span.
You can read more about the pitching matchups in our series preview.
Rays 9/9/16 Starting Lineup
Forsythe 2B
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller DH
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson LF
Ramirez SS
Wilson C
Snell LHP
Noteworthiness
— Matt Duffy underwent left-heel surgery today in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Bob Anderson (team orthopedist for the Carolina Panthers) performed the surgery. Duffy will return to the Bay Area on Saturday and miss the remainder of the season.