It would a massive understatement to say that the Tampa Bay Rays westward trip has been disappointing. First they were swept by the Rangers in three games, then, after piling on the runs in Monday’s series opener with the Astros, Tampa Bay dropped the next two games in walkoff fashion. The team closed out their stint in Houston with a big shutout of the Astros to split the series. That’s all in the past now, as the Rays prepare for the third (and final) leg of this western excursion in Oakland, where they’ll take on the Athletics in a three-game weekend series.
If there was one saving grace in the previous series, the starting rotation was — for lack of a better word — dominant. The starters, combined, allowed just four total runs (1.33 ERA), culminating in a one-hit/11 strikeout complete game shutout by Chris Archer. Another saving grace, despite performing beneath their 10 hit plateau in the series finale, Tampa Bay fared well at the plate…at least as it relates to getting men on base. Getting them home was a completely different story. They collected 42 total hits against Houston, which is great, yet the team went 9-for-40 wRISP (.225 BA).
Oakland looks to extend its home winning streak to six games after sweeping a two-game set from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The victories, however, come on the heels of an 0-7 road trip. This will be the final time these two meet this season. They played a four-game set back in May at the Trop, which saw each team win a pair.
Kevin Cash will start Drew Smyly, Erasmo Ramirez, and Jake Odorizzi over the next three days. Smyly (0-2, 4.35 ERA) allowed five earned runs on seven hits in four innings Sunday in his return to the rotation from the 60-day DL. He is 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA in three career appearances at the Oakland Coliseum, although he did posit a decent 5.1 IP/3 ER/6 K outing there last season on August 5. Ramirez (10-4, 3.57 ERA) continued to pitch well Monday against the Astros when he picked up his 10th win of the season. Since permanently joining the starting rotation on May 14, Ramirez has made 17 starts and gone 10-3. Odorizzi (6-6, 3.02) tossed six innings of one run ball Tuesday night, scattering six hits en route to a no-decision. He is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in one career start against the Athletics.
Chris Bassitt (1-4, 2.60 ERA): Bassitt is 1-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a .200 opponents’ batting average in five starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on July 25. His ERA during that span is the eighth lowest in the American League. The 26 year-old righty relies primarily on a 94 mph sinker, and a 95 mph fastball with natural sinking action and slight arm-side run. He also mixes in an 86 mph slider and a 72 mph curveball — both which he uses to coax fly balls — and an 84 mph change.
Sonny Gray (12-5, 2.04 ERA): Gray yielded one earned run in 5-2/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles on Monday. Although he allowed just one earned run, Gray wasn’t at his best after missing his last start with back spasms. He swapped places in the rotation with Kendall Graveman to pitch on five days’ rest instead of six. The righty has given up just three earned runs in 21-2/3 innings in August. Gray started in the previous series against Tampa Bay, where he pitched five shutout innings before leaving after only 67 pitches with a right ankle contusion. Key matchups: Logan Forsythe (1-2), Kevin Kiermaier (2-4, HR, 3 RBI), James Loney (4-9, 2 BB), Evan Longoria (3-11, RBI, BB), Daniel Nava (1-2, RBI), Grady Sizemore (2-2, 2B, RBI).
Kendall Graveman (6-9, 4.27 ERA): Graveman has lost each of his past two starts, surrendering a combined 10 runs (eight earned) during that span. He has only made it through the sixth inning once in his past seven outings. The sinker/cutter/change-up/fastball throwing righty blanked the Rays over six innings on May 23, scattering just three hits. Key matchups: Logan Forsythe (1-3, 2B), Evan Longoria (1-3).
Noteworthiness
— Prior to Archer’s complete game gem Thursday night, a Rays pitcher hadn’t thrown a complete game in nearly a year, since Drew Smyly’s gem at Toronto on August 22, 2014, the 154 games in between the longest running streak by an American League team.
— Archer reached another milestone, his sixth strikeout Thursday got him to 200 for the season, joining Scott Kazmir (team-record 239 in 2007), David Price (2011-12) and James Shields (2011-12) as the only Rays to do so.
— Archer also did something that hadn’t been done in a decade:
Pitchers to throw a 1-hit shutout w/ 10+ K and < 100 pitches Last 10 seasons Chris Archer (tonight at HOU) Chris Carpenter (2009 at MIL)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 21, 2015
— As it relates to Drew Smyly’s last start… Smyly expects to pitch better Friday against the Athletics than he did when he allowed five runs in four innings at Texas, on Sunday.
I’m healthy and I feel good, my arm feels good, Smyly said. I had a bad game. I’m looking forward to Oakland. I’m not thinking about the injury, I’m not thinking about Texas. It’s one game. People have bad games. Hopefully I can pitch better. That’s what it comes down to, just pitching better. And I think with more repetitions and more bullpens and more games, I can only go up.
Smyly’s fastball velocity against the Rangers was in the high 80s, although it’s not as much a concern as command, and that getting his curveball under control will be a big plus.