The Rays went 5-4 during the nine-game homestand that preceded their long west coast trip. (Photo and Photo Manipulation Credit: X-Rays Spex)

Despite dropping two of three against the Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays make their way to Oakland — after an otherwise successful 5-4 homestand — for a three-game series against the Athletics starting Monday. The Athletics were swept by the Guardians for the first time in 22 years over the weekend.

At 12-10 on the season, the Rays embark on their lone westward trek two games above .500 with revenge on their mind.

The past weekend made for a disappointing end to an otherwise solid homestand, as the Rays pitching staff surrendered 18 runs over the final two games of the series. For context, they gave up just one run on Friday, and 20 total runs over the previous seven-game stretch. On Sunday, though, the bulk of the damage happened across one inning against Josh Fleming who, again, wasn’t able to keep things from spiraling out of control.

There were some promising signs, however. Tampa Bay hit .348 with runners in scoring position and scored four two-out runs. What’s more, the malaise Randy Arozarena found himself in also appears to be wearing off, as he smoked the ball four times on Saturday and Sunday — 113 mph, 105 mph, 114 mph, and 104 mph. Isaac Paredes, who was recalled while Ji-Man Choi is on the shelf, and Josh Lowe also made solid contact on more than one occasion over the life of the series. Some questions remain, though: will Wander Franco return to the lineup this week, and can the rest of the batting order get synched up together? The Rays can be a dangerous team when they are firing on all cylinders.

Meanwhile, the Athletics followed up their series win against Tampa Bay by losing more games than they won — going 7-8 and averaging just 2.8 runs per game in so doing. Then again, they looked equally as crappy before the aforementioned series against Tampa Bay, yet over the course of the four games, the rebuilding Oakland ballclub looked like contenders. Are the Athletics capable of beating the Rays again? Sure, why not? However, the Bay Area team from the east coast has outperformed their west coast counterparts, offensively speaking, over the last week-plus. And it isn’t really close.

Be that as it may, in their previous meeting Tampa Bay went 1-3 against Oakland and was outscored 31-16.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Drew Rasmussen (1-1, 3.50 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (0-0, 0.00 ERA), and Corey Kluber (1-1, 3.05 ERA). Mark Kotsay will counter with Daulton Jefferies (1-3, 3.26 ERA), Paul Blackburn (3-0, 1.35 ERA), and Frankie Montas (2-2, 4.25 ERA).

Drew Rasmussen got the start Wednesday against Seattle and threw six shutout innings. He struck out a career-high nine batters, while scattering a single, a double, and a walk. Rasmussen retired his final 10 batters and collected a total of 19 swings and misses — good for a 42% whiff rate — his best-ever total on 84 pitches (54strikes, 64% strike rate).

The M’s had two scoring chances against Rasmussen, yet they came up empty-handed each time. Jesse Winker hit a two-out double in the first inning, then went to third on a wild pitch before Eugenio Suarez fanned to end the frame. Then, in the third, Adam Frazier singled to right before Ty France earned a free pass with two outs, however, Rasmussen got Winker to break his bat and bounce out to first.

Daulton Jefferies allowed five runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in four innings against the Giants on Tuesday. All the damage came in the second and third innings when Wilmer Flores knocked in four of the five runs. The 26-year-old has now alternated strong and poor performances and can’t be trusted until he shows more consistency. All told, he’s posted 3.26 ERA and 4.24 FIP, with a 1.09 WHIP and 2.40 K/BB through 19.1 innings. He relies primarily on a 92 mph sinker with slight arm-side run, an 89 mph cutter, and a whiffy 86 mph changeup with some natural sink to it, while also mixing in a 93 mph four-seam fastball that has some natural sinking action and an 81 mph slider with two-plane movement. 

Ryan Yarbrough started the season on the active roster, but he was placed on the 10-day Injured List with groin tightness. The left-hander made two rehab starts with Durham, and has been stretched out to 60 pitches. He, however, has not pitched more than four frames since Spring Training.

Yarbrough had a great Spring thanks to good health and a couple of extra miles per hour of fastball velocity. Some things to remember about Yarbrough: he forces weak contact at an elite rate — averaging 84.8 mph exit velocity off the bat, and boasting the lowest HardHit% at 26.9% — and doesn’t walk a lot of batters; he is in the 91st percentile in BB% at 5.2%. He also has an all but secret curveball that pairs well with his changeup since both pitches mirror one another. Among pitchers that threw at least 200 curveballs last season, his hammer had a HardHit% of 16%, putting him in the 98th percentile.

Paul Blackburn tossed five scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Giants during which he allowed three hits and a walk while striking out four. The left-hander’s surprising season continued with his third win in four turns despite receiving little-to-no offensive support. Blackburn coaxed 12 swinging strikes and allowed just one extra-base hit while finishing with his second scoreless outing of 2022. Of note, Blackburn has gone exactly five innings in each of his four outings this season. The 28-year-old entered the campaign with a career 6-11 record and 5.74 ERA, yet he currently manages a 1.35 ERA and 1.55 FIP, with a 0.80 WHIP and 9.00 K/BB through 20 innings. He gave up three hits and a walk while striking out seven Rays on April 11. Key Matchups: Wander Franco (1-2), Brandon Lowe (1-3)

Corey Kluber allowed one run on one hit over six innings against Minnesota on Friday. He struck out six without walking a batter. The right-hander fired an efficient 71 pitches (48 strikes, 68% strike rate) before exiting the contest with his first quality start of the season. Kluber isn’t the ace he was at his peak, yet the 36-year-old has had a solid start to 2022, posting a 3.05 ERA and 3.44 FIP, with a 1.16 WHIP and 3.6 K/BB through 20.2 innings. Over his career, Kluber is 2-4 with a 2.29 ERA against the Athletics in nine outings (eight starts).

Frankie Montas allowed five runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings on Friday against the Guardians. Montas pitched well aside from the third inning, when a single and two walks set the table for an Andres Gimenez grand slam. Aside from that, the only other damage was a Jose Ramirez solo shot in the first. The 29-year-old has delivered three dominant performances and two subpar ones, which has led to a mediocre 4.25 ERA and 3.62 FIP despite a 0.98 WHIP. He limited the Rays to two runs (one earned) on five hits including a homer across 6.1 innings on April 13. He struck out six. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (2-8), Brandon Lowe (3-12, HR, 2 RBI), Harold Ramirez (2-4, RBI)