After splitting a brief four-game road series in Arlington, the Tampa Bay Rays return home, to the friendly confines of the Trop, where they will start a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday. Chicago was most recently swept in three by the Blue Jays.
At 30-21 on the season, the Rays enter play a season-high-matching nine games over .500 and in third place in the division. The White Sox enter play three games under .500 and in third place in the AL Central.
Tampa Bay has been winning and losing games in pairs since May 26. They won their second consecutive game on Thursday 3-1 over the Rangers, after splitting a four-game series against the Yankees.
The Rays’ offense was down for the second straight series due in large part to terrible luck — a .226 BABIP over the last week — and an increased number of strikeouts. They have been pitched very well, and the offense has been slow to adjust. It certainly doesn’t help that the Rays are missing Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe. Overall, they are 21st in scoring at 4.1 runs per game, 24th in batting at .231, 17th with 49 home runs, and fourth with 35 stolen bases.
Chicago has also struggled offensively, slashing .247 BA/.292 OBP/.357 SLG/.649 OPS over the last week. Overall, the south siders rank 27th scoring at 3.7 runs per game, 19th with a .235 batting average, and 23rd with 43 home runs. It certainly doesn’t help that Tim Anderson (groin) and Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) are on the shelf. All told, they have dropped four of the last 10 games.
Tampa Bay dropped two of three on the south side of Chicago the last time these two faced off against one another.
Pitching Probables
Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Shane McClanahan (5-2, 2.01 ERA), Drew Rasmussen (5-2, 3.47 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (0-2, 4.00 ERA) in some capacity. Tony La Russa will counter with Vince Velasquez (2-3, 5.30 ERA), Dylan Cease (4-2, 3.69 ERA), and Lucas Giolito (3-2, 3.61 ERA).
Shane McClanahan struck out seven batters in six innings while allowing a run on seven hits on Sunday against the Yankees. The left-hander navigated around trouble throughout the game but managed to limit the damage to a solo shot by Gleyber Torres. Three times the first two batters of an inning reached safely, yet McClanahan was able to get timely strikeouts and induce groundballs to limit the scoring of the potent Yankees’ offense. For the month of May, McClanahan was lights out with a 1.15 ERA and a 2.38 FIP, with a 7.8 K/BB in 31.1 innings, never allowing more than two runs in a start.
Vince Velasquez shifted back from the bullpen to the starting rotation after turning in an unsightly 5.79 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in his first seven starts of the season, however, the White Sox determined he was a better option at the back end of the rotation than Dallas Keuchel, who was recently designated for assignment and released. All told, he maintains a 5.30 ERA and a 5.33 FIP, with a 1.40 WHIP and a 2.36 K/BB through 35.2 innings on the season. The Rays touched Velasquez for four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks on April 17. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (4-6, 2B), Yandy Diaz (1-2, RBI, BB), Manuel Margot (1-3, RBI, BB), Francisco Mejia (1-4, 3B, RBI, BB), Brett Phillips (1-1, RBI, BB), Harold Ramirez (2-6, HR, 3 RBI, BB)
Drew Rasmussen got the start Monday and allowed five runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts across three innings. His three walks were a season-high, as were the number of home runs allowed (two), and runs relinquished. It wasn’t a sharp outing for the right-hander, although he’s had few mistakes in 2022, so one can assume this was just a bump in the road. He maintains a 3.47 ERA and a 3.54 FIP, with a 1.09 WHIP and a 3.38 K/BB through 46.2 innings on the season. Rasmussen allowed three runs on five hits across five innings against the ChiSox on April 15.
Dylan Cease allowed an unearned run on two hits and four walks while striking out five over seven innings on Sunday against the Cubs. Cease was effectively wild Sunday, throwing only 63 of 108 pitches for strikes (58% strike rate). The lone run against him came when Jake Burger misplayed a difficult ground ball with two outs in the seventh. May was a bit of a roller-coaster ride for Giolito, as he allowed one run or fewer in four starts and six or more in the other two. For the month, he amassed a 3.98 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a 3.69 K/BB in 31.2 innings of work. Cease limited the Rays to one run on three hits and two walks across 5.2 innings back on April 15.
Ryan Yarbrough pitched better than the results might suggest on Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two hit batsmen while striking out three across 6.2 innings. Yarbrough gave up three runs in the fourth inning on homers by Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia. He nearly completed the seventh inning but hit a batter and allowed a bunt single with two outs before being pulled. It was his longest outing of the season by more than an inning. While the lefty has demonstrated good control over his career, walking 2.0 batters per nine innings, he has plunked five batters in 27 innings this season after leading the league in hit batsmen two seasons ago. On the season, Yarbrough maintains a 4.00 ERA and a 4.55 FIP, with a 1.26 WHIP, and a 2.50 K/BB. He is 0-0 with a 5.09 ERA in three career outings (two starts) against the White Sox.
Lucas Giolito allowed six earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight across 4.2 innings against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Giolito surrendered a pair of home runs to Alejandro Kirk, which accounted for four of his six earned runs. He allowed an additional three extra-base hits and turned in his worst outing of the season. Giolito did coax 14 swinging strikes across 99 pitches, and he has struck out at least seven batters in six of his eight starts. Overall, he has a 3.61 ERA and a 4.45 FIP, with a 1.37 WHIP, and a 3.47 K/BB across 42.1 frames on the season. The right-hander relies primarily on a whiffy 93 mph four-seam fastball, an 82 mph changeup, and an 85 mph slider that has some two-plane movement, while also mixing in an 80 mph 12-6 curveball. Giolito is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA in five career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (1-3, 2B), Manuel Margot (1-4, 3B), Harold Ramirez (1-3)
Noteworthiness
— Manuel Margot, who reached base four times on Thursday, may not start in the series opener. The outfielder left Thursday’s contest for Kevin Kiermaier due to some leg fatigue. Bear in mind that Margot was already placed on the Injured List due to a hamstring issue. The Rays are in the midst of 16 consecutive games on artificial turf.