After salvaging the series finale against that other team from New York, the Tampa Bay Rays welcome the New York Mets into the Trop for a three-game weekend series, starting Friday. The Mets are coming off a two-game sweep of the Orioles.
The Rays offense finally came to life against Jameson Taillon and the Yankees, tagging the Bronx Bummers for nine runs. Yet, aside from the offensive explosion in the series finale, Tampa Bay could only muster one lone tally. Still, they limited New York to just five runs total (four earned) and outscored the Yankees 10 runs to five.
The nine runs scored on Thursday were the most at home since the 10-5 win over the Yankees in the home opener. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of the team’s last ten games and maintains a 3.19 ERA and a 3.69 FIP over the last 30 days (2.53 ERA and a 3.50 FIP during the month of May).
The Mets have performed similarly to the Rays, in that they haven’t been a high-powered offense over the last two weeks (although they’ve performed 17% better than Tampa Bay), while their pitching staff has been very good over that same stretch, performing to a 2.87 ERA and a 3.48 FIP.
Pitching Probables
Over the life of the series, Kevin Cash is expected to turn to Tyler Glasnow (4-2, 2.37 ERA), Shane McClanahan (0-0, 3.75 ERA), and Ryan Yarbrough (2-3, 4.20 ERA) in some capacity. Luis Rojas will counter with David Peterson (1-3, 5.54 ERA), Joey Lucchesi (1-2, 7.71 ERA), and Marcus Stroman (3-3, 2.01 ERA).
Tyler Glasnow allowed three runs on two hits and four walks while fanning 11 across 5-2/3 innings against the Athletics. Glasnow couldn’t make it through the sixth inning and while the 11 strikeouts were par for the course, he still walked four for the third time in his last five starts. The right-hander has slowed down a bit after an excellent start to the season and has given up three or more runs in three of his last four turns, although he still has posted a strong 3.25 K/BB during that four-game stretch. Glasnow is 1-2 with a 5.85 ERA in six career outings (three starts) against the Mets.
David Peterson gave up three runs on three hits and three walks over 1-2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks on Friday. He struck out three. After a scoreless first, Peterson’s control deserted him as the final four batters he faced all reached base via a walk or a hit by pitch. The southpaw has issued multiple free passes in four straight turns and five of six this season, and he carries a 5.54 ERA and a 2.91 K/BB through 26 innings. He relies primarily on a worm-killer 92 mph sinker with some slight arm-side run, an 82 mph slider with some two-plane movement, and a whiffy 93 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 84 mph changeup with some arm-side fade and some natural sink to it. Peterson has never faced the Rays.
Shane McClanahan allowed four hits and two walks while striking out five on Sunday against Oakland. As in his previous two outings, McClanahan struck out five over four innings, and he did so Sunday while allowing three runs. The southpaw threw 50 of 80 pitches for strikes (63% strike rate) and tossed first-pitch strikes to 13 of 18 batters (72% first-pitch strike rate). He has now surrendered five earned runs over 12 big-league innings while registering a 3.75 K/BB.
Joey Lucchesi allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out three across 3-1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. Lucchesi didn’t allow any earned runs for the first time since his first appearance this season. The 28-year-old has had a rough start to the season, maintaining a 7.71 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 14 frames. He relies primarily on a 91 mph sinker with a little arm-side run and a 78 mph changeup with surprising cut action. Lucchesi is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in one career start against the Rays.
Ryan Yarbrough threw 3-1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, surrendering three hits while walking none and striking out four. For his second consecutive outing, Yarbrough pitched behind Collin McHugh who, again, held the opposition scoreless. He threw 32 of 56 pitches for strikes (57% strike rate). After allowing five runs across six innings in his last official start, Yarbrough has surrendered just one run across 7-1/3 innings (two bulk outings). The lefty now owns a 4.20 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 40-2/3 innings. He continues to serve best as a bulk-innings reliever behind an opener. Yarbrough is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career outing (two innings) against the Mets.
Marcus Stroman allowed one run on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out five across 6-1/3 innings against the Orioles. Stroman found himself in a pitcher’s duel with John Means while blanking the Orioles over the first six frames. Yet, he found himself in trouble early in the seventh inning after loading the bases. He was pulled from the game, and the relief corps allowed one of his baserunners to score, charging him with the run. Stroman has now collected 19 strikeouts over his last 16-1/3 innings while compiling a 2.01 ERA and 1.02 WHIP on the season. He relies primarily on his 93 mph sinker with heavy sinking action and an 86 mph slider that sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 91 mph cutter that induces a lot of swings and misses, and a firm 88 mph splitter. Stroman is 5-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 14 career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (3-4, RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-4, RBI, BB), Manuel Margot (1-2), Kevan Smith (2-4, HR, 2 RBI), Joey Wendle (2-3), Mike Zunino (1-3, HR, 2 RBI)
Noteworthiness
— Diego Castillo (groin tightness) has been activated from the Injured List. It’s the first time this season that Castillo and Pete Fairbanks — 2/3 of the Stable — will be active at the same time. Louis Head was optioned after yesterday’s game to make room for Castillo.
— Michael Wacha had (hamstring tightness) a good bullpen session on Thursday, however, his hamstring is still a little tight and he’s expected to throw another one before being activated from the IL.
— It is unclear if Ji-Man Choi (meniscus surgery) will be activated during the series, as he has undergone treatment for knee soreness after playing in a rehab game in Durham on Monday.