After taking two of three from the Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their winning ways when they welcome the Detroit Tigers into the Trop for a three-game series. The Tigers swept the Orioles over the weekend.
At 21-14 on the season, the Rays enter play seven games above .500.
Tampa Bay looked very strong at the plate in the first game of this series against the Blue Jays but struggled in the second. And while they didn’t quite tear the cover off the ball in the series finale, they took advantage of an error and misplays with a very good pitcher on the mound (Alek Manoah) to put up three runs on Sunday, which was all they needed.
On average, the Rays are scoring 4.21 runs per game (the 15th most runs scored per game) and hitting .235 as a team (the 16th highest overall team batting average). Even though they’ve been luck deprived of late — performing to a .213 BABIP over the last seven days — they typically do a good job of making contact and an even better job of hitting when they have men on base. Tampa Bay also has serious power littered throughout the lineup, boasting multiple hitters that can pop the ball out of the park at any given moment during the game. They also are one of the most aggressive base running teams in baseball, recording 28 stolen bases, which is the second-most in the entire league. They do everything they can to move their runners into scoring position, especially early on.
Detroit has not started this 2022 regular season how they would have liked, as they are currently in last place in the AL Central. The Tigers are scoring 3.79 runs per game (the 30th least amount of runs scored per game) and are hitting .220 as a team (the 26th lowest overall team batting average). They are struggling to make contact with the ball and they just aren’t generating enough base runners to put pressure on the opposing defense. The Tigers don’t really have much pop in the lineup — averaging just .46 home runs per game, which is also the lowest average in the league. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Miguel Cabrera has been the most consistent hitter for Detroit this season, while former Ray, Austin Meadows, is slashing .270 BA/.365 OBP/.350 SLG/.715 OPS with a .328 wOBA and a 120 wRC+. What’s shocking, though, is that Meadows has not hit a homer yet in 100 at-bats. Let’s just hope his homecoming does not re-energize his bat … well, at least until the series is over.
The Rays went 6-1 against the Tigers last season and put up a +23 run differential in so doing.
Pitching Probables
Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will turn to Corey Kluber (1-2, 4.55 ERA), Shane McClanahan (2-2, 2.52 ERA), and Drew Rasmussen (3-1, 2.67 ERA). AJ Hinch will counter with Alex Faedo (0-1, 3.60 ERA), Beau Brieske (0-2, 3.86 ERA), and Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 3.72 ERA).
Corey Kluber was shellacked on Tuesday, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in three innings while striking out two. Kluber was hit hard throughout the night, allowing multiple runs in each of his three frames and serving up home runs to Mike Trout and Chad Wallach. Entering the contest, Kluber had been quite stingy, allowing only seven runs and two homers over 26.2 frames. Following the rough start, the veteran’s ERA jumped from 2.36 to 4.60, with a 3.76 FIP. Coincidentally, the only other time in his 12-year career that he allowed eight runs was May 10, 2013 — nine years ago to the day. Kluber is 13-7 with a 3.32 ERA in 27 career outings (26 starts) against the Tigers.
Alex Faedo was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Athletics. The 26-year-old started the second game of the twin bill and allowed only two earned runs over five innings. Faedo maintains a 3.60 ERA and a 3.72 FIP across 10 big-league innings, with a 1.50 WHIP, and a 2.67 K/BB. He relies primarily on a 93 mph four-seam fastball that has slight arm-side run and an 86 mph worm-killer slider with 12-6 movement, while also mixing in an 87 mph changeup that has slight arm-side fade.
Shane McClanahan scattered three hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings while striking out 11 on Wednesday against the Angels. The southpaw put together the best start of his young career, tying his career-high in strikeouts — set just two starts prior — while posting an eye-popping called plus swinging strike rate of 40% on his 100 pitches. McClanahan maintains a 2.52 ERA and a 2.67 FIP on the season, with a 0.92 WHIP and a dominant 5.80 K/BB through 39.1 innings. He is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in one career start against Detroit.
Beau Brieske allowed three runs (two earned) across six innings on Thursday against Oakland. He walked three and struck out two. Brieske pitched reasonably well for the fourth straight time to begin his rookie campaign, although he has two losses and two no-decisions to show for it. The right-hander went exactly five innings in each of his previous three turns, so this was a new high-water mark for innings. Brieske has also allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his four outings, which has propelled him to a solid 3.86 ERA but a 6.60 FIP for the season, with a 1.19 WHIP and a 1.10 K/BB across 21.0 frames. He relies primarily on a 95 mph four-seam fastball and an 81 mph changeup that has a lot of backspin and slight arm-side fade, while also mixing in an 85 mph slider that has 12-6 movement, and a 78 mph 12-6 curveball.
Drew Rasmussen got the start against the Blue Jays and allowed just one run on three hits and a walk across 5.2 innings on 78 pitches (51 strikes, 65% strike rate). He struck out one. It was Rasmussen’s fourth consecutive start where he gave up a run or fewer. The right-hander has only completed six innings once in his seven turns this season, yet he has had an outstanding start to the 2022 campaign as he continues to draw weak contact out of hitters. Through 33.2 innings, Rasmussen has performed to a 2.67 ERA and 3.10 FIP, with a 0.92 WHIP and a 3.38 K/BB.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed five hits and four walks over 6.2 scoreless innings on Friday against the Orioles. He struck out three. It wasn’t his sharpest effort, yet Rodriguez tossed 72 of 104 pitches for strikes (69% strike rate) despite the elevated walk total and all of Baltimore’s hits off him were singles. The 29-year-old has delivered quality starts in four of his last five outings, leading to a 3.72 ERA and 3.87 FIP, with a 1.19 WHIP on the season, but his 21.0% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate will both be the worst marks of his career if they don’t improve. He relies primarily on a 93 mph four-seam fastball that has some natural sinking action and an 89 mph cutter that has strong cutting action, while also mixing in a firm 86 mph changeup, a 93 mph sinker that has some natural sinking action, and an 82 mph slider that has some two-plane movement. Rodriguez is 2-4 with a 5.21 ERA in 13 career starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (4-11, 2B), Yandy Diaz (7-17, 2B, 2 BB), Brandon Lowe (4-13, 3 HR, 4 RBI), Francisco Mejia (2-5, RBI, BB), Mike Zunino (4-11, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB)