After earning their first series win since July 15, the Tampa Bay Rays continue their nine-game road trip on Monday, when they start a three-game series against the Yankees in the Bronx. The Yankees dropped two of three to the Orioles over the weekend.
At 64-44 on the season, the Rays enter play 20 games over .500, 1.5 games back of the first-place Orioles, and 7.5 games up on the last-place Yankees.
Tampa Bay was bodied by Houston in the middle game of their three-game series, dropping to just 6-16 in the month of July. Yet, that loss was sandwiched by a pair of nice wins against a good team. Over the last week, several Rays — Brandon Lowe (309), Wander Franco (149), Yandy Diaz (141), Luke Raley (132), Isaac Paredes (130), and Josh Lowe (116) — have started to get toasty again as measured by wRC+. Over that stretch, Tampa Bay has slashed a modest .241 BA/.326 OBP/.420 SLG/.746 OPS, with an improved .284 BABIP, and a combined 113 wRC+.
Meanwhile, the Yankees were walked off upon in extra innings on Friday, bounced back with a nice win in the middle game of the series against the Orioles on Saturday, and then pounded on Sunday. New York got some help over the weekend with the return of Aaron Judge, and in all fairness, DJ LeMahieu, Kyle Higashioka, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, and Jake Bauers have done some nice things last week. Even so, the Yankees put up a disappointing .225 BA/.330 OBP/.338 SLG/.668 OPS over that stretch, with a 91 wRC+.
The Rays enter play with an overall 3.81 ERA and 3.94 FIP (3.75 ERA and 3.56 FIP for the starters, 3.88 ERA, and 4.38 FIP for the relievers). Over the last seven days, however, Tampa Bay took a step back, maintaining a combined 6.14 ERA and 4.05 FIP (5.92 ERA and 3.16 FIP for the starters, 6.41 ERA and 5.16 FIP for the relievers).
Meanwhile, it won’t be easy for the Rays’ offense which will face a Yankees club that maintains an overall 3.91 ERA and 4.33 FIP (4.45 ERA and 4.60 FIP for the starters, 3.14 ERA, and 3.95 FIP for the relievers). A caveat: New York’s hurlers have also been meh the last week, putting up a combined 4.57 ERA and a 3.95 FIP (6.33 ERA and a 4.83 FIP for the starters, but a solid 1.65 ERA and a 2.48 FIP for the relievers).
Tampa Bay is 3-4 this season against New York, having been outscored 44-38.
Pitching Probables
Over the next three days, Kevin Cash will call on Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.36 ERA, 3.13 FIP), Zach Eflin (11-6, 3.64 ERA, 3.00 FIP), and Shane McClanahan (11-1, 3.00 ERA, 3.78 FIP). Aaron Boone will counter with Domingo German (5-7, 4.77 ERA, 4.76 FIP), Carlos Rodon (1-3, 5.75 ERA, 6.28 FIP), and Gerrit Cole (9-2, 2.64 ERA, 3.26 FIP).
Tyler Glasnow allowed a run on two hits and two walks over seven innings against Miami. He struck out eight and threw 97 pitches (68 strikes, 70% strike rate, 18% SwStr%). Glasnow’s now held opponents to just one run in three of his last four outings while racking up 55 strikeouts over his last six turns (36.1 innings). He lowered his ERA to 3.36 (3.14 FIP), with a 1.12 WHIP, and a 4.40 K/BB across 11 starts (61.2 innings).
Domingo German coughed up six runs on seven hits — including three home runs — and a walk over six innings against the Mets. He struck out nine. German had little trouble with most of the Mets’ lineup, although Pete Alonso was his nemesis, launching homers in the third and sixth innings. He did strike out nine batters for the third consecutive outing, and German has a 1.25 WHIP and a 4.57 K/BB through 22.1 innings over four July starts, albeit with a 5.64 ERA and a 4.40 FIP. Even so, German has allowed just three earned runs across 10.2 innings against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Christian Bethancourt (2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Yandy Diaz (7-20, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI), Wander Franco (3-7), Manuel Margot (2-8, 2B, 2 RBI), Jose Siri (1-1, 2B, BB)
Zach Eflin was removed from his start Wednesday against the Marlins after four innings due to left knee discomfort. He gave up five earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three. Eflin’s early exit initially appeared to be a result of him being knocked around by Miami’s offense, yet Tampa Bay later relayed that an injury played a role in the right-hander being lifted after 53 pitches. Eflin was evaluated, played catch without issue on Friday, and is good to make his start as scheduled on Tuesday. Eflin maintains a 3.64 ERA and a 3.00 FIP, with a 1.02 WHIP, and a 6.82 K/BB through 116.1 innings on the season.
Carlos Rodon allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters over 5.2 innings against the Mets on Wednesday. Rodon logged his longest outing of the season, notching one more out than he did in his season debut against the Cubs on July 7. The southpaw continues to struggle with his control — he’s walked multiple batters in each of his four starts and has 12 walks across 20.1 innings — but Rodon held the Mets to just one extra-base hit and one run. He is still trying to find his groove, having managed just a 6.7 K/9 after posting a 12.2 K/9 over his previous two campaigns combined. Overall, he maintains a 5.75 ERA and a 6.28 FIP, with a 1.38 WHIP, and a 1.25 K/BB. Rodon relies primarily on a 95 mph fourseam Fastball and a swing-and-miss 85 mph slider that has short glove-side cut. Key Matchups: Christian Bethancourt (1-3), Yandy Diaz (2-6, 2 RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-3, 2B)
Shane McClanahan allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings against the Astros. He struck out six without issuing a walk. The final line is rather pedestrian by his standards. McClanahan induced a whopping 17 swinging strikes on 86 pitches (20% SwStr%). Jose Abreu’s homer in the fourth inning accounted for two of the three runs against the left-hander. Overall, McClanahan maintains a 3.00 ERA and a 3.78 FIP, with a 1.18 WHIP, and a 2.88 K/BB across 111.0 innings.
Gerrit Cole allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings against the Orioles on Friday. He struck out five. Cole notched his first outing with at least seven scoreless frames since his complete-game shutout against Minnesota on April 16. Cole has been good of late, posting a 2.20 ERA, with a 0.80 WHIP and 7.2 K/BB while completing at least six innings in five consecutive games. Superlatives aside, Cole has surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits (including four homers) across two starts (10 innings) against Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (10-34, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB), Yandy Diaz (13-46, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB), Isaac Paredes (4-13, 2B, 2 RBI), Harold Ramirez (6-11, 2B, 4 RBI), Jose Siri (2-6, 2 HR, 2 RBI)