After falling to the Cubs on Monday, 4-2, the Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back tonight. Tampa Bay also looks to get back to .500.
Shane McClanahan was electric on Monday, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits across six innings. He struck out nine on 80 pitches (58 strikes, 73% strike rate). The only damage against the southpaw came from Patrick Wisdom’s two-run shot in the second inning. McClanahan was only charged with one earned run due to Seiya Suzuki reaching base on an error earlier in the frame. McClanahan also forced 13 swinging strikes in the impressive outing. He now sports a 2.40 ERA and a 4.8 K/BB through three starts.
The Rays are hopeful about having Wander Franco back in the lineup. Franco was scratched from yesterday’s contest due to right quad tightness. Josh Lowe, who was moved to second in the Rays lineup in Franco’s absence, collected a pair of hits, a run, and an RBI.
The Rays could mitigate another absence tonight with Randy Arozarena. Big RAAAAAAAANDY had a 153 wRC+ last season vs. left-handed pitching. Mike Zunino could also break out against the Cubs’ left-handed starter. Zunino had a 242 wRC+ against left-handers which, admittedly, is a statistical outlier.
The New What Next
Josh Fleming (1-1, 4.05 ERA) will pitch behind opener Matt Wisler (0-0, 1.93 ERA) tonight. They’ll pitch opposite of Justin Steele (1-0, 1.93 ERA).
Matt Wisler began or started 61 big league games, yet this is the first time he’s doing so for the Rays. The right-hander has allowed one earned run this season over five appearances this season, covering 4.2 innings.
Josh Fleming gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits across 3.1 innings on Thursday, against Oakland. He struck out six and walked one. Fleming replaced Luis Patino (oblique) in the rotation and threw a season-high 67 pitches. While he got into trouble in every inning, the 25-year-old displayed the potential to be a high-strikeout hurler after posting a 5.6 K/9 in 26 starts last year. To his credit, he limited hard contact although balls found holes, not gloves — his 0.36 FIP and .636 BABIP over the last seven days speak to that. Through 6.2 innings this season, Fleming has recorded 11 punchouts compared to just one walk.
Justin Steele allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four across 4.1 innings against Colorado on Thursday. Steele allowed plenty of traffic on the basepaths in the outing, but all five hits against him were singles, and he wiggled out of a few jams to surrender just two runs. Whatever the case, he needed 80 pitches to get through 4.1 frames and allowed two of the final three batters he faced to reach base. Even so, the left-hander has been a pleasant surprise early in the season, allowing just two runs and posting a 3.0 K/BB across 9.1 frames across two starts. Steele relies primarily on a 93 mph worm-killer four-seam fastball that has natural sinking action and an 82 mph slider that sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 91 mph sinker that has natural sinking action and a 77 mph curveball that has slight glove-side movement.
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below.
Rays 4/19/22 Starting Lineup
- Arozarena LF
- Franco SS
- Ramirez 1B
- Díaz 3B
- B. Lowe DH
- Margot CF
- Zunino C
- J. Lowe RF
- Walls 2B