Series Preview: Series 12 vs. Rays
Photo Via: Seth Wenig — Associated PressUpdate: Rays starting pitching rotation is announced as series continues.
It is time for Yankees-Rays again! Everybody knows the Yanks have been flat out awful against Tampa Bay since last season. Everything about the Rays seems to bother the Yankees. The turf, the dome, the openers, the constant pitching changes, the defensive shifts, and the platoon matchups. Not to mention all of the on-field drama over the years where each team’s feelings get hurt when they are hit by a pitch, even unintentionally.
Game 1
Tuesday, May 11 — 7:10 pm — YES Network, ESPN
Probable Pitchers: Jordan Montgomery - LHP (NYY) vs. Luis Patiño - RHP (TB)
Game Notes: The return of Luke Voit will be the storyline for the Yankees. He gives the team a jolt of energy when he is out there. The Yankees have been cycling through first baseman all season, so some stability in the infield will be great.
As for the pitching matchup, the Yankees against Luis Patiño will be very intriguing. Tampa Bay acquired him in the Blake Snell trade with the Padres. He is a small right-hander with a rocket for an arm. He dials it up into triple-digits fairly often, but has yet to go deep into games at this point.
The Rays plan to use Josh Fleming out of the bullpen in game one. Despite a 5.3 K/9 rate, Josh Fleming has been extremely successful so far in 2021. He boasts a 2.83 ERA (4.23 FIP), thanks to his sinker, cutter, and changeups missing barrels and inducing weak contact.
Jordan Montgomery was wild and appeared uncomfortable the last time he pitched at Tropicana Field. He needs to make sure the ball is not sailing away on his arm side, as we have seen this season.
Game 2
Wednesday, May 12 — 7:10 pm — YES Network
Probable Pitchers: Gerrit Cole - RHP (NYY) vs. Collin McHugh - RHP (TB)
Game Notes: If there is a game for Ji-Man Choi to return for, it is this one. It is no secret that he clobbers the ball against Gerrit Cole. At this point, it is almost a running joke. Eventually, a pitcher as good as Cole will probably figure him out and get the best of him, but for now the trend continues and is worth monitoring.
Cole has been downright nasty this season (1.61 ERA). He is racking up strikeouts (66), limiting home run damage (3 solo shots), and commanding the ball well (0.72 WHIP). The Rays tend to strike out as a team, so Cole can add to his Cy Young Award contending résumé.
Collin McHugh will serve as the opener for the Rays. He will most likely be capped at two innings. He features a slider-cutter-fastball combination. In two appearances against the Yankees this season, McHugh has surrendered 5 runs (3 earned) in just 1.1 innings of work. However, that was before his trip to the injured list. Since his return, he pitched 2 scoreless innings and struck out 5 batters when he served as the opener against the Angels.
Ryan Yarbrough is a likely option as the bulk pitcher in this game. He has had a tough go this season (4.58 ERA). However, he shut down the Yankees when they faced off in April. The Yankees have improved at the plate since then, but not by much.
Game 3
Thursday, May 13 — 7:10 pm — YES Network, MLB Network
Probable Pitchers: Jameson Taillon - RHP (NYY) vs. Rich Hill - LHP (TB)
Game Notes: Jameson Taillon is in the process of finding out what the next act of his career will be like. Although he takes an underwhelming 5.02 ERA into this start, he should not be judged on ERA quite yet. Over the next two months, Taillon will be tweaking with his delivery, grips, pitch selection, and arm slot to try to find what works for him. He seems to be just missing quality starts by making a regrettable pitch in the middle innings.
The Rays have yet to officially announce their starter for the third game. If Ryan Yarbrough indeed is deployed as the bulk pitcher on Wednesday, then Rich Hill will probably start on Thursday. Tyler Glasnow would also be on full rest for this game.
Hill owns a 5.17 ERA in 31.1 innings this season. In his April start against the Yanks, he pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 runs while striking out 7 and earning the win. His last two outings have been scoreless (3 innings vs. Houston and 6 innings vs. Oakland).
Sluggers to Watch
Gleyber Torres finally hit his first home run on Sunday. Although he does not appear to be locked in like Stanton has been, maybe things will start to come easy without the pressure of putting the first homer on the board. Look for a more relaxed Torres at the plate, which would be really, really good for the Yankees.
Giancarlo Stanton’s only hit of the series against Washington was his walk-off single on Sunday, but he continued to make hard contact and draw walks. The Rays will be a good litmus test to see if we are in for an MVP-caliber season from Giancarlo or if it will be a season of streaks. The matchups against a rookie in Patiño, then two soft-throwing lefties (Tampa Bay has not officially announced Yarbrough and Fleming yet) are quite favorable for Stanton.
Joey Wendle gave the Yankees a headache in their last series, which was in the Bronx. This season, Wendle is hitting 10 for 19 (.526 AVG) with a 1.466 OPS against the Yanks. Two of his three home runs on the season are against the Yankees. In short, the baseball is looking like a beach ball to him when going against the Bombers.
Another slugger that likes to give the Yankees problems is Randy Arozarena. He is a fantastic fastball hitter and a tough out. He has been held to a pedestrian .261 average against the Yanks this year, but like Wendle, two of his three home runs are against the division rival.
Injury Report
Each team is expected to get their first basemen back for this series. Luke Voit and Ji-Man Choi each had knee surgery prior to the season. Voit, MLB’s home run leader in 2020, is going to return for this series after crushing the ball in his Triple-A rehab stint. The Rays are not certain Choi will return, but have strongly hinted that it could very well be this series that he does rejoin the team.
Gio Urshela missed the entire series against the Nationals over the weekend, but was not placed on the injured list. Supposedly, he is expected to be good to go against the Rays.
INF Rougned Odor (sprained knee), RHP Clarke Schmidt (elbow strain), LHP Zack Britton (arthroscopic elbow surgery), RHP Darren O’Day (strained rotator cuff), and RHP Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery) are all out for the series. Severino is scheduled to throw live at-bats and hopefully soon progress to a rehab assignment next month.
C Francisco Mejia (strained oblique), CF Kevin Kiermaier (sprained wrist), RHP Chris Archer (forearm tightness), RHP Yonny Chirinos (Tommy John surgery), and RHP Michael Wacha (strained hamstring) are all on the injured list and will not return for the series.
Tampa Bay’s bullpen has also been hit hard with injuries. RHP Peter Fairbanks just returned from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for about a month. RHP Collin McHugh will return for this series.
RHP Diego Castillo (strained groin), RHP Nick Anderson (partially torn elbow ligament), LHP Jalen Beeks (Tonny John surgery), RHP Oliver Drake (strained flexor), RHP Chris Mazza (shoulder inflammation), LHP Colin Poche (Tommy John surgery), and RHP Chaz Roe (strained shoulder) are all on the injured list and will not play in the series.
Look at that list! It is incredible that Tampa Bay still has a very serviceable bullpen.