After getting swept by Houston in a three game series, the offense has come alive scoring 20 runs against Toronto the last two games
With just over a week to go in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the lead wild card spot. The Seattle Mariners remain 1.5 games behind the Rays and the Blue Jays.
After getting swept by the Houston Astros in a three-game series earlier in the week, the Ray’s offense has come alive, and they have scored 20 runs in the last two games.
More runs combined than the Rays scored in the last six days.
The last time the Rays scored ten or more runs in a game was in a game over a week ago, against, you guessed it, the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays shut out the Jays 11-0 back on Thursday, September 15th.
Against Toronto, these last two games, almost everyone has contributed by getting on base or driving in a run or two with timely hitting.
Randy Arozarena has five hits with eight runs batted in. Arozarena also joined Isaac Paredes, hitting his 20th home run of the season.
The pitching has not been great so far in the series. But it hasn’t had to be based on how the Rays are swinging the bats.
Friday night, the Rays had leads of 3-0 and 6-4 and let Toronto come back and tie the game. However, the Rays were in a battle all night offensively to outscore the Blue Jays.
Pete Fairbanks, who has been excellent out of the bullpen and pitched the ninth inning on Friday night, talked about the Rays’ mentality going down the stretch.
“It’s kind of in our hands, and whatever we do with that is whatever we do with it,” Fairbanks said. Our job is to come in and have that same drive and same competitive fire and to bring it. And hopefully, have our number lit up in gold on the Bally Sports broadcast at the end of the day.”
In his postgame press conference, Kevin Cash talked about two good teams competing against one another. “We know we’re playing a very good team. No lead’s good enough with that lineup. We just kind of went back and forth. We played them; I felt pretty tight up there in Toronto the last go-around. And certainly, this game was fitting of two good teams really competing.”
Drew Rasmussen will pitch for the Rays on Saturday, with Shane McClanahan going for the Rays on Sunday.
The Ray’s schedule is one of the most demanding in the last week of the season. The Rays have two more against Toronto this weekend before going on the road to Cleveland and Houston next week to wrap up the regular season.
The Rays may be getting one of their best pitchers back just in time for the postseason. Kevin Cash said that it is looking more and more like Tyler Glasnow will make a start in Cleveland on Wednesday. However, Glasnow will be limited to three-four innings.
Glasnow has battled back from Tommy John surgery last August and has been impressive in four rehab appearances. Glasnow allowed one run in seven innings of rehab work.
The Rays may have lost Ryan Yarbrough for the season with an oblique strain. The recovery time is four to six weeks, so Yarbrough has probably thrown his last pitch this season.
Yarbrough had had a disappointing season going 3-8 with a 4.50 ERA.
