After losing two of three to the last-place Red Sox, the Rays find themselves tied atop the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles who have won four in a row and seven of their last eight. The Rays have been an incredible road team this year, having the best record in the league while traveling but they are below .500 at home and have lost five of their last seven at the Trop. Tonight, the Rays will begin a four game set with the Cleveland Indians, then they will travel up to New York on Friday where they will spend Independence Day weekend.
Going to the mound for the Rays will be Nathan Karns, and he will be opposed by Cody Anderson, who made his major league debut against the Rays last Sunday and shut them down for 7 2/3 innings en route to a victory for Cleveland. Last time out, Karns went six scoreless innings against Toronto, allowed three hits, struck out five, and walked three in what was an extra inning loss to the Blue Jays.
So far this season, he is 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA and a 3.93 FIP to go along with a 21.6 K% and a 9.6 BB% over the course of 15 starts and 85 innings pitched.
Cody Anderson Scouting Report:
Anderson has been a top-30 prospect for the Indians the past three seasons, ranking as high 5th after 2013. He was actually drafted by the Rays back in the 17th round of the 2010 draft but did not sign. He would be taken a year later by Cleveland in the 14th round and has worked his way through the minors. He made his debut last Sunday for the Indians and went 7 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing six hits, struck out four, and walked one. In three starts with Triple-A Columbus, Anderson is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA and a 2.25 FIP to go along with a 13.8 K% and a 3.5 BB% after starting the season with Double-A Akron.
His Arsenal (at least what was used last time out against the Rays):
PITCH | VELOCITY | FREQUENCY | vs LHB | vs RHB |
Fastball | Low to Mid 90's |
63% vs LHB *** 73% vs RHB |
NA | NA |
Cutter | Low 90's |
0% vs LHB *** 13% vs RHB |
NA | NA |
Change | Low to Mid 80's |
25% vs LHB *** 15% vs RHB |
NA | NA |
Curve | High 70's |
13% vs LHB *** 0% vs RHB |
Anderson's splits this year in Triple-A have shown that he's decimated lefties in a SSS, as they only slashed .172/.219/.172 while having a 37.5 K% and 6.3 BB% in 32 trips to the plate. Meanwhile righties have slashed .286/.348/.357 while having a 13.0 K% and a 6.5 BB% in 46 trips to the plate.
Other Rays Notes:
- Jake Odorizzi will make his first of two possible rehab starts Wednesday
#Rays will have Odorizzi make a rehab start on Wednesday for @StoneCrabs, puts him and Moore on different days that way
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 29, 2015
- John Jaso is taking a day off from his rehab, took BP at the Trop
#Rays Jaso said just a day off, wrist was "still sore" during 1st 2 rehab games but no shooting pain. Also, he has dreads now.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 29, 2015
- Reasoning for Kiermaier not playing the past two days
#Rays Kiermaier had general soreness "from the waist down" and needed a couple days off his feet and off turf; is now rested + "ready to go"
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 29, 2015
- Alexi Casilla has been dealt to the Tigers, presumably to become a MVP candidate
Tigers To Acquire Alexi Casilla From Rays http://t.co/d2nBzsNFb3
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) June 29, 2015
- Strange sidenote to the deal above, the Bulls were taking on the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit's AAA affiliate) so he just switches dugouts.
- June 29th in team history, of which they are 5-9 (0-7 as the Devil Rays)
- 1998 - Signed Travis Harper, who'd become one of the team's longest tenured players as he pitched seven seasons for Tampa Bay (2000-2006), accumulating a record of 22-29 with a 4.94 ERA and a 4.83 FIP over the course of 240 games and 411 2/3 innings pitched.
- 2002 - Signed Elliot Johnson, who'd serve as an organizational soldier until finally making his debut in 2008 but only played seven games before his demotion. He'd spend most of the 2011-2012 seasons with Tampa Bay, then was dealt to the Royals as the PTBNL in the James Shields trade.
- 2003 - Russ Ortiz and John Smoltz (as the closer) combine to shut out the Devil Rays, only allowing three hits.
- 2004 - Following being shut out the previous year, the Devil Rays are again shut down on three hits thanks to the performance of Ted Lilly, Vinnie Chulk, and Jason Frasor.
- 2007 - The Devil Rays suffer a walkoff loss to the Cleveland Indians after Ben Francisco lifts his first career HR off Shawn Camp (who probably bumped elbows with Andy Sonnastine at some point earlier in the day).
- 2013 - After scoring three times in the third to take a 3-0 lead over the Rays, the Tigers allow four unanswered runs, the last of which was a walkoff single courtesy of Yunel Escobar in the bottom of the 10th.
- 2014 - The Rays take a 12-7 victory over the Orioles, thanks in part to hitting five homers courtesy of Matt Joyce (2), Kevin Kiermaier, Logan Forsythe, and Ben Zobrist