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Game 40 Preview: Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers

The Rays offense has carried the team over the .500 marker, will it carry the team further?

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

The Rays have won four in a row and are now back a game over .500 and sit at 20-19, four and a half games back of the Baltimore Orioles who sit alone atop the American League East. During this winning streak, the Rays have scored at least six runs during each game, the first time they've done that since 2005.

The Tigers meanwhile saw their winning streak snapped and have fallen to 19-22, five and a half games back of the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central

Today's Starting Pitchers:

2016 W L ERA FIP K% BB% AVG BABIP HR GS IP fWAR
Drew Smyly 2 4 3.44 3.38 29.7% 6.2% .203 .256 7 8 49.2 1.1
Michael Fulmer 2 1 6.52 4.91 23.7% 9.7% .345 .431 4 4 19.1 0.0

Drew Smyly was decent his last time out, at least the box score says so. He was usually ahead of the hitters he faced, but struggled to put them away and eventually walked a season high four hitters in just five innings, while he did manage six strikeouts. He also allowed a run on four hits, but received plenty of run support from his offense to net his second victory of the season.

Michael Fulmer Scouting Report:

Michael Fulmer is off to a slow start thus far in his major league career, having made his debut back on April 29th against the Twins. He's only made four starts and has registered just under 20 innings pitched and has given up more hits than innings pitched, each time out. His appearance was on the 15th against the Orioles where he allowed five runs -- four earned -- on five hits -- a homer -- while he walked three and struck out six, before being removed after recording an out in the fifth inning.

His Arsenal:

PITCH AVG. VELO. FREQUENCY vs LHB vs RHB
Fastball 96.1 MPH

23.3% vs LHB

***

30.2% vs RHB

Either up in the zone, or on the inside corner Paints the outside corner
Sinker 95.7 MPH

40.6% vs LHB

***

30.6% vs RHB

Paints the outside corner Paints the inside corner
Change-up 87.2 MPH

15.3% vs LHB

***

0.8% vs RHB

Paints the outside corner Sporadic
Slider 88.9 MPH

20.6% vs LHB

***

38.2% vs RHB

Low and inside Low and away from the zone

His Splits:

2016 TBF wOBA AVG OBP SLG HR K% BB%
vs LHB 39 .348 .361 .410 .389 0 15.4% 7.7%
vs RHB 54 .446 .333 .407 .646 4 29.6% 11.1%
HOME 93 .405 .345 .409 .536 4 23.7% 9.7%
AWAY 39 .348 .361 .410 .389 0 15.4% 7.7%

Today's Starting Lineups:

TAMPA BAY RAYS DETROIT TIGERS
Brandon Guyer - LF Ian Kinsler - 2B
Brad Miller - SS J.D. Martinez - RF
Evan Longoria - 3B Miguel Cabrera - 1B
Steve Pearce - 2B Victor Martinez - DH
Corey Dickerson - DH Nick Castellanos - 3B
Steven Souza - RF Justin Upton - LF
Logan Morrison - 1B Cameron Maybin - CF
Kevin Kiermaier - CF James McCann - C
Curt Casali - C Jose Iglesias - SS