TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:
OFF TO THE RACES — The Rays won their fourth consecutive game to open their 2023 slate with Monday night’s 6-2 victory over Washington at Nationals Park, securing the first 4-0 start to a season in franchise history…Luke Raley (2-for-3, 2R, BB, 2HR, 3RBI) turned in his first career multi-homer game while Isaac Paredes (2-for-4, 2R, HR, RBI) clubbed his first home run of the season…Rays starter RHP Drew Rasmussen (6.0IP, 2H, 0R, 7SO) retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced in his 2023 debut.
Tampa Bay has previously started the season 3-0 on three occasions (2002, 2012, 2022), but lost its fourth game each year.
WHAT’S THE DIFF? — Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents, 27-5 (+22), the best run differential over the first four games of a season in club history, surpassing the 2008 Rays (+13, 31-18)…it ties the 18th-best run differential through four games in MLB history (since 1901), and the best since Houston in 2021 (+22).
Tampa Bay’s 27 runs scored are its fourth-most through four games, trailing the 2008 (31R), 2020 (28R) and 1998 (28R) clubs.
The Rays’ best run differential through five games of a season is +14 (2014 & 2020)…their franchise mark for most runs scored through five games is 36 (2020).
AS STINGY AS IT GETS — The Rays have permitted only five runs in 2023, their fewest allowed over the first four games of a season in club history, ahead of the 2019 squad (9R)…marks the fewest runs yielded by any MLB club over the first four games of a season since San Diego in 2019 (also 5R)…Minnesota has also allowed five runs in its first four games this season.
The Rays have allowed two-or-fewer runs in each of their first four games for the first time in club history.
Tampa Bay’s current record for fewest runs allowed through five games is 10 runs (2019)…the last MLB club to allow five-or-fewer runs through its first five games was San Francisco in 2002 (4R).
ROTATIONAL DOMINATION — Rays starting pitchers have produced a 0.39 ERA (23.0IP, 1ER), the lowest through the rotation’s first four starts of a season in club history, ahead of the 2022 team (1.98)…per Elias, it marks the lowest starting pitcher ERA through any team’s first four games since Toronto in 2019 (0.00).
POWER SURGE — The Rays have hit seven home runs, tied with the 2006, 2008 and 2020 clubs for second-most through four games in franchise history, trailing only the 2007 and 2009 teams (8HR each)…the club record for homers through five games is nine (2007).
Six different players have homered for Tampa Bay, trailing only Baltimore (8) for most in the AL…Luke Raley paces the Rays with two homers.
VS. WASHINGTON — Prior to the current series, the Rays last met the Nationals in 2021 — the clubs split a two-game series at Tropicana Field from 6/8-9 before Washington swept a two-game set at Nationals Park from 6/29-30…overall, Tampa Bay is 18-20 (.474) against Montreal/Washington, including a 13-13 (.500) record vs. the Nationals dating to 6/30/06.
INTERLEAGUE RUNDOWN — Tampa Bay went 12-8 (.600) in Interleague play last season, including an 8-2 record at home vs. a 4-6 mark on the road…since 2008, the Rays are 172-119 (.591) in Interleague play, the second-best winning percentage in the majors over that stretch behind Boston (.631, 183-107). Ê MLB’s new balanced schedule calls for each club to face all 29 teams for at least one series, with the total number of Interleague games per club jumping from 20 to 46.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN — Since 2018, Tampa Bay is 191-165 (.537) on the road, the fourth-best winning percentage in the American League during that timeframe…the 2022 Rays went 35-46 (.432) away from home, including an eight-game winning streak from 4/19-5/7 and a five-game losing skid to end the regular season from 10/1-5. SUSTAINED SUCCESS—Tampa Bay has reached the postseason in a franchise-best four straight seasons and in eight of the last 15 seasons since 2008…only four other clubs have reached the postseason as often since 2008: Los Angeles-NL (12), New York-AL (11), St. Louis (10) and Atlanta (8)…the Rays are one of three AL teams (Astros, Yankees) and one of six in the majors (Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers) to make the postseason in each of the last four seasons (2019-22).
TONIGHT’S STARTER: LHP JOSH FLEMING
SINK OR SWIM — Last season, Fleming used his sinker for 54.7 percent of his pitches…his ground ball rate of 63.8 percent ranked eighth in the majors among pitchers with at least 35 innings.
In 2021, he used his sinker for 45.7 percent of his pitches…his ground ball rate of 55.7 percent ranked third in the AL behind Houston’s Framber Valdez (70.3%) and Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr. (56.9%) (min. 75.0IP).
RAMPING UP — In six Grapefruit League outings, Fleming pitched to a 4.91 ERA (14.2IP, 8ER) while holding opponents to a .214 average (12-for-56)…after allowing six runs on 2/25 at Minnesota, Fleming pitched to a 1.32 ERA (13.2IP, 2ER) while holding opponents to a .125 average (6-for-48) over his remaining five appearances.
2022 REWIND — Made 10 appearances (3 starts) over five stints with the Rays last season: Opening Day-5/6, 7/4, 7/10-8/27, 9/13-14 and 10/5… marked the first time he had made an Opening Day roster in his career… spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Durham, going 9-2 with a 3.06 ERA (64.2IP, 22ER) over 15 appearances (10 starts), tying for fourth in the International League in wins.
Tossed a season-high 5.0 innings on 7/4/22 at Boston, but did not receive any run support (5.0IP, 8H, 4R-3ER, 4SO).
Was charged with 11 unearned runs, tied for third in the AL despite his 35.0 innings ranking tied for 224th in the circuit.
D.C. DEALINGS — Fleming will be making his second career start against Washington and first at Nationals Park…in his lone appearance against the Nationals on 9/16/20 at Tropicana Field, Fleming tossed 3.2 scoreless relief innings, allowing a hit and walk with two strikeouts.
EAST FEATS — In nine career appearances (5 starts) vs. NL East opponents, Fleming is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA (38.1IP, 14ER)…in his last start vs. an NL East club on 7/17/21, he took the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits and a walk with one strikeout at Atlanta.
TAKING A LOOK BACK — In 2021, Fleming tied Shane McClanahan for the team lead with 10 wins and tied for second among major league rookies behind Houston’s Luis Garcia (11)…on 6/13/21 vs. Baltimore, Fleming became the fifth pitcher in club history to make a hitless relief appearance of four innings or more and the first since Álex Torres on 5/18/13 at Baltimore.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW — Fleming was selected from the alternate training site on 8/23/20 and made his major league debut that night…he earned the won over Toronto after throwing 5.0 innings of two run ball, allowing four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Fleming became the third Rays pitcher to start and win each of his first three major league appearances, joining Jake Faria in 2017 and Jeremy Hellickson 2010.
From 8/23/20 through season’s end, his five wins tied Tyler Glasnow and Seattle’s Marco Gonzales for the major league lead.
He became the second Rays rookie to finish a season with five wins or more and no losses, joining Jalen Beeks (5-0) in 2018.
MVP HONORS — In 2019, Flemming was named Most Valuable Player for Double-A Montgomery by the Rays baseball operations department.
His 11 wins for Montgomery tied for the Southern League lead while his 3.31 ERA (127.2IP, 47ER) ranked fifth.
Fleming earned SL Pitcher of the Week honors for 7/22-28, 2019 after tossing back-to-back nine-inning complete games.
Earned a mid-August promotion to Triple-A Durham and combined to go 12-7 with a 3.57 ERA (148.2IP, 59ER) between the two levels during the 2019 campaign.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
MOVING ON
The Washington Nationals fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-2, in the first game of this three-game series on Monday night…Dominic Smith collected two hits, while Jeimer Candelario clubbed his first home run of the season.
• This is the Rays’ first three-game series in Washington since 2012…Tampa Bay played two-game series in the nation’s capital in 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2015.
KUHL AND THE GANG
MacKenzie Gore and Trevor Williams each made their Nationals debut the last two games, and Chad Kuhl makes his Nationals debut tonight…According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the second time in Nationals history (2005-pres.) that at least three starting pitchers made their club debut on consecutive nights.
• Elias notes that the other time it happened was Washington’s first four games of the 2005 season: Livan Hernandez, Zach Day, Esteban Loaiza and Tomo Ohka.
• The last time it happened in Major League Baseball was April 11-13, 2022 when Dylan Bundy, Chris Archer and Chris Paddack made their first starts as members of the Minnesota Twins, per Elias.
BULLPENNING
Washington’s bullpen has held opposing batters to a .206 batting average (13-for-63) through the first four games…The group has issued just four walks this season including just one in the last three games.
• Mason Thompson has tossed 5.0 innings of two-hit, one-run relief across two outings…He threw 2.0 innings on March 30 vs. Atlanta (2.0 IP, H, 3 SO) and matched a career-high with 3.0 innings on April 3 vs. Tampa Bay (3.0 IP, H, ER, HR, SO)…He has yet to issue a walk this season.
HITTERISH
Some notes on a few hitters early in the 2023 season:
• Keibert Ruiz is tied for the team lead with a .438 on-base percentage…He has reached base safely in all four games and in seven of 16 plate appearances (4 H, 2 BB, HBP)
• Dominic Smith has hit safely in three of four games, going 5-for-14 (.357) with one RBI, two walks and two runs scored…He is tied with Keibert Ruiz for the team lead with a .438 on-base percentage…Like Ruiz, he has also reached base safely in all four games this season.
• Lane Thomas is 5-for-16 (.313) with one double, one RBI and one run scored through four games this …He’s hit safely in three of four games.
NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
The Nationals are one of six teams with at least three players in the top 50 youngest players in Major League Baseball to start the season…The Arizona Diamondbacks (5), St. Louis Cardinals (5), Detroit Tigers (3), Pittsburgh Pirates (3) and Seattle Mariners (3) also have three players in the top 50.
• CJ Abrams (22) is the third-youngest player in Major League Baseball, while Luis Garcia (23) is 15th and Keibert Ruiz (24) is 50th.
OPPONENT
TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Nationals and Rays will meet three times this season, all in D.C….Nationals manager Dave Martinez played three seasons (1998-2000) for the Devil Rays…He recorded the first hit in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history on March 31, 1998…He returned to spend seven seasons (2008-14) as the Rays’ bench coach after serving as a Spring Training instructor for them in 2006-07…Tim Bogar worked with Martinez during the 2008 season, serving as Tampa Bay’s quality assurance coach…Jim Hickey served as Tampa Bay’s pitching coach from 2007-17…Corey Dickerson hit 51 home runs across two seasons (2016-17) with Tampa Bay, including a career-high 27 in his 2017 American League All-Star season… Erasmo Ramírez went 22-20 with a 3.98 ERA in 124 games (36 starts) across three seasons (2015-17) with Tampa Bay…Rays pitcher Kevin Kelly graduated from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly before attending James Madison University… Rays infielder Brandon Lowe grew up in Suffolk, Va. before attending the University of Maryland.
TODAY’S STARTER – #52 CHAD KUHL
Veteran right-hander signed a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training and went on to make the club…Enters 2023 at 31-31 with a 4.74 ERA in 127 games (111 starts) in six Major League seasons…Began his professional career with Pittsburgh before spending the 2022 season with the Colorado Rockies
vs. TAMPA BAY
Has never faced the Tampa Bay Rays.
2023 SPRING TRAINING
Capped Spring Training with a 2.61 ERA (3 ER/10.1 IP) and 11 strikeouts against just three walks across his last two Grapefruit League outings.
2022
Began the season 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA (6 ER/29.2 IP) through his first five starts…His 1.82 ERA was the lowest by a Rockies starter to begin a season (through five starts) since Ubaldo Jiménez (0.79 ERA in 2010)….Tossed a shutout (3 H, 5 SO, zero BB) on June 27 vs. Los Angeles (NL)…Became the 26th pitcher to toss a shutout at Coors Field and the 17th Rockies pitcher to throw a shutout in Denver, and the 16th at Coors Field.
2021
Made his first career Opening Day start at Chicago (NL)…Made a career-high 14 relief appearances…Went 4-2 with a 2.41 ERA (14 G/6 GS) at PNC Park, and 1-5 with a 7.32 ERA (14 G/8 GS) on the road.
2020
Made the Opening Day roster after missing 2019 due to Tommy John surgery…Made his season debut on July 27 vs. Milwaukee in relief (3.2 scoreless IP).. Was his first professional relief appearance and his first MLB game since July 26, 2018…Took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Sept. 24 vs. Chicago (NL) en route to a 7-0 victory (7.0 IP, 2 H).
2019
Missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
2018
Began the season in Pittsburgh’s starting rotation before being placed on the Injured List on June 27 (right forearm strain).
2017
Struck out a career-high 142 batters in a career-high 157.1 innings and a career-high 31 starts in his first full Major League season…Tied for ninth in the NL with 0.97 home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (min. 150 IP).
2016
Earned his first MLB win (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO) in his MLB debut on June 26 vs. Los Angeles (NL)…Faced Clayton Kershaw…Made four starts before getting optioned on July 19…Was recalled Aug. 9 and remained on the Pirates active roster through the end of the season.
2013-15
Advanced through Pittsburgh’s Minor League system…Led the Pirates’ system and the Florida State League in wins (13) in 2014…Ranked third in the Eastern League in ERA (2.48) in 2015.
