TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:
RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD — Tampa Bay dropped yesterday’s contest in Seattle by a score of 8-3…RHP Tyler Glasnow took the loss after allowing three runs across 5.2 innings, surrendering seven hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters…1B Luke Raley (1-for-4, HR, 2RBI) homered for the second time in three days, pushing his season total to 14 HR…3B Yandy Díaz (2-for-4, 2B, R) recorded his 26th multi-hit performance of the year, one shy of team leader Wander Franco (27G).
Following his 12-strikeout performance on 6/25 vs. Kansas City, Tyler Glasnow has now struck out 11+ batters in consecutive starts for the first time in his career…he is the fourth pitcher in the majors to accomplish the feat this season, joining TOR Kevin Gausman (2x) and AZ Zac Gallen…SD Blake Snell struck out 11+ batters in an MLB-best three straight starts from 6/11-22.
HOMER HAPPY — Tampa Bay has six players with 12+ HR, including Jose Siri (16HR), Randy Arozarena (15HR), Luke Raley (14HR), Isaac Paredes (13HR), Yandy Díaz (12HR) and Josh Lowe (12)…the Rays are one of two teams to have six or more players with 12+ HR, joining Atlanta (7)…last season, Tampa Bay had two players with 12+ HR (Randy Arozarena – 20HR and Isaac Paredes – 20 HR).
PEN PALS — RHP Kevin Kelly has thrown 15.2 scoreless innings since 5/14, holding opponents to a .118 (6-for-51) average during the run…it is the second-longest active scoreless inning streak among AL relievers, trailing only NYY Tommy Kahnle (16.2IP).
LHP Jake Diekman owns the fourth-longest active scoreless streak among AL relievers at 12.2 innings…he has made 15 appearances during the run since 5/26, holding opponents to a .051 (2-for-39) average with 21 strikeouts.
In 14 appearances since 5/26, RHP Jason Adam owns a 1.88 ERA (14.1IP, 3ER) with five saves while holding opponents to a .149 (7-for-47) average.
MARINER MASHERS — In 16 career games against the Mariners, Randy Arozarena is batting .300 (18-for-60) with two doubles, one triple, 4 HR and 11 RBI…this includes a career-high-tying four-hit performance at Seattle on 5/6/22.
Manuel Margot has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games against the Mariners dating back to 6/18/21, batting .342 (13-for-38) with 4 HR and 10 RBI during that stretch.
Harold Ramírez has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games vs. Seattle dating back to 6/11/21, batting .316 (12-for-38) with 4 RBI during the run.
LUUUUUKE — Luke Raley finished the month of June slashing .348/.403/.636 (23-for66) with six doubles, two triples, 3 HR, 10 RBI and 19 runs across 19 games…min. 65 AB, his 1.039 OPS ranked fourth among AL batters during June behind LAA Shohei Ohtani (1.444), TEX Corey Seager (1.083) and CWS Luis Robert Jr. (1.040).
He has recorded at least one RBI in a career-best four straight games since 6/28, going 6-for-15 (.400) with one double and 2 HR during the run…he is one of four Rays this season to drive in at least one run in four or more consecutive games, joining Jose Siri (5G, 3/30-4/5), Brandon Lowe (4G, 4/8-11) and Josh Lowe (4G, 2x, 4/16-21 and 6/24-30).
WHEN IT MATTERS MOST — The Rays are batting .295 with runners in scoring position, the second-highest mark in the majors behind the Rangers (.304)…Tampa Bay’s .289 AVG with RISP/2 outs is tied with Houston for second in MLB, trailing only Texas (.290).
Josh Lowe is hitting .452 (14-for-31) with RISP/2 outs, tied with TOR Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the second-highest mark in the AL (min. 30AB), trailing only TEX Jonah Heim (.471).
Harold Ramírez is batting .500 (9-for-18) with 12 RBI with RISP since 6/3, while Randy Arozarena is batting .421 (8-for-19) with 10 RBI with runners in scoring position since 6/16.
Jose Siri is batting .375 (15-for-40) with 5 HR and 26 RBI with runners in scoring position this year, tied for the eighth-highest AVG in the AL (min. 40AB)…this includes 7-for-19 (.368) with 3 HR and 12 RBI with RISP/2 outs.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING — Tampa Bay concluded June with the most home runs (128) and stolen bases (102) in the AL…they became 10th team all-time to lead the AL in both categories at the end of June, including the first since the 2015 Houston Astros (Elias).
HITTING THE ROAD — Tampa Bay hitters rank among AL clubs on the road in XBH (1st, 144), HR per game (1st, 1.45), SLG (2nd, .446), HR (2nd, 61), OBP (2nd, .329), OPS (2nd, .775), AVG (3rd, .261) and total bases (3rd, 655).
BEST OF THE BEST — Tampa Bay is an MLB-best 31-17 (.646) against teams that are currently at or above .500, ahead of Atlanta (28-16, .636) and San Francisco (25-19, .568)… following today’s series finale in Seattle, Tampa Bay enjoys an off-day before taking on Philadelphia (44-38) and Atlanta (55-27) heading into the All-Star break.
RAIN OR SHINE — The Rays and Mariners meet for the final contest of a three-game set this afternoon in Seattle…Tampa Bay went 5-2 against Seattle last season, including a 3-1 record at T-Mobile Park.
The Rays have taken seven of 10 from Seattle overall dating back to 8/4/21…this stretch was preceded by Seattle’s six-game winning streak over Tampa Bay from 6/17-8/3, 2021.
TODAY’S STARTER: RHP TAJ BRADLEY (5-4, 4.58)
TALKIN’ TAJ—The 22-year-old rookie will make his 12th career start this afternoon, including his seventh on the road…will mark his first career start against Seattle…is the sixth Rays pitcher to make 10+ starts at age 22 or younger, including the first since Luis Patiño (2021-22)…ranks among AL rookie leaders (min. 50.0IP) in strikeout rate (1st, 32.3%), SO/BB ratio (2nd, 4.56), strikeouts (3rd, 73), opp. AVG (6th, .248) and opp. OPS (6th, .732).
LAST TIME OUT — Surrendered career highs in homers (4), hits (7) and runs (7) in the Rays 8-4 loss at Arizona’s Chase Field on 6/27 to open the current six-game road trip (4.0IP, 7H, 7R, 6ER, BB, 2SO, 4HR)…yielded five runs in the opening frame, including a three-run homer and a solo home run…the Rays drew back within one run, 5-4, in the second frame, but the D-backs added solo homers in the third and fourth innings to conclude Bradley’s outing after 82 pitches…he entered the contest with a 2.13 ERA (25.1IP, 6ER) in five career road starts.
M AND M’S — Bradley will be making his first career start against the Mariners…it will mark his fourth career start against an AL West club — he is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA (13.0IP, 9ER), seven walks and 21 strikeouts in his previous outings against the division…among pitchers with 3+ starts vs. the AL West this season, his 14.54 strikeouts per 9.0 IP against the division signals the highest mark in the majors, ahead of MIN Joe Ryan (14.06).
ON THE ROAD AGAIN — In six road starts, Bradley is 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA (29.1IP, 12ER) and 40 strikeouts against 11 walks while holding opponents to a .232 (26-for-112) average…before allowing a career-high 6 ER in his last road start on 6/27 at Arizona, he had permitted two or fewer ER in each of his first five career road starts.
STRIKEOUT SAVANT — Despite recording a career-low two punchouts in his most recent start, Bradley’s 73 strikeouts are the second most through a pitcher’s first 11 starts with the Rays in franchise history, trailing only Charlie Morton (77SO – 3/29-5/25, 2019)…marks the most strikeouts by a Rays rookie through 11 starts in club history, outpacing Jake Faria (67SO) in 2017.
Since his debut on 4/12, Bradley’s 32.3 pct. strikeout rate is third highest among AL starters (min. 10GS), behind LAA Shohei Ohtani (33.4%) and TOR Kevin Gausman (33.4%).
On 6/15 at Oakland, Bradley recorded each of his first nine outs via strikeout…his 11 punchouts on the day were tied with six other pitchers for the second most by a Rays rookie in club history, trailing only Dan Wheeler (12SO) on 9/12/99 vs. OAK …the last Tampa Bay rookie to record 11+ K’s was Jake Odorizzi (11SO) on 5/9/14.
TROUBLE WITH THE LONG BALL — Bradley permitted only four homers in his first nine career starts from 4/12-6/15 — his 0.84 HR/9.0 IP in that span was 12th lowest in the AL (min. 40.0IP)…over his last two starts since 6/21, he has yielded five homers, good for 4.50 HR/9.0 IP, tied with BAL Dean Kremer for the highest mark in the AL in that stretch (min. 10.0IP).
ABOVE THE CURVE — Bradley has held opponents to a .147 (5-for-34) average and a .235 slugging pct. on his curveball…he has allowed just one extra-base hit on the pitch, a homer to TOR George Springer on 5/23… marks the second-lowest opp. AVG on any AL starter’s curve (min. 30AB), behind CLE Aaron Civale (.140).
THIS AND THAT — He has held opponents to a .153 clip (19-for-124) with seven walks in two-strike counts and .154 (4-for-26) in full counts… opposing 6-9 hitters are just 12-for-76 (.158) against him compared to .300 (39-for-130) vs. the first five spots in the order…when leading off an inning, opponents are hitting .365 (19-for-52) against him with three doubles, two triples and four home runs.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW — Bradley’s eight strikeouts on 4/12 vs. Boston were the second most by a Rays player in his major league debut in club history, trailing only Wade Davis’ nine punchouts on 9/6/09 vs. Detroit… since the beginning of 2020, only CLE Triston McKenzie (10SO, 8/22/20 vs. DET) and WSH Joan Adon (9SO, 10/3/21 vs. BOS) have fanned more batters in their debuts.
After recording nine strikeouts over 5.1 scoreless innings on 4/18 at Cincinnati, he became the first pitcher in American League history to strike out 8+ batters and earn the win in each of his first two career appearances (OptaSTATS)
SEATTLE MARINERS NOTES:
No team release available.
