TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:

OFF AND RUNNING — Tampa Bay shut out Detroit in last night’s series opener, taking game one in an 8-0 final…RHP Zack Littell earned his second consecutive victory after tossing a career-high 6.0 innings, scattering three hits and one walk with one strikeout… CF Jose Siri (2-for-5, HR, 3RBI, 2R) clubbed his 21st home run, tying Isaac Paredes for the team lead…DH Harold Ramírez (3-for-5, RBI, 2R) matched a career high with three hits (26x, last 6/11 vs. TEX) while extending his hitting streak to five games.

3B Curtis Mead made his major league debut pinch hitting for SS Wander Franco in the eighth inning…he recorded an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw…since pitch tracking first became available in 2000, Mead became the sixth Ray with a hit on the first pitch he saw in the majors, including the first since Robinson Chirinos on 7/18/11 vs. New York-AL (Elias).

Mead became sixth player to make his MLB debut with the Rays this year, joining RHP Taj Bradley, RHP Braden Bristo, RHP Kevin Kelly, LHP Joe La Sorsa and LHP José Lopez.

WELCOME ABOARD — RHP Aaron Civale will make his Rays debut this afternoon…in 13 starts for Cleveland this year, he went 5-2 with a 2.34 ERA (77.0IP, 20ER), including 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA (31.1IP, 5ER) in his last five starts since 7/7.

In 10 career starts against Detroit, Civale is 7-0 with a 2.06 ERA (65.2IP, 15ER)…the Guardians went 10-0 in Civale’s starts opposite the Tigers.

He has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last 13 starts against AL Central opponents since 6/21/22, going 6-0 with a 1.62 ERA (72.1IP, 13ER) during that run.

ALL GAS, NO BRAKES—Following last night’s 8-0 win Tampa Bay recorded its 10th win by 8+ runs, the third-most such victories in the majors behind Texas (18G) and Chicago-NL (11G)…the 10 shutouts are tied with the 2009 Rays for the second most in a single season in franchise history, trailing the 2010 Rays (12G)…the 2022 Rays had six wins by 8+ runs.

BACK ON TRACK—Over the last five games since 7/30, the Rays have slashed .259/.332/.454 (45-for-174) with seven doubles, 9 HR and 28 runs scored…in its previous nine games from 7/19-29, Tampa Bay scored 28 runs and recorded 9 HR, slashing .221/.305/.368 (63-for-285).

The Rays have scored 5+ runs in four of their last five games after doing so four times in their previous 21 games from 7/2-29.

FEAST AND FAMINE — Jose Siri tallied his 21st home run of the year in last night’s win, tying Isaac Paredes for the team lead…he has homered 19 times in 63 games since 5/1, the fourth-most long balls in the AL during that stretch, trailing LAA Shohei Ohtani (33HR/81G), CWS Luis Robert Jr. (24HR/79G) and TEX Adolis García (20HR/80G).

Siri has also struck out in a career-high-tying 16 consecutive games (also 6/8-8/10, 2022) since 7/15…it is the second-longest active run in the majors behind HOU Chas McCormick (17G).

SOUTHPAW SUCCESS — The Rays are 14-5 (.737) against left-handed starters this year, tied with Atlanta (also 14-5) for the best winning pct. in the majors.

Harold Ramírez is batting .373 (25-for-67) against lefties this season, the highest mark in the AL and third highest in the majors behind ATL Ozzie Albies (.379) and AZ Gabriel Moreno (.377).

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE — Tampa Bay is 17-4 (.810) against the AL Central, recording a +64 (132-69) run differential…it marks the best winning pct. against the division by any AL club, ahead of Texas (17-5, .773)…the Rays opened the year with a nine-game winning streak against the division, tying their longest streak against the AL Central in club history (also: 6/29-7/11, 2013).

Tampa Bay’s best winning percentage against the AL Central spanning a full season came in 2010, when the Rays posted a 26-13 (.667) mark against the division.

Yandy Díaz has reached base safely in 13 of 14 games against the AL Central this season, slashing .440/.509/.620 (22-for-50) with three doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI and seven walks against seven strikeouts.

EYE OF THE TIGER — Randy Arozarena has hit safely in seven straight games against Detroit dating back to 8/4/22, batting .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles, one home run and 7 RBI.

In 11 games against his former club, Isaac Paredes is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with two doubles, 2 HR and 6 RBI.

In 18 games opposite the Tigers, Harold Ramírez is batting .349 (22-for-63) with four doubles, one HR and 6 RBI.

POWER SURGE — Tampa Bay has launched 13 home runs over its last seven games, the second most in the AL over that timeframe (since 7/28) behind Toronto (14HR/8G)… Wander Franco (3HR), Isaac Paredes (3HR) and Brandon Lowe (3HR) have combined for nine of the 13 blasts.

The Rays have homered in seven straight games for the first time since an eight-game run from 6/29-7/7.

On the season, Tampa Bay’s 163 long balls are fourth most in baseball, trailing only Los Angeles-AL (170HR) in the AL…it marks the most home runs through 112
games in club history, outpacing the 2017 Rays (159HR).

ROAD TRIPPIN’ — The Rays continue a nine-game, 10-day road trip through Houston, New York and Detroit with this afternoon’s contest at Comerica Park…with Tuesday’s win at New York-AL, Tampa Bay moved to 2-2-1 over its last five series, all of which came against opponents that are currently above the .500 mark (TEX, BAL, MIA, HOU, NYY), going 7-9 overall in that span (since 7/17).

The Rays have won back-to-back series for the first time since winning three straight from 6/3-11 vs. Boston, Minnesota and Texas…they can clinch their third straight series win with a victory this afternoon.

Under Kevin Cash (since 2015), the Rays have been at their best during the month of August, going 137-86 (.614), the highest August winning percentage in the AL over that span, trailing only Los Angeles-NL (.652) and St. Louis (.628) in all of MLB.

MOTOR CITY MATCHUP — The Rays and Tigers continue their three-game set this afternoon in Detroit…Tampa Bay swept a three-game set from 3/30-4/2 to begin the 2023 campaign.

The Rays have taken nine of their last 10 games against the Tigers dating back to 5/17/22, outscoring Detroit 62-19 (+43) during that stretch.

TODAY’S STARTER: RHP AARON CIVALE (5-2, 2.34)
TODAY’S START — The right-hander makes his Rays debut this afternoon after being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline in exchange for INF Kyle Manzardo on 7/30…marks his 14th start of the season, including his eighth on the road…leads the AL (min. 30.0IP) with a 1.45 ERA since the beginning of July…has not lost a decision since 6/14, going 3-0 in his last eight starts…has posted a 7-0 record with a 2.06 ERA (65.2IP, 15ER) in 10 career starts against the Tigers.

LAST TIME OUT — Spun 6.0 scoreless frames in Cleveland’s 5-0 win at Chicago-AL on 7/30 (6.0IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 4SO)…he retired eight of nine batters the first time through the order and scattered three singles across the outing…held the bottom five spots in the White Sox order hitless (0- for-8).

Civale has permitted two or fewer runs in six consecutive starts, the longest such streak of his career (prev. 5GS – 7/8-8/23, 2022)… he has allowed just one run over his last 14.1 innings dating back to 7/19 at Pittsburgh (0.63 ERA in that span).

HERE, KITTY KITTY — Civale is undefeated in 10 career starts opposite Detroit, going 7-0 with a 2.06 ERA (65.2IP, 15ER) and 0.78 WHIP while holding Tigers hitters to a .177/.216/.314 (40-for-226) clip…his most recent outing against Detroit came on 8/15/22 at Cleveland’s Progressive Field (6.0IP, 3H, ER, BB, 10SO)…the Guardians went 10-0 in his starts against Detroit…the 10 starts are tied with Chicago-AL for his most against any opponent in his career.

Civale’s 2.06 ERA against Detroit is his second lowest against any AL club, behind only his 2.05 ERA vs. Texas…he owns the lowest WHIP (0.78) and opponent batting average (.177) against the Tigers among active pitchers (min. 50.0IP), while his 2.06 ERA ranks third behind CWS Mike Clevinger (1.63) and NYY Gerrit Cole (1.94).

He is 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA (32.0IP, 12ER) in five career starts at Comerica Park, including a 2.25 ERA (12.0IP, 3ER) in his last two starts.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE — Civale has allowed just one run in 26.0 innings spanning four starts against AL Central opponents this season, pitching to a 3-0 record and a 0.35 ERA…he has logged a 0.77 WHIP and held AL Central hitters to a .159/.213/.193 (14-for-88) line…he ranks among MLB leaders against the division (min. 20.0IP) in ERA (2nd), opp. SLG (4th), opp. OPS (5th, .406), opp. AVG (6th), opp. OBP (7th) and WHIP (8th).

He has a 0.35 ERA (26.0IP, 1ER) in four starts against AL Central clubs this season compared to 3.35 (77.0IP, 20ER) against all other opponents…in his career, he has a 3.19 ERA vs. the AL Central and a 4.25 ERA against all other MLB clubs.

SUMMER HEAT WAVE — Civale was one of the AL’s top pitchers in July, going 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA (27.IP, 6ER) in six starts…he ranked among MLB leaders during the month (min. 30.0IP) in ERA (2nd), opp. OPS (2nd, .458), opp. batting average (3rd, .176) and WHIP (3rd, 0.80)…it marked his lowest ERA in any month of his career (min. 2GS), ahead of August 2019 (2.35)… allowed two or fewer runs in each start and yielded only one home run (7/14 at TEX – Nathaniel Lowe).

ABOVE THE CURVE — Civale’s six-pitch repertoire is highlighted by his curveball, a pitch he throws 25.7 pct. of the time…he has registered a 27.8 pct. whiff rate on the offering, down from 45.1 pct. in 2022…however, his 24 strikeouts with the curveball are his most on any pitch, and his .186 (16-for-86) opponent average is seventh lowest on any AL pitcher’s curve (min. 75AB).

His 45.1 pct. whiff rate on the pitch last season was sixth highest on any MLB pitcher’s curveball (min. 100 pitches swung at)…his .124 (13- for-105) opponent average on the curve ranked second in the majors (min. 100AB) behind rotation-mate CLE Triston McKenzie (.120).

Civale ranks in the 96th percentile in the majors in curveball spin rate, registering an average of 2,971 rpm on the pitch…among AL pitchers, only HOU Ryan Pressly (3,243 rpm) and HOU Phil Maton (3,143 rpm) have produced higher marks on their curveballs.

SEASON RECAP — Civale went 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA (12.2IP, 4ER) over his first two starts from 4/1-7, but suffered a left oblique injury on 4/7 at Seattle that landed him on the 15-day injured list from 4/10-6/2…made three rehab appearances with Triple-A Columbus from 5/18-28, pitching to a 4.91 ERA (11.0IP, 6ER)…was activated from the injured list on 6/2 and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings at Minnesota the same day…went 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA (22.0IP, 10ER) and a 1.41 WHIP over his next four starts from 6/8- 25, but has since recorded a 1.45 ERA across his last six starts since the beginning of July, third best in the majors in that span behind SD Blake
Snell (0.56) and PHI Michael Lorenzen (1.42).

DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:

TIGERS SHUT OUT IN SERIES OPENER: The Tigers were blanked by the Rays last night, 8-0. Miguel Cabrera went 1×3 with a double, while Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling each had one hit. Reese Olson started for Detroit and took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Beau Brieske and Brendan White each worked a scoreless inning in relief.

ROSTER MOVES: The Tigers have announced the following roster moves:
*Following last night’s game, optioned RHP Trey Wingenter to Triple A Toledo

*LHP Andrew Vasquez, who was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia yesterday, has joined the active roster

MIGGY NEARING GWYNN ON ALL-TIME HITS LIST: Miguel Cabrera went 1×3 with a double in last night’s game, recording the 3,139th hit of his Major League career. He is just two hits shy of tying Tony Gwynn (3,141)for 20th on the alltime list. Cabrera has hit safely in 26 of his last 36 games, slashing .321/.395/.438 with 10 doubles, a home run and 12 RBI. Among American League players with at least 100 plate appearances in that span, he ranks sixth in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage.

VIERLING HEATING UP: Matt Vierling went 1×4 in last night’s game and has now hit safely in seven of his last nine contests. During that stretch, he has gone 11×34 with three doubles. In his first season with the Tigers, Vierling is putting together the best offensive season of his young career, entering today’s game slashing
.272/.334/.395 with 12 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 26 RBI.

TIGERS HOST 18TH ANNUAL ¡FIESTA TIGRES! CELEBRATION TODAY: To recognize and honor the contributions of Latino players and coaches to the game of baseball, the Tigers are proud to host the 18th annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration today. Prior to the game, the Tigers will hold a pregame ceremony to honor the club’s current
Latin American players and coaches, and to celebrate Miguel Cabrera as the 2023 ¡Fiesta Tigres! honoree. Tigers players and coaches will also wear special uniforms with “Tigres” scripted across the chest.

AT COMERICA PARK: The Tigers are 0-1 on their current seven-game homestand, which includes three games vs. Tampa Bay (0-1) and four games vs. Minnesota (August 7-10). Detroit is 22-31 at Comerica Park this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .239/.306/.368 at home, while the pitching staff has a 4.77 ERA (487.0IP/258ER).

TIGERS AND RAYS: The Tigers and Rays continue their season series this afternoon. Tampa Bay has won the first four games against Detroit this season. With last night’s win, the Rays clinched the season series over the Tigers for the fifth time in the last six seasons in which the two teams have played.

INJURY REHAB UPDATES: Spencer Turnbull had his injury rehab assignment transferred to Triple A Toledo last night, starting for the Mud Hens and allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings…Will Vest continued his injury rehab assignment with Toledo last night, tossing an inning and giving up
one run on one hit with two strikeouts.

TIGERS ON THE IL:

• LHP Tyler Alexander (left lat/shoulder strain, 60-day IL on July 4, retroactive to July 3)
• LHP Matthew Boyd (left elbow sprain, 60-day IL on June 27)
• RHP Mason Englert (left hip tightness, 15-day IL on July 24, retroactive to July 23)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 60-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
• RHP Will Vest (right lower leg strain, 15-day IL on June 27)

TODAY’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER

29 Tarik Skubal • 1-1, 4.57 ERA (21.2IP/11ER)

• Skubal will make his sixth start of the season today vs. Tampa Bay.
• Did not factor into the decision in his last start on Sunday at Miami, giving up four runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
• Has faced the Rays twice in his career and has a 0-0 record with a 3.00 ERA (6.0IP/2ER) and eight strikeouts…in 33 career appearances, including 31 starts, at Comerica Park, Skubal is 10-12 with a 3.20 ERA (171.2IP/61ER) and 174 strikeouts.
• Picked up his first win of the season on July 24 vs. San Francisco, throwing 5.0 shutout innings with two hits allowed, no walks and nine strikeouts…was his first Major League win since July 21, 2022.
• Did not allow a run in his first two starts this season…had a streak of 27.0 innings without giving up an earned run, dating back to July 13, 2022.
• Made his season debut for Detroit on July 4 vs. Oakland, throwing 4.0 hitless innings with no walks and six strikeouts…his only baserunner came on a hit by pitch…marked his first start in the Majors since August 1, 2022 vs. Minnesota.