LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S STARTER at RAYS: LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (6-4, 2.98 ERA in 10 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- Over 10 starts, the Texas native owns a 6-4 record with a 2.98 ERA (19 ER/57.1 IP) with 69 strikeouts against 14 walks and has generated a
1.10 WHIP - Notched his 200th career win in his start on April 18 against the Mets, making him the only Los Angeles Dodger to win 200 games with the same franchise…joins Don Sutton (233) and Don Drysdale (209) on the Dodger all-time list…
- Currently 21st all-time on the Major League strikeout list with 2,876…he needs 124 more to become the 20th player in Major League history
with 3,000 strikeouts - Has fired 6.0+ innings in seven out of his 10 starts this season
- He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April after posting a 5-1 record with a 1.89 ERA (8 ER/38.0 IP) and 41 strikeouts and a 0.76 WHIP
VS. RAYS:
- Will face Tampa Bay for the third time in his career…is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA (3 ER/14.1 IP) and 16 strikeouts against three walks
- Last faced the club on May 21, 2019, tossing 6.1 innings while giving up six hits, two runs and one walk while sitting down eight en route to the victory
TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:
STARTING OFF STRONG — Tampa Bay won last night’s series opener vs. Los Angeles by a score of 9-3…LHP Jalen Beeks served as an opener and worked 1.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts…RHP Cooper Criswell followed and earned his first win of the season after throwing 4.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
1B Yandy Díaz (3-for-4, 2 2B, HR, 2RBI, 2R, BB) extended his on-base streak to 20 games while matching a career high with three extra-base hits (3x, 6/30/19 vs. TEX and 8/24/17 vs. BOS).
C Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, R) matched a career highs with three hits (11x, last 9/18/22 vs. TEX) and two doubles (5x, last 8/6/16 vs. PHI).
After steals from Taylor Walls (2), Wander Franco and Josh Lowe, Tampa Bay has now stolen 4+ bases in consecutive games for the fourth time in franchise history, including the second time this season (also 4/30-5/2)…prior to this season, the Rays last stole 4+ bases in consecutive games from 6/7-8, 2007 and 8/16-17, 2006.
GLASS CASE OF EMOTION — Prior to today’s game, RHP Tyler Glasnow was activated from the 15-day injured list and RHP Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple-A Durham…Glasnow will be making his first appearance at Tropicana Field since 6/8/21 vs. Washington when he earned the win after tossing 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts.
Glasnow has struck out 10+ batters in six straight home starts dating back to 4/12/21, going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA (43.2IP, 8ER) and 66 strikeouts against nine walks during that stretch.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE — Tampa Bay’s 25-5 record at Tropicana Field marks MLB’s best 30-game start at home since the 1998 New York Yankees (25-5).
Tampa Bay hitters rank among MLB leaders at home in several categories, including extra-base hits (1st, 116), stolen bases (1st, 37), homers (T1st, 51), SLG (2nd, .494), OPS (3rd, .839), walks (3rd, 104) and runs per game (4th, 5.80).
Since the beginning of the 2017 season, the Rays are 289-175 (.623) in home games, the fourth-best home winning percentage in the majors in that span, trailing only Los Angeles-NL (314-146, .683), New York-AL (303-163, .650) and Houston (294- 164, .642).
GOING STREAKING — Yandy Díaz has a 20-game on-base streak since 4/27, slashing .377/.488/.754 (26-for-69) with 14 extra-base hits, 14 RBI, 13 walks and only 12 strikeouts in that stretch…it marks the second-longest streak of his career behind a 22-game run from 7/24-8/16, 2020…it is the second-longest active run in the AL behind TEX Marcus Semien (23G).
Díaz has reached base safely in 30 of his last 31 games overall, going .366/.466/.670 (41-for-112) at the plate during that span…he leads all qualified major leaguers during that stretch (since 4/15) in AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS (1.136).
BAG BANDITS — The Rays lead the majors in stolen bases (41) and stolen base attempts (48) during the month of May…Wander Franco paces the club with 12 steals this month (second most in MLB during May behind OAK Esteury Ruiz – 16), followed by Taylor Walls (8SB), Luke Raley (6SB) and Josh Lowe (5SB)…the Rays have been successful on 28 of their last 30 stolen base attempts dating back to 5/14 at New York-AL.
The Rays have an MLB-best six players with 6+ steals (Wander Franco – 18SB, Taylor Walls – 13SB, Josh Lowe – 10SB, Randy Arozarena – 6SB, Manuel Margot – 6SB and Luke Raley – 6SB)…the next closest team is Cleveland with four players.
Tampa Bay has stolen seven bases twice this season (5/25 vs. TOR and 5/17 at NYM)…the last team to have multiple games with 7+ stolen bases in a season was the 1995 Houston Astros (2G).
INTERLEAGUE RUNDOWN — The Rays 12-4 (.750) mark against NL clubs signals the best Interleague winning percentage in MLB, ahead of Miami (5-2, .714) and New YorkAL (7-3, .700)…following a seven-game losing streak from 6/28-8/10, 2022, Tampa Bay has won 14 of its last 18 Interleague matchups dating back to 8/30/22.
Rays pitching has recorded a 2.97 ERA (142.1IP, 47ER) against the NL, the fourth-lowest Interleague ERA in the majors…this includes a 2.01 ERA (71.2IP, 16ER) by Tampa Bay starters.
Rays hitters are slashing .277/.348/.519 with 33 homers against the NL…they pace the majors in Interleague SLG (.519) and OPS (.866).
LEFT SIDE! STRONG SIDE! — The Rays are 8-2 when facing left-handed starting pitchers this season…Tampa Bay batters rank among league leaders when facing lefties in SLG (1st, .592), OPS (1st, .964), AVG (T1st, .311) and OBP (T1st, .372).
START ME UP — Rays starters have pitched to a 2.36 ERA (49.2IP, 13ER) over their last 11 games, holding opponents to a .225 average (42-for-187) with 42 strikeouts, 10 walks and a .590 OPS in that span…it marks the third-lowest ERA by any major league rotation in that timeframe (since 5/16), behind Texas (1.88) and Chicago-AL (2.29); the Rays rotation also ranks among MLB leaders in walks (1st), opp. OPS (1st), extra- base hits (1st, 9) and WHIP (2nd, 1.05) in that span.
MERRY-GO-ROUND — The Rays 87 walks during the month of May are second most in in the AL behind Minnesota (92)…Randy Arozarena has drawn a walk in 14 of his last 18 games — his 16 walks in that span (since 5/8) are tied for the most in the majors with STL Paul Goldschmidt, NYY Aaron Judge, PHI Kyle Schwarber and SD Juan Soto…overall, Arozarena’s 17 walks in May are tied for seventh most in the majors.
THE BAY BOMBERS — The Rays have hit a major league-best 99 home runs, the fifth-most long balls through a club’s first 53 games in MLB history (since 1901), trailing only the 1999 Seattle Mariners (109HR), 2019 Minnesota Twins (105HR), 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers (100HR) and 2000 St. Louis Cardinals (100HR).
The Rays have an MLB-best 29 multi-HR games, ahead of New York-AL (26G); they are 24-5 in those contests…this includes 16 games with 3+ homers, most in the majors ahead of Los Angeles-NL (14G); they had 13 games with 3+ HR in 2022.
The Rays have an MLB-best 11 players with 5+ home runs this season, ahead of four teams tied at eight players (ATL, BAL, SF, LAD)…they also have four players with 10+ homers, second most in the majors behind Atlanta (5).
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD — Tampa Bay and Los Angeles match up for game two off a three-game set this afternoon…the last regular season series between the two clubs came in 2019, with the teams splitting four games.…Los Angeles leads the all-time series, 10-8, but the run differential over the 18 games is even at 93-93.
TODAY’S STARTER: RHP TYLER GLASNOW (2023 DEBUT)
WELCOME BACK — The right-hander makes his 2023 debut this afternoon at Tropicana Field, his first home start since 6/8/21 vs. Washington…
made two regular season starts in 2022 after recovering from Tommy John surgery before earning the starting nod in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series at Cleveland…suffered a left oblique strain during Spring Training practice on 2/27 and was placed on the 15-day injured list on 3/29 (retro 3/27).
REHAB REDUX — Recorded a 0.68 ERA (13.1IP, 1ER) in four rehab starts with Triple-A Durham, holding opponents to a .170 average (8-for-47)… was removed from his start on 5/10 at Charlotte after 1.0 inning (11 pitches) due to mild left-side tightness…struck out 15 batters in 10.0 innings over his final two rehab starts…topped out at 96.9 mph on his fastball in his final outing on 5/21 vs. Nashville (average: 95.2 mph).
