OAKLAND ATHLETICS NOTES:
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TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:
ON THE OFFENSIVE — The Rays hit a season-high 5 HR in last night’s 9-5 win, including a grand slam from 3B Isaac Paredes (3-for-4, HR, 4RBI) and solo shots by DH Harold Ramírez (1-for-4, HR), RF Manuel Margot (1-for-3, HR, BB, R), C Christian Bethancourt (1-for-3, HR, BB, 2R) and SS Wander Franco (1-for-5, HR)…RHP Zach Eflin improved to 2-0 after tossing 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
The Rays have two games with 4+ HR this season (also 4/4 at WSH) after having just one all of last year (4 HR on 6/21 vs. NYY)…Tampa Bay’s last 5 HR game came in a 12-2 win at New York-AL on 10/2/21.
Prior to DH Ryan Noda’s home run off Zach Eflin in the third inning, Rays starters had not allowed a long ball in 34.0 straight innings to open the 2023 season… according to STATS LLC, the 34.0 inning streak was the longest run to start a season in franchise history, surpassing a 27.0 inning stretch by the 2000 Rays.
SEVEN AND COUNTING —The Rays are the first team to open a season with seven consecutive wins since the 2016 Baltimore Orioles started 7-0…with a win today, Tampa Bay would be the first team to start a season 8-0 since the 2003 Royals started 9-0.
Tampa Bay’s overall seven-game winning streak surpasses its longest run from 2022 (6G, 2x, last 8/20-25, 2022)…the Rays have not strung together a winning streak of eight games since an 11-game run from 5/13-24, 2021.
The Rays’ four-game winning streak at Tropicana Field is their longest to open a home slate in club history, surpassing three-game runs by the 2002, 2012 and 2022 clubs.
The club’s three-game road winning streak is their longest to begin a season since a seven-game road streak to kick off the 2010 season.
IT’S A WANDER-FUL LIFE—In seven games to open the 2023 campaign, Wander Franco is slashing .379/.438/.793 (11-for-29) with three doubles, 3 HR, 8 RBI and three steals while drawing three walks against three strikeouts…entering play today, Franco ranks among major league shortstops in slugging percentage (1st), HR (T1st), RBI (T1st), doubles (T2nd) and hits (T4th).
After last night’s solo homer in the eighth inning, Franco has now homered in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
A+ GRADES — After going 1-for-3 with a homer, walk and two runs last night, Manuel Margot has hit safely and driven in a run in each of his last five games against the Athletics, batting .450 (9-for-20) with two doubles, a triple, a homer and 6 RBI over that stretch.
Randy Arozarena has now hit safely in eight straight games dating to 10/5/22 and hit safely in nine straight home games since 9/21/22.
Jose Siri has hit safely in each of his first six games this season while driving in at least one run in five of the six contests.
NEVER IN DOUBT — Per STATS LLC, the Rays are the first major league team to win each of their first seven games of a season by 4+ runs since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons…no other clubs in MLB history have begun a season with a streak of more than four such wins.
Tampa Bay’s +35 run differential (53-18) is tied with the 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers for third-best through a club’s first seven games of a season in the majors since 1901, trailing only the 1962 St. Louis Cardinals (+42) and the 1905 New York Giants (+40).
The Rays have yielded only 18 runs, second-fewest through seven games in club history behind the 2019 club (11 runs)…the franchise record for fewest runs allowed through eight games is 13, also done in 2019.
Tampa Bay’s 53 runs scored are its most through seven games of a season, ahead of the 2009 Rays (44)…the 2009 team currently holds the record for most runs through eight games (46).
BATTLE OF THE BAYS — The Rays host the Athletics this evening for the second of seven matchups between the two clubs in 2023…Tampa Bay won four of seven meetings with Oakland in 2022, including all three games at Oakland Coliseum to close the season series… since the beginning of 2021, Tampa Bay leads the head-to-head series 8-7. Ê The Rays’ current four-game win streak against Oakland is their first since a five-game streak from 8/24/07-5/20/08.
BRINGING THE LUMBER—The Rays have hit a major league-best 18 HR, ahead of Los Angeles-NL (16HR) and San Francisco (15HR)…the 18 HR are their most through seven games in club history, outpacing the 2009 club (15HR).
NO FLY ZONE—Rays pitchers have allowed just four home runs across 63.0 innings, tied with Los Angeles-NL (71.0IP) and Chicago-NL (53.0IP) for fewest in the majors…marks the second fewest homers allowed through seven games in club history, behind the 1998 and 2012 Rays (3HR each)…the fewest home runs allowed through the first eight games of a season in Tampa Bay history is three, accomplished by the 1998 Rays.
TODAY’S STARTER: LHP JEFFREY SPRINGS (1-0, 0.00)
SPRING FEVER—A sixth-year veteran, Springs opened the season in the Rays rotation after transitioning into a starting role last May…is coming off a career year in 2022 that saw him post a 9-5 mark with a 2.46 ERA (135.1IP, 37ER) over 33 games (25 starts)…was acquired by the Rays along with RHP Chris Mazza from Boston on 2/17/21 in exchange for C Ronaldo Hernández and 2B Nick Sogard…signed a four-year, $31 million deal with Tampa Bay through the 2026 season on 1/25/23, including a club option.
UNTOUCHABLE — Spun 6.0 hitless frames in his season debut on 4/2 vs. Detroit, fanning a career-best 12 batters with one walk before departing
after 81 pitches…joined José Berríos (4/3/21 at MIL; 6.0 IP, 12SO) as the only pitchers in MLB history (since 1901) to strike out 12+ batters in 6.0-or-fewer no-hit innings…joined Nathan Eovaldi (6.0IP, 5/30/18 at OAK) and Matt Garza (9.0IP, 7/26/10 vs. DET) as the only pitchers in Rays history to finish a game with 6.0+ hitless innings.
2022 RECAP — After opening the year with a 0.69 ERA (13.IP, 1ER) over his first nine appearances in the bullpen (one start as an opener), Springs transitioned to a full-time starting role for the first time in his career, going 8-5 with a 2.65 ERA (122.1IP, 36ER) over his final 24 appearances, all of which were starts…overall, his 2.46 ERA on the season ranked sixth in the AL (min. 100.0IP).
Went 6-2 with a 2.18 ERA (62.0IP, 15ER) from 8/4 through the season’s end, ranking among AL leaders (min. 60.0IP) in that span in ERA (4th) and WHIP (8th, 1.02).
On 9/18/22 at Texas, Springs saw his career-best scoreless inning streak come to an end at 17.2 IP but picked up the win over the club that originally drafted him in 2015 (W, 5.2IP, 6H, 3R-2ER, 6SO).
ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS — Over 15 career appearances (one start) against Oakland, Springs is 4-1 with a 4.37 ERA (22.2IP, 11ER)…this includes a 1-1 mark to go with a 1.08 ERA (8.1IP, 1ER) over his last six games against the Athletics since 4/28/21…in his lone start against Oakland on 9/9/18 as a member of Texas, Springs yielded only one hit while striking out a pair over 3.0 scoreless frames.
WESTWORLD — Springs is 9-3 with a 4.19 ERA (73.0IP, 34ER) in 42 outings (7 starts) against AL West clubs, including 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA (41.0IP, 11ER) in 21 games (5 starts) since being acquired by Tampa Bay in 2021.
Springs spent the first two seasons of his career (2018-19) pitching within the AL West as a reliever with Texas…went 4-1 with a 6.47 ERA (32.0IP, 23ER) against divisional opponents in that span.
HOME COOKING — Turned in a 4-2 record with a 2.23 ERA (60.2IP, 15ER) in 16 appearances (11 starts) at Tropicana Field in 2022…among AL pitchers with 10+ home starts, Springs ranked fifth in home ERA.
At Tropicana Field, opposing hitters were limited to a .151/.224/.283 (8-for-53) slash line against Springs with runners in scoring position…he yielded only four extra-base hits (2 2B, 3B, HR) in 58 plate appearances with RISP at home.
Springs has permitted three or fewer runs in each of his first 12 starts at Tropicana Field since joining the Rays…this includes seven home starts allowing one or zero earned runs.
A TALE OF TWO ROLES—In his 27 career starts, Springs is 9-5 with a 2.45 ERA (136.0IP, 37ER) while holding opponents to a .219/.262/.351 (113-for516) average…conversely, the southpaw is 11-5 with a 4.54 ERA (134.2IP, 68ER) and a .261/.337/.459 (136-for-521) opponents’ slash line in 108 career relief appearances.
KEEP THE CHANGE — In 2022, Springs utilized his changeup at a 34.7 pct. rate, the second-highest clip in the majors (min. 1,500 pitches) behind Miami’s Pablo López (35.3%)…opponents hit .229 (53-for-231) and slugged .320 in at-bats ending with the offering…induced a 38.1 pct. whiff rate against his changeup, and 65 of his 70 (92.9%) strikeouts with it came on whiffs…his 70 strikeouts with the pitch were fourth-most by any MLB pitcher via the changeup.
Threw his changeup for 26 of his 81 pitches (34.6%) in his season debut on 4/2 vs. Detroit, recording a 52.9 pct. whiff rate on the pitch.
