Hoping to get the Rays back on track – Chris Archer takes the hill Wednesday night.
It was a very tense atmosphere in the Rays clubhouse following Tuesday night’s 12-inning loss to the Royals. Between giving up a 4-0 lead, to more sloppy play in the field, to Kevin Cash getting ejected early – it wasn’t a pleasant feeling to say the least. Despite it all – Cash isn’t concerned.
“We can play the blame game a lot and point to different parts of our club or myself,” Cash said Tuesday. “That doesn’t do the job. At the end of the day, when we score six runs we expect to win the ballgame. We’ve got to be able to hold that lead better.”
The ace gets the call.
It’s the job of the ace of any staff to stop any sort of “bleeding” or slump. RHP Chris Archer (2-1, 3.57) will be tasked with doing just that against a team he’s never beaten. In his career, Archer is 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA in five starts against KC.
#Rays #Royals lineups for Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/DelrH9aBvu
— The Scrum Sports (@TheScrumSports) May 10, 2017
Lorenzo Cain (5-10, 1 HR, 4 RBI) and Alcides Escobar (.600 in 15 ABs) have had the most success against the Rays righty.
Archer is coming off a no-decision against Toronto. He pitched six innings and struck out 11 Blue Jays, walking just one. He’s had a no-decision in three of his last four starts. The last came in a loss on April 24 up in Baltimore against the Orioles.
Another former Ray comes home.
For the second time in three games, the Rays will face a former mate. Jason Hammel (1-3, 5.53 ERA) returns to the Trop to face the team he played for from 2006-2008 before heading to Colorado. Hammel was drafted in the 10th round of the 2002 Draft by the then Devil Rays. Wednesday night will mark the seventh time he’s faced his former team, posting a 2-2 record against them.
2017 is the first in KC for Hammel. He spent the last two years in Chicago with Joe Maddon and the Cubs. Last year, he went 15-10 for the World Champs in 30 starts.
Colby Rasmus has seen some success against Hammel. In 17 ABs, he’s hitting .294 with two home runs. Conversely, Evan Longoria has struggled, hitting just .200 with 15 ABs against the righty.
Duffy rehabs in Clearwater.
SS Matt Duffy made his first rehab start with the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Tuesday in Clearwater. He finished the game 1-3 and felt pretty good after the game.
It was a successful first rehab appearance for @mm_duffy yesterday. Hear more from him below. pic.twitter.com/ZnGAQSGUZa
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 10, 2017
