GameDay Preview: Rays Look for Season Sweep vs. Marlins With Drew Rasmussen Pitching
MIAMI, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have owned the ''Citrus Series'' for years, and this year is no different. The Rays are 3-0 so far this year against the Miami Marlins, and they'll go for the sweep in Wednesday night.
Tampa Bay has won the series four years in a row now, and 11 times in the last 15 years since 2008. They've won six straight games against the Marlins, tied for the third-longest streak in series history. The longest streak is nine in a row from July 22, 2018 to Sept. 4, 2020.
The Rays are 74-58 all-time against the Marlins, 39-26 at Tropicana Field and 35-32 in Miami.
Here's how to watch Wednesday's game, with gametime and TV information, the starting lineups and more
How to watch Rays at Marlins
- Who: Tampa Bay Rays (71-57) at Boston Red Sox (55-74)
- When: 6:40 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Aug. 31
- Where: Loan Depot Park, Miami, Fla.
- TV: Bally Sports Sun
- Announcers: Dewayne Staats (play-by-play), Brian Anderson (color commentary) and Tricia Whitaker (reporter).
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
- Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM; SiriusXM Channel 180 (Marlins broadcast; Rays online only)
- Announcers: Andy Freed and Dave Wills.
- Latest Line: Tampa Bay is favored at minus-172 on the money line according to the Fanduel.com website line as of Saturday morning. The Marlins are at plus-144. The over/under is 7.
Projected starting lineups
- Tampa Bay Rays: Yandy Diaz 3B, Manuel Margot RF, Randy Arozarena DH, Harold Ramirez 1B, Francisco Mejia C, David Peralta LF, Yu Chang 2B, Taylor Walls SS, Jose Siri CF, Drew Rasmussen P
- Miami Marlins: Joey Wendle SS, Jon Berti 3B, Brian Anderson RF, JJ Bleday CF, Garrett Cooper DH, Jacob Stallings C, Lewin Diaz 1B, Charles Leblanc 2B, Peyton Burdick LF, Trevor Rogers P.
Projected starting pitchers
- Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Rasmussen (9-4, 2.77 ERA) pitches for the Rays on Wednesday night, the final game of August. He's had a big month. In five starts, he has allowed only five runs and 15 total hits. He's 3-1 in August with a 1.59 ERA.
- Miami Marlins: Trevor Rogers is pitching for Miami. He's had a rough year. He's 4-10 with a 5.85 ERA on the season. He's a 24-year-old left-hander from Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Newsy nuggets
- McCLANAHAN TO IL: Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday after he couldn't make his start Tuesday night because of a shoulder issue. The Rays called it a left shoulder impingement, and he is being further evaluated on Wednesday. He is 11-5 with a 2.20 ERA this season. He's second in the AL in earned run average, behind only Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros. He's at 1.84.
- BRANDON LOWE TO IL: The Rays also had to put second baseman Brandon Lowe on the IL on Wednesday. He has a right triceps contusion after getting hit by a pitch. He's on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday. Aug 28. Lowe, who missed two months earlier with a back injury, is hitting .234 this season with eight home runs and 25 RBIs.
- BRUJAN CALLED UP: To replace Lowe on the roster, the Rays have called up infielder Vidal Brujan. He played in 46 games earlier this year when Lowe was in the injured list. He hit just .167 with two home runs and 15 RBIs, but he's been much better lately at Triple-A Durham.
- CALVIN FAUCHER RETURNS: The Rays have also recalled right-handed relief pitcher Calvin Faucher to take McClanahan's spot on the roster, for now. He's pitched in 14 games for the Rays, going 1-3 with a 7.11 ERA. The Rays had to use a bullpen day on Tuesday to cover McClanahan, so a fresh arm in the bullpen with help.
Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.