Rays Notebook: Rotations Mostly Set for Rays-Cubs Series at Wrigley Field
CHICAGO, Ill. — The next road trip for the Tampa Bay Rays is so close that they don't even have to switch hotels. After playing three games with the White Sox on the south side of Chicago, now they head eight miles north to play three games with the Cubs.
It's the first time they've ever played both Chicago teams on the road in back-to-back series. And it does make travel a lot easier when they can stay in the same downtown hotel.
All three games at Wrigley Field — from Monday to Wednesday — are night games. They all start at 7:40 ET, 6:40 Central time.
We have starting pitchers lined up for the Monday and Wednesday games, but Rays manager Kevin Cash still isn't sure what he's doing on Tuesday. On Monday, lefty Shane McClanahan (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will make his third start for the Rays, and he'll take on veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 7.00 ERA).
On Wednesday, it's Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.00 ERA) against Marcus Stroman (0-1, 6.00). Justin Steele (1-0, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Tuesday for the Cubs. The Cubs are 5-4 so far. this season.
Chris Mazza struggles again
Chris Mazza has made two appearances out of the Rays' bullpen now, and both of them have been a struggle.
After giving up eight runs — six earned — in three innings last Monday in the 13-2 loss to Oakland, Mazza came in to pitch the third inning on Sunday after ''opener'' J.P. Feyereisen retired the first six batters of the game. But Mazza couldn't get out of the fifth, allowing two runs on two hits and five walks over his 2 2/3 innings. Jalen Beeks came in to get the last out on the fifth with the bases loaded.
Mazza, a 32-year-old right-hander from Walnut Creek, Calif., filled the Rays' last roster spot just before Opening Day. So far, it hasn't worked out very well. Rosters go back down from 28 to 26 on May 2.
Every other Rays pitcher besides Mazza had been perfect on the day until Tommy Romero allowed a ninth-inning solo home run. Despite his rough outing, Mazza was credited with the win by the official scorer.
Arozarena bounces back
Randy Arozarena has been hitting the ball hard all year but he's had very little to show for it so far. Through Saturday, he had just six hits in 33 at-bats, and was hitting just .182.
That frustration came out on Saturday after a called strike three. He was angry about it and threw his bat to the ground and got ejected. He took it like a man afterward, and knew he was wrong. He even said Saturday that he was going to put it behind him.
He did just that on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in the 9-3 win over the White Sox. It was his first multi-hit game since Opening Day. Sunday might be the before and after demarcation line for him after that slow start.
"I think we did a good job today, and we just need to continue with a good attitude,'' Arozarena said through interpreter Manny Navarro. "We did a good job of taking advantage in the first inning. We'd like to start every game that way.''
Romero sent down to make room for Guerra
Tommy Romero pitched the last two innings of Sunday's game for the Rays, but afterward was sent back down to Triple-A Durham to make room for reliever Javy Guerra, whom the Rays acquired on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Guerra was designated for assignment Tuesday, having pitched in only one game this season. The former shortstop was converted to a pitcher in 2019, Guerra's numbers aren't great — he is 1-0 with an 8.46 ERA in 27 major-league games over four seasons — but he has a high-90s fastball and loads of potential. He missed most of 2021 with an elbow injury.
“He’s got good stuff, but he hasn’t probably just had the reps yet as far as a reliever,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Romero was much better on Sunday than in his first appearance Tuesday against Oakland when he started but couldn't get out of the second inning. He walked five batters and gave up two hits, allowing three runs.
On Sunday, he gave up a homer to Gavin Sheets in the ninth, but retired the other six batters he faced. He had three strikeouts on the day.
He finishes this early run in the majors with 3 2/3 innings pitched, and a 9.82 ERA.
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.