After buying and selling lopsided victories, the Tampa Bay Rays and visiting San Diego Padres will face off within the rubber recreation of their three-game collection on Sunday.
San Diego received the opener, 13-5, on Friday, and Tampa Bay bounced again with an 11-4 victory on Saturday.
And because the Padres look to carry on to a Nationwide League wild-card spot — and even problem the Los Angeles Dodgers for the West division title — they will not enter Sunday’s recreation feeling something however assured.
“It is say it is a fairly great spot,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned after Saturday’s loss, assessing his workforce. “Performed quite a lot of actually good baseball, firing on quite a lot of cylinders. We’re by no means out of a recreation. … We win, we’ll maintain you down, and if we occur to be down, we’ll discover a method to scratch and claw and get on high.”
And whereas Saturday’s recreation did not end up within the Padres’ favor, they did not quit, their supervisor mentioned.
“Take a look at that effort within the final 4 innings. That might’ve been an simply been a mail-it-in recreation, but it surely’s scary that this workforce does nothing however foot on the pedal and fuel out of the way in which,” Shildt mentioned. “It was an important August, however it will likely be a good higher September.”
That might hinge on San Diego’s pitching.
The Padres (77-61) racked up 23 hits over the primary two video games of the collection towards the Rays. They gained some traction offensively late in Saturday’s loss, however pitching struggles resulted in a deficit that was too massive to beat.
In six of the previous eight video games, San Diego beginning pitchers lasted fewer than six innings on the mound. The Padres hope that right-hander Dylan Stop (12-10, 3.57 ERA) can present a top quality begin on Sunday. Stop gave up 4 earned runs on seven hits and 4 walks, whereas hanging out 4 over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision in a 7-5 win over St. Louis on Tuesday.
Stop is 1-2 throughout 5 profession begins towards the Rays. He has a 5.40 ERA, with 25 strikeouts and 16 walks over 23 1/3 innings.
As for the Rays, they’re hoping to construct off Saturday’s efficiency.
Each participant of their batting order safely reached base not less than as soon as. Rookie Junior Caminero belted his first profession house run at Tropicana Area, and his third previously eight video games. The 21-year-old shortstop performed in seven video games in 2023 and was known as up on Aug. 13, and he seems to be with the Rays for the lengthy haul.
“He is the No. 1 prospect in baseball for a purpose,” teammate Brandon Lowe mentioned. “The factor that will get me is the plate self-discipline, with how onerous he swings the bat. I feel he is high 5 or one thing like that, within the league, with bat velocity. To have the ability to take these swings as onerous as he can, but additionally not swing at all the pieces, he is very refined in his strategy and I feel that is one of many issues that helps him achieve these conditions.”
The Rays (67-68) are slated to start out right-hander Ryan Pepiot (7-6, 3.61). Pepiot gave up 5 runs, however solely two earned, in his most up-to-date begin towards the Seattle Mariners on Monday. He struck out six batters and issued one stroll over six innings however was tagged with the 5-1 loss.
Pepiot has two profession appearances towards the Padres — one begin — and is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. Over eight innings towards the Padres, Pepiot gave up 4 earned runs on 9 hits, with seven strikeouts and 4 walks.
–Area Stage Media
