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Rays got shut out for the first time since May last night, so lets see if they can improve on that in game 2 of a potential playoff matchup.
Tuesday at the Trop#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/2T0ZVh8uEV
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 20, 2022
The AL West Champs play a game today.
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 20, 2022
: 5:40 PM
: @ATTSportsNetSW
: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#LevelUp x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/9s1m8hLOXB
Shane McClanahan got into a bit of trouble, with Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena opening up the inning with back-to-back singles. Alex Bregman flied out to move Altuve to 3rd base, and Kyle Tucker doubled to score the Astros’ 1st run.
Rays were able to get out of the inning as Isaac Parades snagged an Aledmys Diaz line drive and doubled off Pena at 3rd base to end the Astro’s threat.
Wander Franco worked a walk from Christian Javier, and Harold Ramirez and David Peralta gave two balls a ride to the outfield, but weren’t able to do much else.
Shane worked through a clean 2nd inning, but got into trouble in the 3rd inning, with Martin Maldonado walking and Jose Altuve single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
Jeremy Peña then took a hanging 2-1 curveball that didn’t have the normal Sugar Shane break to it, and hit it out for a 3 run HR
4-0 Astros. Shane’s only mistake this inning, as he sat down the next three Astro batters, but the damage is done.
Wander Franco worked his 2nd walk of the game to open up the 4th inning, but it was immediately erased as David Peralta lined out to Jose Altuve, and Wander was doubled off 1st.
Kind of the theme so far, Rays offense has been less than underwhelming. Some good ABs, some walks, but overall just not the offense we are used to seeing. Oh and the Rays don’t have a hit yet.
We weren’t expecting Shane to be at full strength, but he at least looked promising since coming back. Wasn’t really the case today, as he hung a curveball earlier, and didn’t have any competitive pitches. Things also appeared to get worse as Shane walked Jose Altuve, then went to 3-0 on Jeremy Peña and started shaking his arm and rotating his shoulder around. He would come out of the game in favor for Shawn Armstrong.
Kevin Cash and Rays athletic trainer Mike Sandoval go out to the mound to check on Shane McClanahan after he moved his shoulder in discomfort.
— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) September 21, 2022
Shane has been taken out of the game in the 5th.
You hope that it is out of caution. Will update when we know further information.
Shawn got two sac flys, and issued one IBB to Kyle tucker, but got out of the inning with only 1 run of damage. Could’ve been much worse facing the heart of the Astros lineup.
5-0 Astros.
Rays’ first hit came in the bottom of the 5th inning from Christian Bethancourt. Issac Parades worked a walk to put two runners on with 2 outs, and Johnathan Aranada up to the plate, but he flied out in foul territory to end the Rays “rally”
Tampa Bay strands a pair of runners in the fifth, and make the consecutive scoreless innings skid now 16 straight.#Astros 5 #Rays 0 End 5
— Steve Carney (@stevecarney) September 21, 2022
Wander Franco got double with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th inning but nothing came of it.
We got a Shane McClanahan update:
Shane McClanahan left the game with Left neck tightness/spasm.
— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) September 21, 2022
Fair to say that the feeling is it is not serious and he should be okay but we will hear from Shane after the game on @BallyRays
Good news that the injury wasn’t related to any previous shoulder injuries.
Shawn Armstrong, JT Chargois, Javy Guerra, & Colin Poche nailed down the back half of the game, keeping the Houston Astros from scoring any more runs.
In total, they went: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3Ks.
Rays offense in the bottom of the 9th finally showed some life. Wander Franco opened the inning with a single.
Franco has reached all four times up tonight (single, double, two walks), but the rest of the #Rays batting order is now 1 for 24 tonight #yuck
— Steve Carney (@stevecarney) September 21, 2022
After a David Peralta strikeout, both Manuel Margot and Francisco Mejia worked walks to load the bases with only 1 out. This forced Astros Manager Dusty Baker to bring in closer Ryan Pressley, who struck out Ji-Man Choi (on some questionable strike calls) and forced Christian Bethancourt to lineout to end the Rays’ only threat of the game.
Rays get shut out in back to back games for the first time since May 2017.
Final pic.twitter.com/5ZrmTVUwit
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 21, 2022
Really weird game as the Astros scored on 8 hits, but only a xBA of .222. Meanwhile, the Rays had 3 hits on .131 xBA. Shane McClanahan had 8 whiffs, which is fine, but 0 on the curveball.
Rays will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow with Corey Kluber going against Lance McCullers Jr. Game time is 6:40 PM.
