Rays 6, Twins 1: Same Old Song with Another Loss at the Trop

Box Score
Bailey Ober: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Victor Caratini (-0.16), Austin Martin (-0.9), Royce Lewis (-0.9)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): 

The second of round of the Twins at the Trop included a pair of pitchers both looking to prove a lot to their teams. It was a largely uneventful affair, more notable for baseball weirdness than anything else.

The oddities began early when Austin Martin came up against pitcher Shane McClanahan and blew an ABS challenge. On the next pitch, however, Martin attempted to call time but McClanahan threw anyway. Umpire Brian Walsh accidentally called for the ABS, and then confusion and debate continued for at least four minutes before the game continued. Walsh later missed another call for time from Byron Buxton, though luckily the pitch came in as a ball.

Ober and Done With

Bailey Ober made the start for Minnesota, continuing his surprisingly strong work that seems to be now erasing any concerns over velocity. The 6 foot 9 inch soft tosser allowed a walk to speed demon Chandler Simpson, but a surprisingly on point throw from Austin Martin turned a potential sacrifice fly into a double play as Ryan Jeffers nabbed him at the plate. (Curiously, the bench coach on the phone signaled to cash to play on, but Cash challenged nonetheless).

Ober did not repeat the strikeout success he had in his two previous starts, but he continued his soft contact magic—managing to keep the Rays to only three hard hits all day. Unfortunately, one of those did critical damage. After a hit by pitch put Yandy Diaz on base, Jake Fraley connected with Ober’s change up and launched one 401 feet for a two run shot. 

Ober still pushed his way through to manage a Quality Start. A fifth inning walk to Richie Palacios got erased when the baserunner dragged a steal too far and Brooks Lee kept a tag (if there was a chance to challenge, the Rays were already out at the moment). After a Junior Caminero single through the infield, Derek Shelton trusted the giant to finish off the inning with a pop up and a soft grounder and keep the game where it needed to be.

Comebacker, Shane

McClanahan entered his the game since 2023 with a 5 ERA over 18 innings, though for a player who has missed two full seasons—including some months where he couldn't grip a single thing with his hand—the Rays should be happy to have him throwing 95mph while on the mound. While his first two innings looked strong, his command began faltering and put both Austin Martin and Josh Bell on base with two outs. However, McClanahan worked back a 3-0 count with Ryan Jeffers into a ground out to escape any damage.

After throwing 35 pitches in the third inning, he managed a five pitch fourth inning. An error from Ben Williamson and a single from Buxton gave the Twins a chance to cash in with two on and one out, but McClanahan easily escaped the jam. He finished with seven strikeouts on a largely lifeless Twins offense.

Bullpen Blues

A continuing refrain for Minnesota ended whatever hope for a comeback. Tyler Rogers took over for Ober in the 7th inning and graced the Rays with a double, triple, and walk—none from their best hitters— before Shelton went to Eric Orze. The former Rays farmhand did not fair much better, allowing a pair of runs before the Twins managed to end in the inning. Garret Acton was given the eighth and added onto the pain after a Williamson double.

If the Rays had questions about their bullpen after a bad week, they seemed in full force this week. Cash turned to Kevin Kelly for two innings followed by Hunter Bigge for one. Neither pitcher faced much resistance from the hitting crew. After posting a 106 WRC+ going into last Friday’s bout with the Reds, the team has been below average in hitting since then.

Trevor Martin ran into some trouble after hitting Luke Keschall, who stole second and set up Royce Lewis for a RBI single. But that was all the Twins could manage. After sitting atop the American League, the team has now dropped eight of their last nine contests.

Notes

—Buxton smacked a catwalk ring in the third inning that led to a dropped pop up in the infield, but only some of the catwalks are considered fair territory while others force a foul ball.

—Future Review? Josh Bell struck out on a "foul tip" in the eighth inning that a broadcast replay revealed as a check swing. However, such a call remains unreviewable in baseball. 

—ABS Winners today: Buxton, Jeffers (x2)

Post-Game Interview:

What's Next?

Simeon Woods Richardson looks to finally manage a win after a rough series of starts, while the Rays turn to their long releif / "opener" Jesse Scholtens, who will aim for likely five innings. 

Bullpen Usage: