The Tampa Bay Rays will look to salvage a split of their four-game series with the Oakland Athletics with a victory in Thursday’s finale. Left-hander Josh Fleming (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start, taking on Cole Irvin (0-1, 6.75 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Diaz 1B
Franco SS
Ramirez DH
Arozarena LF
B. Lowe 2B
Margot RF
Zunino C
Kiermaier CF
Walls 3B
Athletics Starting Lineup
Kemp 2B
Pinder LF
Murphy DH
Neuse 1B
McKinney RF
Andrus SS
Smith 3B
Allen C
Pache CF
Rays Call Up Former USF Bull Sanders To Bolster Pen
Looking to try and keep the bullpen as fresh as possible for this start of 13 straight games before the first day off, the Rays made another roster move Thursday to supplement the relief corps, selecting the contract of right-hander Phoenix Sanders from Triple-A Durham.
Sanders, who starred at the University of South Florida in Tampa, was a tenth-round selection by the Rays in 2017. He spent all of 2021 with Durham, going 5-2 with a 3.38 earned run average in 50 relief appearances. He has appeared in two games with the Bulls this year already, allowing a run on two hits in 3 2/3 innings of work.
To make room on the active and 40-man rosters for Sanders, reliever Dusten Knight, who worked in Wednesday’s loss, was designated for assignment.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
