The Tampa Bay Rays will look for their fourth consecutive win and earn their fourth straight series victory in the process by taking the middle game of this three-game series with the Minnesota Twins. Shane McClanahan (1-1, 2.45 ERA) will get the start, taking on former teammate Chris Archer (0-0, 3.18 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 4:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
B. Lowe 2B
Franco SS
Diaz 1B
J. Lowe RF
Arozarena LF
Kiermaier CF
Margot DH
Walls 3B
Zunino C
Twins Starting Lineup
Polanco 2B
Correa SS
Garlick LF
Urshela 3B
Sanchez DH
Sano 1B
Jeffers C
Celestino RF
Larnach RF
Meaningful Matchup For Both McClanahan, Archer
After being teammates in Archer’s second stint with the Rays last season, McClanahan said he learned a ton from the 32-year-old veteran.
“Archer has a work ethic like no one else I’ve ever seen,” McClanahan said Friday. “The guy works hard. He goes about his business the right way, does the right things, and he took care of the younger guys, including myself, last year. And it’s like, that’s the guy you want to be like, that’s a guy you look up to, try and do the right things. And hopefully, when it’s your time, you can do the same thing for the younger guys.”
It’s a mindset that Archer said he picked up as a young player with the Rays, playing with veterans like David Price.
“I love to lead by example,” Archer said. “Unfortunately, last year I just wasn’t able to. But I’m an open book. You all know that. Like any questions anybody has, [If] it’s about a grip, [if] it’s about a good coffee shop in the city. I love to help.”
But the right-hander said the emotion will likely hit him after his performance today is over.
“Right now I’m just trying to treat it as normal as possible,” Archer admitted. “I’ll have to answer that afterwards because it really hadn’t hit me yet.”
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.
