The Tampa Bay Rays can clinch the American League East championship with a win in Saturday’s middle game against the Miami Marlins along with a loss by the Boston red Sox at home to the New York Yankees. Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.51 ERA) will get the start, taking on Sandy Alcantara (9-13, 3.05 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 3:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Lowe 2B
Choi 1B
Arozarena LF
Meadows DH
Wendle SS
Diaz 3B
Kiermaier CF
Phillips RF
Zunino C
Marlins Starting Lineup
Rojas SS
Chisholm 2B
De La Cruz CF
Sanchez RF
Brinson LF
Diaz 1B
Forts DH
Alvarez 3B
Leon C
Rays Bring Fleming Back Up
Before Saturday’s contest, the Rays optioned left-hander Dietrich Enns to Triple-A Durham, and recalled fellow southpaw Josh Fleming.
Enns pitched the final two innings of Friday night’s win over the Marlins, and is 2-0 with a 2.82 ERA in nine relief appearances.
Fleming, who was optioned to Durham, will work in a relief role for the playoff run. He is 10-6 wit a 5.01 ERA in 22 appearances with the Rays this year, including 11 starts.
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.
