The Tampa Bay Rays will look to extend their winning streak to six games, and in the process stretch their lead in the American League East to six games over their opponent tonight, the Boston Red Sox. Josh Fleming (9-5, 4.12 ERA) will get the start, taking on Nathan Eovaldi (9-7, 4.07 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Lowe 2B
Choi 1B
Cruz DH
Meadows LF
Franco SS
Arozarena RF
Wendle 3B
Phillips CF
Mejia C
Red Sox Starting Lineup
Hernandez 2B
Renfroe RF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Plawecki C
Gonzalez LF
Dalbec 1B
Duran CF
Choi OK, Good News On Pitching Front
First baseman Ji-Man Choi, who left Tuesday night’s game with left hamstring soreness following his game-tying pinch-hit double, feels good enough to play tonight, and is in the starting lineup for Tampa Bay.
In addition, the Rays have a number of pitchers that are taking the next step to return to the team. Reliever Nick Anderson, who has missed the entire season after suffering an elbow sprain in Spring Training, is scheduled to pitch one inning or 20 pitches Thursday for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, and starter Chris Archer (forearm tightness) is set to throw three innings or 50 pitches for the Florida Complex League team in Port Charlotte. Relievers J.P. Feyereisen (biceps tendinitis) and Ryan Thompson (shoulder) are scheduled to throw 15-pitch live batting practice sessions on Friday.
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.
