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Tampa Bay Rays at Philadelphia Phillies

By JR·2 min read
Tampa Bay RaysTB(97-63)
Philadelphia PhilliesPHI(87-73)
AT
7:15 PM ET

TLDR: The Phillies still haven't locked up a wild-card spot, and 97-win Tampa Bay just shut them out to push it back another night. Saturday is round 2 in South Philly, and the Phillies need their offense to show up.

SAT SEP 26, 7:15 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Rays
(97-63)
WLLWL
Phillies
(87-73)
LLLWW

Tampa Bay (97-63) shut the Phillies out 2-0 Friday, and the Phillies still need to finish off a wild-card spot. Griffin Jax brings 10 scoreless innings over his last 2 starts. Philadelphia is expected to run a bullpen game while Luis Arraez's sprained ankle keeps him out and the offense tries to wake up. The board has it close to a coin flip with a low total.

Rays
  • Jax: 10 IP, 0 ER over last 2 starts
  • Shut out the Phillies on 4 hits Friday
  • Peralta got into the 6th, pen covered the rest
  • Went 1-3 against the Yankees this week
  • Pen without Cleavinger, Wells, Uceta
  • McClanahan already ruled out of ALDS
Phillies
  • Still need a wild-card spot, playing at home
  • Sánchez's 10 strikeouts kept the rotation reliable
  • 2 runs total across the last 3 games
  • Arraez out, Stott and Sosa shuffle in
  • Expected bullpen game, no posted starter

Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.62) gets the ball for Tampa Bay, and he's pitching better than that record looks: 10 innings over his last 2 starts without an earned run, including 5 scoreless against Boston last time out on 74 pitches. The Phillies haven't posted a starter on the board. The Inquirer expects Jose Urquidy (2-2, 4.54) to go multiple innings in a bullpen game, so it will probably be a relay of relievers against a starter who's been sharp.

Griffin Jax
Griffin Jax
(8-10)·3.62 ERA
Sep 20 vs Red Sox
W
5.0IP
0ER
5K
2BB
74P
09/26 Lineup
Philadelphia Phillies
TBD
—
TBD
ND
—IP
—ER
—K
—BB
—P
09/26 Lineup

The lineup behind that relay is short a bat. Luis Arraez sprained his left ankle against Milwaukee, and Don Mattingly said he'd be "a little surprised" if Arraez plays this weekend. The club is holding off on an IL move so he stays eligible for the wild-card round. For now Bryson Stott moves to second and Edmundo Sosa plays third. The board has this close to a coin flip, which says more about the Phillies' home field than about their bats right now.

The Phillies have scored 2 runs in their last 3 games. Friday's 2-0 loss wasted a 10-strikeout night from Cristopher Sánchez: 4 hits all game while Freddy Peralta worked into the 6th for Tampa Bay. A win Friday plus an Arizona loss would have clinched their 5th straight playoff berth. Instead the clinch is still hanging over them for another night.

Tampa Bay Rays
(97-63)
09/25W@Phillies2-0
09/24L@Yankees4-6
09/23L@Yankees2-9
09/22W@Yankees6-1
09/22L@Yankees0-2
Philadelphia Phillies
(87-73)
09/25LvsRays0-2
09/24LvsBrewers1-5
09/23LvsBrewers1-4
09/22WvsBrewers6-4
09/20W@Mets7-2

Tampa Bay's week was uneven, going 1-3 against the Yankees before Friday's shutout. They're already sorting out October, though: Kevin Cash said Shane McClanahan (forearm) won't be on the ALDS roster, and the bullpen is missing Garrett Cleavinger, Tyler Wells and Edwin Uceta. The pen that finished Friday's shutout is thinner than a 97-win team's usually is.

Tampa Bay Rays
(8)
  • Day-To-DayNewChandler Simpson (LF) — Simpson went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Red Sox.09/26
  • 15-Day-ILShane McClanahan (SP) — McClanahan (forearm) will not be included on the Rays' ALDS roster.09/23
  • 15-Day-ILGarrett Cleavinger (RP) — Cleavinger (forearm) is expected to resume mound work Saturday.09/19
  • 15-Day-ILTyler Wells (RP) — The Rays placed Wells on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right forearm tightness.09/15
  • 60-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — Lux (shoulder) has resumed full baseball activity.09/11
  • 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — Uceta (shoulder) is playing catch from 75 feet, per MLB.com.08/15
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley (RP) — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.06/08
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season.05/08
Philadelphia Phillies
(8)
  • OutNewLuis Arraez (2B) — The diagnosis on Arraez's left ankle sprain was "not a great one," Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.09/25
  • Day-To-DayJonathan Bowlan (RP) — Bowlan was diagnosed with a mild right groin strain Friday.09/18
  • 15-Day-ILJesus Luzardo (SP) — Luzardo (shoulder) threw a successful 30-pitch bullpen session Thursday.09/24
  • 60-Day-ILCaleb Kilian (RP) — The Phillies transferred Kilian (oblique) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.09/17
  • 60-Day-ILFelix Reyes (LF) — The Phillies optioned Reyes to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.08/20
  • 60-Day-ILBrad Keller (RP) — Keller underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery with internal brace and flexor tendon repair Tuesday.07/29
  • 60-Day-ILJohan Rojas (CF) — Rojas (suspension) underwent surgery Friday to repair the UCL in his right elbow and will face an expected recovery timeline of 6-to-8 months.06/25
  • 60-Day-ILAdolis Garcia (RF) — Garcia underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair a torn right lat.06/24

First pitch is 7:15 PM ET. Expect 59 degrees and clouds with a 12 mph wind, and the Phillies are already worried rain could mess with Jesús Luzardo's weekend tune-up. Luzardo threw a clean 30-pitch bullpen and is aiming to face hitters, but he's pitching for October, not for tonight. Tonight comes down to whether a lineup missing its contact hitter can do anything against a starter who hasn't allowed an earned run in 2 weeks.

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