Since We Last Met: Tampa Bay Rays

Just a few days after getting swept by the Rays, and during a spell of some of the worst baseball we’ve seen in years, Tampa Bay comes to the South Side after hitting a bit of a rough patch of their own.

This is a weird, almost home-and-home, with an AL East team, and will be able to bolster the “tough April schedule!” dead-enders, still clinging stubbornly to hope, ignoring that our opponents have such a good winning percentage because ... they’ve gotten to play us.

It’s going to be a cloudy sort of weekend, a mostly-not-warm late April baseball set. I haven’t looked yet, but I am guessing good tickets are still somehow available.

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What Have the Rays Been Up To?

Well, it’s only been three games since we saw them, even if it seems like a long slog of scoreless bullshit. Which it was! But there hasn’t been a lot happening.

What is weird is that the Rays have also had a pretty rough stretch. Much like the Sox, they got blanked in back-to-back games, their historic offense falling silent against the Astros. They did win 8-3 on Monday, though.

But between the Sox (24) and the Rays (19), there have been 43 straight scoreless innings. And given the pitching matchup tonight, that streak could continue.

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What Are the Pitching Matchups? How Do We Match Up?

Honestly, except for Game 1, which could be a real humdinger on a nice night, not well.

Thursday, April 27
Rays: Shane McClanahan (4-0, 1.86). Interesting stat: 15.1 P/IP
Sox: Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.83) Interesting Stat: 18.3 P/IP

Friday, April 28
Rays: Zach Eflin (3-0. 2.81). Interesting Stat: 0 HPB
Sox: Lucas Giolito (1-2, 4.50) Interesting Stat: 4 HPB

Saturday, April 29
Rays: Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 0.00) Interesting Stat: 9IP, 0 dingers allowed
Sox: Lance Lynn (0-3, 7.52) 26 1⁄3 IP, 7 dingers allowed

Sunday, April 30
Rays: Drew Rasmussen (3-2, 3.33) Interesting stat: 3 Stolen Bases
Sox: SP4 (2-2, 4.81) Interesting Stat: 7 stolen bases

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What’s on Today’s Front Page?

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