Rays Look to Rebound Against Mets After Dismal Stretch

The Tampa Bay Rays, currently mired in last place in the AL East with a 14-18 record, will host the New York Mets in a three-game interleague series starting Friday at Tropicana Field. The Rays are desperate to turn their season around after losing 11 of their last 16 games, including a deflating 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

In the series opener, the Mets will send left-hander Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.48 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) to the mound, while the Rays will counter with right-hander Aaron Civale (2-2, 5.06 ERA, 1.31 WHIP). Quintana has been effective at keeping the ball in the park, allowing just three home runs over 33.2 innings pitched. Civale, in contrast, has struggled with the long ball, surrendering six homers already this season.

The Rays' offensive woes have been a significant factor in their recent slump. They are averaging just 3.75 runs per game and have scored two or fewer runs in four straight contests and six of their last nine. "It's tough," lamented Rays outfielder Richie Palacios. "We've just got to play better baseball, all facets of the game. We've just got to come together and produce."

Manager Kevin Cash echoed Palacios' sentiments, emphasizing the need for his team to generate more offense. "You've got to find ways to put a ball in the gap, knock it out of the ballpark, got to get some walks," Cash stated. "These guys, they're wearing it right now. They feel it. And they're frustrated by it. We've just got to stay at it."

The Mets, meanwhile, arrive in St. Petersburg riding high after a thrilling 7-6, 11-inning walk-off victory against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. They will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time since a six-game winning streak from April 14-20. The Mets have been buoyed by their strong bullpen, which ranks sixth in baseball with a 2.71 reliever ERA. In contrast, the Rays' bullpen has been a glaring weakness, ranking dead last with a 5.55 ERA.

Offensively, the Mets have been more productive than the Rays, with a .684 team OPS that ranks 17th in the league, while the Rays sit 24th with a .653 team OPS. Given the Mets' superior bullpen and the Rays' ongoing struggles, the Mets are favored to take the opening game of the series. The over/under for the contest is set at 7.5 runs, with the potential for both starting pitchers to encounter difficulties and the Rays' porous bullpen to surrender additional runs.

As the Rays strive to get back on track and climb out of the AL East cellar, this series against the Mets represents a vital opportunity to build momentum and regain their footing. However, they will need to find ways to generate more consistent offense and receive better performances from their starting rotation and bullpen if they hope to turn their season around. The pressure is mounting on Cash and his players to right the ship before they fall too far behind in the competitive AL East race.

Key Takeaways

• Rays host Mets in 3-game series, seeking to turn season around after 11 losses in 16 games.
• Jose Quintana (Mets) faces Aaron Civale (Rays) in series opener, with Quintana effective at keeping ball in park.
• Rays' offense struggles, averaging 3.75 runs per game, with 2 or fewer runs in 4 straight contests.
• Mets' bullpen ranks 6th in MLB with 2.71 ERA, while Rays' bullpen is last with 5.55 ERA.
• Mets favored to take series opener, with over/under set at 7.5 runs, due to Rays' struggles.