Game 20: Rays (Alexander) at Yankees (Schmidt)

Wish we could've had one more game with Sterling. Looking forward to tomorrow and what guests the Yankees role out for pre-game.

His advanced stats say he's been hitting the ball well and into bad luck. Let's hope the hits start falling soon.

Tyler Alexander starts for the Rays; he's split time between the rotation and the pen for the Tigers between 2019 and 2023 with little success. As a starter in his career to date, he's 4-20 with a 4.78 ERA. So far for the Rays, he's pretty much been ineffective in both roles. In his one start, he allowed 8 hits and 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings for an ERA over 8, and in two long relief appearances, he's allowed 7 runs and 3 HR in 11 innings for an ERA of 5.73. His last appearance was six innings of relief against the Giants in which he allowed just 2 runs and got the win on his 1-0 record.

He's pitched OK against the Yanks in limited appearances. In 3 games and one start, in 8 innings, he's allowed 7 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned, 3 HR, 2 BB and K'd 9. HIs ERA against the Yanks is 3.38, and his WHIP is 1.125. His last game vs. the Yanks was in 2022: a one-inning relief appearance in he gave up the two unearned runs. The Yankees team quadruple slash line vs. Alexander is .219/.265/.500/.765

Alexander is a junkballing 4 pitch lefty. The Rays have gotten him to use his slider more and his fastball and cutter less, at least to start this season: FB at 89 about 1/3 of the time, cutter at 85 about 27% of the time, slider at 79 about 21% of the time and change 81-2 about 18% of the time.

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Clarke Schmidt goes for the Yanks. His problems are same today as they were yesterday, and will be again next time out, unless he magically finally figures things out. He has good stuff on  5 pitch repertoire (more like 7 pitches the way he uses them), but he has little or no command of any of them. The batters have trouble against him the 1st and 2nd time through the order because neither they nor he knows where any pitch he throws is going. By the 3rd time through, he's run enough deep counts to wear down some, and the hitters usually get a bead on him and knock him out of the game, or he pitch-counts himself out of it. As I frequently say, he usually leaves 1 or 2 pitches in the middle of the zone or waist high or both just about every at bat against every hitter.

So far, this year has been typical: In 3 starts, he's pitched 14 2/3 innings, allowed 16 hits, 7 runs, 6 earned, 1 HR and 8 BB, with 16 K. His ERA is 3.68 and his WHIP is a very high 1.636. He's made 4 starts and 4 relief appearances vs. the Rays: he's 1-3 with an ERA of 4.24. in 23 1/3 innings, he's allowed 21 hits, 13 runs, 11 earned, 1 HR, 5 BB and struck out 22. His WHIP against Tampa is 1.114.

Absolutely on Soto Rizz. Like watching a master craftsman at work. So far I like everything about this guy and I would love to see him go into Cooperstown wearing the Yankee cap.

Rays' batters vs. Schmidt:
Diaz is 3-6 with a 2B and 2 RBI
Arozarena ia 1-11 with a 2B, 1 RBI and 2 K
Paredes is 3-6 with a HR, 3 RBI, 1 K and 1 BB
Ramirez is 1-7 with a 2B an RBI and a K
Rosario is 1-5 with a solo HR and 2 K
Palacios, Mead, Caballero and Rortvedt have never batted against Schmidt.

Ditto!…