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The Rays are open to trying different things to get rolling, and tonight that includes putting Kevin Kiermaier into the leadoff slot.
With his team scoring one run over its last two games and nine runs over four, manager Kevin Cash said he wanted to try another look, noting that Kiermaier has been swinging the bat well. Plus, with the Rays facing a right-handed starter (Oakland’s Frankie Montas) after four straight lefties, Cash saw a chance to stack lefty swingers, with seven in the lineup.
Kiermaier was last in the leadoff mix in 2018 and made one start at the top in 2019. With hits in seven of his last eight games and a .263 average this season, he could be the guy to get the Rays going.
“He does a lot of things that guys at the top do well — he puts the ball in play, he gets on base, and he’s doing it right now. He’s been having some good at bats,” Cash said.
“We’re just trying to get the guys that might be seeing the ball a little bit better at the top, but there’s no really rhyme or reason. But, yeah, shake it up and see if that can jump-start our offense a little bit. Been fairly quiet the last couple days. And maybe he can provide a spark.”
The Rays could use it, as they are hitting .171 with 22 hits and 43 strikeouts through the first four games of the homestand. They are 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position during that stretch, including 0-for-their-last-18.
Cash noted that the players are working hard to get out of their collective slump, with the most common thread their timing being off. Though Brandon Lowe has been singled out for his severe skid — 0-for-his-last-14, 3-for-29, a .158 average — Cash said it has been a team effort.
“I think him and four or five other guys are kind of caught in between right now,” Cash said. “He’s missed some fastballs that he’d probably like to have back. He’s expanded on some pitches that he’s worked hard to lay off of. Even some of the in-zone, offspeed pitches, Brandon’s shown the ability to handle some of those. It’s just not coming easy for him, it’s not coming easy for many guys in our lineup right now.
“... What is it? I don’t know. We don’t know. We’re just in a stretch that we’ve got to show some patience and hopefully turning things around quickly because we’re getting really good pitching performances. And we’re nicked up in the pitching department. So you appreciate the efforts of the pitchers so much that they’re keeping us in ballgames. Our offense is going to break out of it. These guys are way too talented not to. It’s just frustrating in the moment for all of us.”
Also Tuesday:
Left-hander Cody Reed threw well in his first bullpen session since receiving a Botox shot to address numbness and weakness in his left thumb. Manager Kevin Cash said Reed and Collin McHugh, who had been sidelined with a back strain, will throw to hitters in Port Charlotte on Thursday and at Tropicana Field over the weekend. If all goes well, they could re-join the team for the week-long trip to Anaheim and Oakland.
Here is the Rays lineup:
And here is the A’s lineup:
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April 28, 2021 at 05:08AM
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Rays vs. A’s: Another new look, with Kevin Kiermaier leading off - Tampa Bay Times
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