Jeffrey Springs’ healthy return to the Tampa Bay Rays’ rotation appears to be heading in the right direction.
In his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery performed in the spring of 2023, Springs will look for his first 2024 win on Saturday when the Rays face the Arizona Diamondbacks in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The two teams will have a tough time matching the drama from the series opener. Tampa Bay earned a 5-4 walk-off win when Jonny DeLuca scored from first base with two outs on Brandon Lowe’s single off the mound that was then was deflected by second baseman Blaze Alexander.
Arizona’s Jake McCarthy tried to field the ball with his bare hand as it slowed in shallow center, but it skipped behind for an error, allowing DeLuca to jet home.
In the process, Tampa Bay broke its three-game losing streak and won for only the third time in 10 games.
“I think we were all willing him (to score),” Lowe said. “It just shows you what we are as a team. It would be really easy to roll over and quit.”
While the Rays find themselves in an untenable position in the American League wild-card standings, Springs (0-1, 4.61 ERA) is trying to regain his form in the season’s second half.
One of four Tampa Bay starting pitchers who were or still are on the mend (Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz), Springs has pitched increasingly better in his three starts.
In his most recent outing, on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, the left-hander fired five-plus innings and received a no-decision. Over the 83-pitch start, Springs allowed one run on six hits. He struck out eight, walked none and surrendered a solo homer to Anthony Santander.
In two career appearances against the Diamondbacks, both relief outings in 2018, Springs logged no record and a 3.86 ERA.
The Diamondbacks had their six-game winning streak end and lost for just the fourth time in 22 games on Friday. The hot stretch allowed them to close in on the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, and they are tied for second with the Padres, three games back. Arizona and San Diego top the NL wild-card standings.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said second baseman Ketel Marte, who has managed just three at-bats over the past week due to a low-grade ankle sprain, “most likely” will be in the lineup on Saturday.
“I can tell, from knowing him so long, when he’s not doing well — he’s very quiet and has his head down,” Lovullo said. “But over the past couple of days he’s been very engaged and I see the big smile on his face. Judging by how he looks, I think we might see him very, very soon.”
The team has been looking to give third baseman Eugenio Suarez a day off, and that could come Saturday.
Leading off the second inning on Friday, Suarez was hit in the hand by a pitch while striking out against starter Ryan Pepiot. Suarez stayed in the game and went 1-for-4.
Arizona’s Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.69 ERA) will get the start on Saturday. The veteran right-hander will try to reach double-digit victories for the third consecutive season. In his past five starts, Gallen is 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA.
Gallen has made one career start against the Rays. On June 27, 2023, in Phoenix, he got a win after allowing four runs on five hits in six innings.
–Field Level Media
