The Tampa Bay Rays are back in the MLB Playoffs. Despite making a serious charge for the American League East in August, the Rays slowed down in September, and rolled into the playoffs as the number six seed in the AL playoff bracket. Tampa will draw a matchup with a Cleveland Guardians team that has been on fire in September.
This is a daunting matchup to begin the playoffs for the Rays, and it will be interesting to see whether they can conjure up some more playoff magic this postseason. Tampa Bay did what they usually do during the regular season; piece together their roster with multiple hidden gems who end up unexpectedly leading them back to the playoffs. You can't argue with their recent results.
The 2022 season wasn't easy for Tampa, though, as they dealt with injuries and poor play all throughout the season, which makes it even more impressive that they snuck their way into the playoffs. They will have to take their game to a new level, if they want to beat the Guardians in this three game series. With that in mind, let's take a look at three bold predictions for the Rays in their upcoming Wild Card series.
3. Rays ace Shane McClanahan will pitch seven shutout innings in Game 1
Prior to dealing with a couple of different injuries, Shane McClanahan was firmly entrenched in the American League Cy Young race. McClanahan still had a very strong season (12-8, 2.54 ERA, 194 K, 0.93 WHIP) but chances are he won't walk away with a Cy Young award this season. Either way, heading into the postseason, McClanahan is the team's clear cut starter for Game 1.
Early on in his career in the playoffs, McClanahan hasn't been great. He has an 8.10 ERA over ten innings, although most of his outings have seen him come out of the bullpen. In the one playoff game he started, which was Game 1 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox last season, McClanahan pitched five shutout innings to guide Tampa to a win.
The Guardians strong pitching staff is going to necessitate McClanahan to be at his best, because the lineup won't be able to help him out much. McClanahan will deliver, and hurl seven shutout innings in a pitcher's duel against Shane Bieber. McClanahan's strong outing will buy the Rays lineup time to come alive, and they will walk away with the win in Game 1 by a tight score of 2-1.
2. Rays stud reliever Jason Adam will blow a save in Game 2
As previously mentioned, the Rays make their money by taking other team's trash and turning it into diamonds. One of the best examples of that this season was Jason Adam. Through the first four seasons of his career, Adam had been a borderline average relief pitcher, holding an ERA of 4.71 over those first few campaigns.
This season has been a completely different story, though. Adam has easily been Tampa's most consistent reliever all season long, pitching in 67 games and posting a lights out ERA of 1.56. Adam picked up 75 strikeouts in 63.1 innings of work, and was manager Kevin Cash's ace in the wild out of the bullpen all season long.
Game 2 will feature a bit more scoring, and Adam will enter the game in the ninth inning trying to protect a 5-3 lead. Pitching on no rest after closing things out in Game 1, Adam struggles from the get go, and will cough up three runs to allow Cleveland to keep their season alive. It will be a tough outing from Adam, and he won't be available in Game 3 with the Rays season now on the line.
1. Randy Arozarena will hit a game-winning home run in Game 3 to send the Rays to AL Divisional Round
With Tyler Glasnow likely getting the start in Game 2, that will leave Jeffrey Springs or Drew Rassmussen as the two most likely candidates to get the start in Game 3. Since it's all hands on deck in this one, it wouldn't be surprising to see Springs get the ball before handing off to Rassmussen, or vice versa.
Whatever the case may be, this game will be tightly contested like the two games prior. The Rays will hold a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, but Shawn Armstrong will allow a solo home run to Jose Ramirez to tie the game heading into the ninth.
Things won't look great, with Randy Arozarena stepping up to the plate with two outs in the ninth. But Arozarena will get a hold of one of Emmanuel Clase's deadly cutters, and give it a ride over the wall in left field, giving the Rays a 4-3 lead. Pete Fairbanks will be given the ball to close out the game, and he quickly retires the Guardians, sending the Rays into the ALDS for a matchup with the New York Yankees.
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