Quick Hits: Rays Look To Build On Post-Season Potential Against Angels

ANGELS (68-82) at RAYS (92-59)

● Tampa Bay has won seven of its last eight meetings with Los Angeles, including two of three at Angel Stadium in August. The Rays have won 13 of the last 16 meetings at Tropicana Field dating back to May 2017, including a four-game sweep last season.

● The Angels managed nine runs over the three-game sweep by the Tigers over the weekend. With Sunday’s loss, the Angels have clinched their eighth straight losing season – the longest active streak in MLB and longest in franchise history.

● Patrick Sandoval has lost each of his last three starts, posting a 9.22 ERA over that span. The Angels are 8-18 (.308) in his starts this season, fifth worst in the AL (min. 20 starts).

● Despite losing in Baltimore on Sunday, the Rays clinched their fifth straight playoff berth. Only four teams have longer active streaks – the Dodgers (11 including 2023), Astros (six), Yankees (six), and Braves (six including 2023); the Yankees are not in a playoff spot.

● Yandy Diaz has a .313 average in 21 career games against the Angels and had two hits in each of the three games in Anaheim last month. He currently ranks fifth in MLB with a .319 average this season; no Ray has ever finished a season in the top five.

● Taj Bradley has not won a game since June 21 against Baltimore, going 0-4 with a 7.56 ERA in nine starts since. He has allowed 14 home runs over those nine games and leads the team with 19 longballs allowed.

BLUE JAYS (83-67) at YANKEES (76-74)

● The Yankees have won four of their seven meetings with the Blue Jays this season, but Toronto took two of three at Yankee Stadium in April. The Blue Jays are 15-8 there since 2021 and have won five of the seven series there in that span.

● Toronto swept the Red Sox in three games, including consecutive one-run games to end the series. The Jays have gone 25-19 (.568) in one-run games this season, sixth in MLB but second in the AL behind the Orioles (28-14, .667).

● Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 12 career homers as a visitor to Yankee Stadium are tied with Miguel Cabrera for third most by active players behind Evan Longoria (16) and Rafael Devers (13).

● Yusei Kikuchi is 0-3 over seven starts since his last win on August 2 and matched his season high with six runs in Wednesday’s loss to Texas. He has allowed four home runs in his last four starts following a seven-start run without allowing a single homer.

● The Yankees have gone 11-5 this month, tied with the Padres for the best record in MLB. However, the Yankees have the worst team batting average in MLB at .210 and rank 29th with a .360 slugging percentage (Nationals, .356).

● Clarke Schmidt has a 3.94 ERA in 16 outings (15 starts) at Yankee Stadium compared to a 5.27 ERA in 14 road starts. He is 3-0 with a 3.23 ERA in eight home appearances since his last home loss on June 6. FOR

PIRATES (70-80) at CUBS (78-72)

● The Cubs are 33-15 (.688) against the Pirates since the start of the 2021 season, their best record against any single opponent over that span (min. 5 games).

● Justin Steele leads all qualified pitchers with a 2.18 ERA at home. He also has 12 wins at Wrigley Field this season, the most home wins by any MLB pitcher.

● Only two MLB hitters have a higher slugging percentage than Seiya Suzuki’s .679 since August 9: Trea Turner (.746) and Julio Rodríguez (.689; min. 100 PA).

● Johan Oviedo has the fifth-highest walks per nine innings rate (BB/9) in the majors among qualified pitchers, at 4.10. His 20 walks since August 16 lead the league.

● David Bednar has a 2.21 ERA since 2021, the third best in the majors among relievers with at least 150 innings pitched. It’s also the best ERA by a Pirates pitcher over a three-year span since Felipe Vázquez posted a 2.02 mark between 2017 and 2019 (min. 150 IP).

● Since the start of the 2021 season, Dansby Swanson is tied for fifth in home runs among all MLB shortstops with 72.

GIANTS (76-74) at DIAMONDBACKS (79-72)

● The Giants have a 60-37 record (.619) against the Diamondbacks since the start of the 2018 season. The only team the Giants have more wins against in that span is the Rockies (61).

● Zac Gallen has a 3.24 ERA with the Diamondbacks since 2019. It is the best ERA by a Diamondbacks pitcher over a five-year span since Brandon Webb had a 3.22 mark between 2003 and 2007 (min. 500 IP, must have 5 seasons with a game pitched w/Ari).

● Corbin Carroll has 24 home runs and 47 stolen bases this year and is one of four rookies in history to log a 20-40 season. If he gets one more homer and three more steals, he would become the first rookie ever to achieve a 25-50 season.

● Logan Webb has walked 3.7 percent of his batters faced this season, the lowest rate in the NL (among qualified pitchers). It is the lowest rate by a Giants pitcher since Juan Marichal in 1968 (3.5%).

● The Giants are last in MLB with 53 stolen bases, their fewest through 150 games since 2019 (39). The Rockies are the next worst squad with 63, and the league leader (Reds) has 173.

● Arizona fell below .500 on August 14 (59-60). Since August 15, they have gone 20-12 (.625), tied for the fourth-best record in MLB and tied for second best in the NL with the Braves (only the Dodgers have been better: 21-11, .656).