2 weeks Ago
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Tampa Bay Rays have only played three road games so far in 2025, and it didn't go well. They were swept by the Texas Rangers in a three-game set April 4-6, and have played their other 16 games in Tampa.
They are back on the road Tuesday night, starting a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They follow that series with three more in San Diego against the Padres. The Diamondbacks are going to be a real challenge.
They are in fourth place in the National League West, but their 13-9 record is fifth-best in the NL. That's how loaded their division is. The three teams ahead of them — the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants — are a combined 23 games over .
500 already. Arizona can hit. They're third in the NL in homers (30) and second in slugging.
Right fielder Corbin Carroll is hitting .323 with seven homers and 19 RBIs, and third baseman Eugenio Suarez has six homers and 15 RBIs. Here are the projected starting pitchers for the series, with game times: Tuesday night, 9:40 p.
m. ET: Tampa Bay's Zach Littell (0-4, 5.48 ERA) vs.
Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt (3-1. 3.04 ERA).
Wednesday night, 9:40 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay's Taj Bradley (2-1, 5.
24 ERA) vs. Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 4.09 ERA).
Thursday night, 9:40 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (1-1, 0.
87 ERA) vs. Arizona's Corbin Burnes (0-1, 4.64 ERA).
Here are three things to know about the Arizona Diamondbacks: 1. Rolling along lately Arizona had won three series in a row over Baltimore, Milwaukee and Miami — going 7-2 — before losing two of three to the Chicago Cubs last weekend in wind-blown Wrigley Field. They lost the series opener 13-11 in the craziest game of the year in baseball.
With a strong wind blowing out, the Cubs scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 7-1 lead. Arizona answered with 10 runs — yes, 10 — in the top of the eighth, but then the Cubs answered with six more in the bottom of the inning to win 13-1. There were 21 runs in an inning and a half.
Arizona lost on 6-2 on Saturday then but then won a rain-delay series finale on Sunday, a 3-2 outcome in 11 innings. Merrill Kelly, who won't pitch in the Rays series, allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings and they won on Josh Naylor's single to right in the 11th. The Diamondbacks are 6-4 at home at Chase Field.
The Rays won two of three there in 2023, the year Arizona won the NL pennant and lost in the World Series to the Texas Rangers. Arizona won all three games at Tropicana Field last year from Aug. 16-18.
2. So-so numbers for starting pitchers Brandon Pfaadt, who is starting the series opener Tuesday night, is the only Arizona starter with an ERA under 4.09.
He's 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA and was really good in his last two games, going a combined 11 2/3 innings with just one earned run against Baltimore and Miami. Corbin Burnes was their big free-agent move in the offseason, signing the former Milwaukee and Baltimore ace to a six-year, $210 million deal.
He's pitching Thursday, but he has yet to win (0-1, 4.64 ERA) in four starts. There's been a bit of a concern that he's not missing bats, recording just three strikeouts in each of his last three starts.
He had 181 strikeouts in 32 starts a year ago with the Orioles. Arizona's top two starters, Kelly and Zac Gallen, have 4.73 and 5.
60 ERAs. And their bullpen's 4.39 ERA ranks ninth amond 15 NL teams.
A.J. Puk has four of their seven saves, but he's been touched for a run in three of his eight appearances.
3. Still playing with confidence Arizona was just 84-78 in 2023 and snuck into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
But they went to Milwaukee and won 6-3 and 5-2, and then stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers — last year's World Series champion — with three straight wins to win the division series. Then they won the NLCS against Philadelphia in seven games despite losing the first two, and winning Games 6 and 7 on the road to advance to their first World Series since 2001. The Diamondbacks to Texas in five games, but there are still plenty of guys on this roster who played in that postseason run — and they play that way.
Seven of their 10 home games have been played in front of crowds of 30,000 or more and Chase Field can get loud. For the Rays, who have been struggling with inconsistency in their 9-13 start, this is going to be a tough test. Still looking for their first road win, they'll have to play well to find it in the desert.
They are 6-3 vs. the NL so far this season, winning home series against Colorado, Pittsburgh and Atlanta..
