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Rays journal: Ramos (hamstring) out, Sucre in at catcher

 
Wilson Ramos heads to the dugout after scoring the go-ahead run but tweaking a hamstring in the 10th inning of Friday’s win.
Wilson Ramos heads to the dugout after scoring the go-ahead run but tweaking a hamstring in the 10th inning of Friday’s win.
Published July 16, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Just when the Rays were feeling good about having most of their key players feeling better, C Wilson Ramos was out of the lineup Saturday and may be out again today after tweaking his left hamstring scoring from first in the 10th inning of Friday's 2-1 win.

Manager Kevin Cash said Ramos felt it rounding second, so it was encouraging he stayed in.

"The good thing is he ended up scoring, and then he went out there and played another inning," Cash said. "We'll give him a day or two, see how he comes in (today)."

Jesus Sucre started Saturday's 6-3 win, with Cash saying Ramos was available in an emergency. If Ramos, who returned June 24 from right knee surgery, heads to the DL, the Rays have Curt Casali at Triple-A Durham, where he is hitting .266, plus non-roster options Mike Marjama and Michael McKenry,

In other injury news:

• INF Tim Beckham (left ankle sprain) was activated off the DL for today's game. INF Taylor Feathersonwas optioned to Triple-A Durham.

• RHP Matt Andriese (right hip stress) joined the team since he was in the Anaheim area at home during the break, expecting to start throwing off a mound at the Trop by the end of next week.

A is for Aggressive for All-Star Archer

All-Star RHP Chris Archer starts today, looking to maintain the aggressive mind-set that has been a key to his success. "It may be at different points in the game or in the season," Archer said. "You just remind yourself to be in attack mode, that you have some of the best stuff in the league, that your stuff in the zone is more than enough. You don't have to be out of the zone, you don't have to be too fine." Archer said he doesn't use one cue — such as a phrase written on his cap or in his locker — but a combination. "You're constantly reminding yourself, you've got some of the best stuff in the world, you're an elite talent, let it play."

Chart of the day

Rays rookie RHP Jake Faria celebrated his homecoming to Anaheim on Friday night with a seventh straight quality start (six or more innings, three or fewer runs), the ninth pitcher to start his career that way since at least 1913 (when baseball-refererence.com data is available):

QSPitcherYearRecord

7Jake Faria, Rays20174-0, 2.00

7A.J. Griffin, A's20123-0, 2.51

7Scott Kamieniecki, Yankees19914-2, 2.68

7Ron Darling, Mets1983-842-3, 2.47

7Dave Ferris, Red Sox19457-0, 0.57

9Jered Weaver, Angels20067-0, 1.81

9Joey Hamilton, Padres19945-2, 1.94

16Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees201411-3, 2.10

16Steve Rogers, Expos19739-5, 1.40

What bullpen blues?

The thus-far impressive return of RHP Brad Boxberger and solid work by RHP Tommy Hunter has created a solid bridge to closer RHP Alex Colome, and providing something of a formula for late-inning success. "Most of this season we haven't really had that," Cash said. "Tommy has been very consistent in that we've tried to plug him in in the big pivotal moment in the game, but having an extra guy you can kind of line things up." In Friday's win, the trio retired all 10 batters faced, and on 31 pitches. That was after LHP Adam Kolarek hit Kole Calhoun with the only pitch he threw, the third Ray to do that, joining LHP Trever Miller (2004) and LHP Scott Aldred (1999)

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Miscellany

• Top draft pick 1B/LHP Brendan McKay will make his pro debut for short-season Class A Hudson Valley today as the DH.

• LHP Jonny Venters has taken his improbable but impressive comeback from a fourth torn elbow ligament to the advanced Class A Stone Crabs, working a hitless inning Friday. Venters, 32, last pitched in the majors in 2012.

• With Saturday's win, the Rays moved to six games over .500 — at 49-43 — for the first time since June 2015, and this late in a season since 2013. On Friday, they won their sixth straight extra-inning game, improving to 7-3 in bonus panels.

• Replay coordinator Jeremy Sowers said he thought it was worth taking a look at whether SS Adeiny Hechavarria tagged Cameron Maybin on the foot during a critical sequence Friday and called the dugout — as opposed to them usually calling him — resulting in a key reversal.