TAMPA — The amount of innings the Rays have gotten from their starting pitchers — an American League-leading 429 1/3 going into play Saturday — has been one of the biggest factors in the team’s success this season.

That’s both in terms of how good the five starters — Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz, plus Joe Boyle for one outing — have pitched, and how the Rays, in what seems like a philosophical change, have allowed them to work deeper into games.

“Without question with this group we have confidence in their ability to take the ball,” pitching coach Kyle Snyder said. ”They’ve done a really good job and given us an opportunity to get the lead in the first six innings of the game, and that’s their job.”

But has their success meant goodbye to an old friend, the opener?

The Rays in 2018 pioneered the now common strategy of using a reliever to face the tough hitters atop the opposing lineup, then bring in a starter-type to work bulk innings (roughly three to six), limiting his exposure, often successfully.

With their current group of starters — plus potentially two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan eventually returning from injury and Boyle, Ian Seymour and Joe Rock among those in reserve at Triple A — the Rays wouldn’t seem to have any use for an opener.

“I think it speaks to the confidence, the trust and the quality of what we have in the front of the game compared to maybe what we’ve had in the past,” Snyder said. “Anybody that we’ve opened for doesn’t necessarily mean we consider those guys kind of swing men, or back-of-the-rotation starters, but we have confidence in these guys in terms of their overall stuff to face 27 hitters.

“I think a lot of (the opener use) was born by wanting to limit the number of times a particular pitcher faced the meat of the order. But we have confidence in the guys right now to do that, not just twice, but even potentially a third time.”

Sergio Romo made history for the Rays when he opened a May 19, 2018, game in Anaheim.Sergio Romo made history for the Rays when he opened a May 19, 2018, game in Anaheim. [ MARK J. TERRILL | Associated Press ]

That said, they’re also not ready to abandon the opener.

Injuries can quickly change the dynamic of the rotation, a rainout can create a doubleheader that tests pitching depth, a specific matchup might look better with a pitcher with one distinct style starting ahead of another who throws differently.

“One hundred percent, there’s no way in the world it is dead,” Snyder said. “Essentially it’s no different than how we use the flexibility on the (position player) side of the roster. We will continue to (use an opener) if it presents itself, for sure.”

The Rays started winding down on opener usage last season, with 11 such games their fewest except for the abbreviated 2020 pandemic season.

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Over the seven seasons since its May 19, 2018, debut featuring Sergio Romo, the Rays have done it 179 times (averaging 29 over the six full seasons). They won 108 of those games, for a .603 clip. (In other games over that 2018-2024 span, they were 462-348, .570.)

Manager Kevin Cash was asked last weekend if he preferred running his pitching staff this traditional, somewhat old-school way of having the starters go deep, averaging nearly six innings per game.

“I don’t know about that,” Cash said. “I prefer whatever is going to give us the best chance to win games and do it consistently. And if an opener is the thought on a given part of the season, we would go that way.”

Just like the old days.

Sale rumblingsA fan holds up a sign that says Rays are hotter than a Florida summer before the start of the game against the Orioles on Thursday.A fan holds up a sign that says Rays are hotter than a Florida summer before the start of the game against the Orioles on Thursday. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]Developer Patrick Zalupski’s exclusive window to buy the Rays for a reported $1.7 billion may expire as soon as this week. … If he doesn’t strike a deal, hedge fund founder Trip Miller has told the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets he is ready to up the bidding, which could be good for current owner Stuart Sternberg. Zalupski hasn’t shared any plans. Miller said his group would look first to build a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area, and that the team wouldn’t go further than Orlando. “You won’t see the Rays relocating out of Central Florida, whether it was our group or another group,” he told The Athletic. “The league, that’s what they’re looking for. Someone who can not only buy the club, but solves the stadium problem.” Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagen, who says a lot, told the JP Peterson Show podcast he was “supremely confident” an agreement with Zalupski’s group for a new stadium on the Tampa side could be reached. Even Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala acknowledged, in an X post, “I think they will be going to Tampa.” Just connecting dots: Could Zalupski’s connection with Gov. Ron DeSantis lead to strong consideration of the state Fairgrounds site? Jim Schnorf, co-founder of the Orlando group hoping to land the Rays or another team, put out a statement in response to the Zalupski news saying, “We believe it is unlikely that a sale of the Rays can consummate without an affirmative stadium site and stadium financing solution in place.” Rays rumblingsRays shortstop Wander Franco stands in court during his trial on charges of sexually abusing a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,on June 2.Rays shortstop Wander Franco stands in court during his trial on charges of sexually abusing a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,on June 2. [ RICARDO HERNANDEZ | AP ]

Shortstop Wander Franco’s trial in the Dominican Republic resumes Monday with closing arguments and at least the possibility of a verdict being announced. … Jim Bowden’s list for The Athletic of “difference-making” trade proposals for AL wild-card contenders has the Rays trading starter Taj Bradley and 2024 top pick/promising outfield prospect Theo Gillen to Colorado for catcher Hunter Goodman, a 25-year-old hitting .279 with 14 homers, 48 RBIs and an .842 OPS. … MLB Network Radio’s Steve Phillips on the Rays: “They’re a playoff team.” … The Rays, however, are apparently still not good enough for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball schedule. … Former longtime Rays in-game reporter Tricia Whitaker will be on crew covering Friday’s game in Baltimore for Apple TV+. … The Rays had some internet-famous guests on the field in New York last weekend: the guys behind the BDGE daily football trivia contest, which is a regular activity in the clubhouse. Pitchers Shane Baz and Pete Fairbanks and clubhouse staffer Jerry Culkin are big fans and had previously visited BDGE headquarters. … Josh Lowe on Tuesday switched back to his 2024 walkup song, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” after using “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar/SZA. … Ex-Ray Carlos Peña, in town to do Tigers radio, looks very much at age 47 like he could still play today.

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